Goldendale council approves purchase of about 103 acres to protect city watershed

Goldendale  The Goldendale City Council voted to approve Resolution No. 755, authorizing the mayor to sign a purchase-and-sale agreement with Western Pacific Timber LLC for an amount not to exceed $245,520 to acquire three parcels in the city watershed.

A councilmember moved the resolution and another seconded; the council approved the motion by voice vote. The purchase was described by staff as covering about 103 acres and intended to establish a roughly 200-foot buffer around spring beds that supply the city's water system.

Council members said the budget committee had reviewed the financing and had unanimously recommended the purchase to the full council after an earlier executive session to discuss land negotiation and pricing. Staff noted Pioneer Surveying conducted field work to confirm acreage and that some previously city-owned parcels already sit adjacent to the parcels under purchase.

Doug, a city staff member, confirmed the parcels total "103 acres" and said the acquired lots are labeled as Lots 1, 2 and 3 on the map presented to council. Council members repeatedly requested a clearer, layered watershed boundary map showing what the city already owns versus the full drainage area so they can identify any remaining high-priority parcels for future acquisition.

The council framed the purchase as a measure to protect the municipal water supply from potential impacts such as timber harvesting and other uses on nearby private lands. Council discussion noted the watershed is one of the city's most important natural assets and emphasized the value of improved mapping and a potential site visit in late spring or fall to assess conditions in person.

Following the vote, the meeting moved to department reports. Several members had no items; others reaffirmed the request for a watershed boundary map and mentioned recent field survey conditions, including snow encountered during the survey. Council members also heard a brief community announcement about a Kiwanis duck derby fundraiser and received a budget-related update from Sandy: the recent sales tax increase (80% to police, 20% to fire) began in May and the first remittance attributable to that change was $75 for May.

The council did not record a roll-call vote tally in the transcript; the motion was approved by voice vote. The council expects staff to provide the layered watershed map and related materials at a future meeting.

The meeting then proceeded to routine department reports and other agenda items.