Video courtesy of Nancy Kusky of Goldendale TV. Please subscribe to her YouTube Channel.
The Goldendale City Council met last night and took up several items. Councilors approved a new contract for city janatorial services, and, after much discussion, passed a comprehensive procurement policy, which allows department heads to authorize spending on line items in the city budget, bur requires council approval for needed expenditures that were not in the budget. They also approved a new five-year lease agreement for upgraded computers for city police vehicles, with an option to purchase at the end of the lease. The purpose of the lease rather than immediate purchase was to spread the $66,000 expense over five years.
Other items that came up for discussion included concern about the effects of House Bill 1025 now being considered by the Washington legislature that would do away with qualified immunity for police officers. Here’s Police Chief Jay Hunziker:
“If that bill passes, it’s going to be problematic for the state, because there will be no protection for police officers and it’s going to open cities up to litigation. The officers can be sued personally and all the way up to the mayor, the way I read it. The problem is for the city and the state if they pass that, WCIA, our insurance carrier, will have no choice but to drop us.”
Councilors urged local citizens to contact their state legislators to oppose the bill.
On a happier note Hunziker also reported on a highly successful investigation. He told councilors that Officer Stan Berkshire had been called to Car Quest at 6:30 am on February 22, following a robbery. After watching surveillance video, he determined the robbery occurred at 5 am. Chief Hunziker picks up the story:
“Then about 8:40 am that same morning, Officer Berkshire and Sgt. Smith got the call for a disorderly subject in the 100 block of East Broadway, and they gave the description of the person and the vehicle, and as they were going out the door mentioned ‘That sounds like our guy from the burglaryt,’ and it turned out to be that, and they were able to take him into custody and did recover the property that was taken from Car Quest and they did that in under four hours. They did that very well and Car Quest was very happy.”