The one item on last night’s Goldendale City Council’s agenda beyond routine updates was a report by Jen Forsberg on the fourth quarter of 2024. Some line items were up, others were down, but most of that was accounted for by pass-through grants that are there one year and not the next. When all was said and done, she said:
“Overall, the city had a very positive year and moving into ’25, the hope would be just as optimistic and continue to rise.”
Police Chief Mike Smith reported that he’d been asked by the school districts to research modern signage to slow down drivers in school zones. Of the three companies that responded, Smith said all three prices were within $100, but only one product is made in the U.S., a key consideration in a time of threatened tariff wars. He also said it offered the most features:
“They’ll do a smiley face, a frowny face. red lights, blue lights. You can set that to whatever parameters you want in school ones. Officers can change it from apps on their phones. It also has battery options besides the solar options. If there’s an emergency flood zone, you could move that sign, put it on any street sign – do a detour or whatever in the event of an emergency.”
The price for the programmable signs was quoted at $8,000 for a pair. Councilors thought that two might not be enough, and a budget committee meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 24 at 3 p.m. in City Hall.