Story by Rodger Nichols for Gorge Country Media
Klickitat County Commissioners voted yesterday to extend a moratorium on battery energy storage systems for another six months, allowing time for a legal review of a proposed ordinance on the subject.
In the morning workshop session, commissioners heard concerns about hidden costs in the proposal by a private local foundation to erect and maintain a 200 foot flagpole with an extra large US flag on the lawn of the county courthouse in Goldendale.
Public Works Director Jeff Hunter pointed out some of his concerns:
“There are a lot of hidden costs to this flag outside of just puttin’ the flag in the ground. We’re very concerned that they’re not going to be able to light that flag and make it work so it meets the city’s lighting ordinance. When we put the parking lot in, we dug up a 55-gallon drum. When we drained the hole from the winter runoff, we found bones. So we had to bring the archeologist back in to prove the bones were not human.”
He said the contract with the foundation funding the flag would make it clear that any problem the foundation encounters when excavating for the flag would be their responsibility.
And Columbia Gorge Regional Airport Manager Jeff Renard shared some good news with commissioners:
“We were awarded another grant for $124,000 to put up a pole barn for our snow removal equipment and any of our equipment, our tractors and trucks and whatnot can get undercover, have it designed with putting power and enough power in there that we can plug in block heaters and battery chargers and just keep everything ready to go.”
He said new hangers being built at the airport will have no problem being rented out, as he has a waiting list of 25 people who paid a deposit to be on the list.