Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Last night’s Goldendale City Council meeting was opened by special Mayor for a Day Kathryne Ihrig, accompanied by her younger sister Ruth. Kathryne won the scavenger hunt contest at Goldendale Community Days back in July. She struck the opening gavel with conviction and the sisters sang “God Bless America,” with councilors, staff and audience members joining in.
During department head reports, Police Chief Mike Smth said they had 329 calls in August, and shared the breakdown.
“We had 8 thefts, 3 property damage, 3 violations of no contact orders; 2 arrests on those, 17 domestic violence assaults; 6 arrests on those, 3 stolen vehicles, one vehicle prowl, 2 drug cases, 3 warrant arrests, 12 disorderlies, three weapons offense, six trespassing, 49 citizen assists. Traffic related calls were 37 were three arrests. Welfare checks were 16, suspicious circumstances were 31 agency assists were 23.”
On the positive side, Mayor Dave Jones shared a letter he received from the Department of Ecology about the Goldendale Wastewater Treatment Plant:
“Your plant is one of the top performers, for regularly meeting permit criteria, conducting, monitoring and reporting data. This is the fifth consecutive year the Goldendale Wastewater Treatment Plant has received this award.
The total meeting time was a bare half hour before councilors went into executive session, which startled a pari or residents who came to complain about the homeless people on the courthouse lawn. They showed up just as the council was preparing to go into executive session, and were not pleased.