Council approves several board appointments; highway official signals $796,525 bridge appropriation to follow

WASHINGTON COUNTY — At its Jan. 5 meeting the Washington County Council approved a slate of routine appointments and heard a department report on near-term bridge work.

The council appointed Dario Lee (identified in the meeting as the commander at the VFW in Salem) to the county ABC board for a one-year term and reappointed Keeley Stingle and Ryan Watson to the Washington County Redevelopment Commission for one-year terms. Council members also moved to reappoint Preston to the county’s solid waste board. Several other board appointments (including River Hills and the property tax assessment board representative) were discussed; some were rolled to the February meeting to allow confirmation of names and availability.

Highway Department representative Rick told the council he will seek an additional appropriation of $796,525 for bridge projects, saying the money comes from funds previously saved for infrastructure work rather than new revenue. Rick said he expects project timing in March or April and will coordinate with the auditor’s office on appropriation paperwork.

The council also approved the meeting minutes from December 2025. There were no contentious votes recorded on the appointment items and the chair announced the motions “carry” for the items taken up on Jan. 5. The meeting concluded after board comments and a pledge to keep county employees informed about the payroll review underway.