At Monday’s Goldendale City Council meeting, councilors approved a new contract for city janitorial services and, after much discussion, passed a comprehensive procurement policy, which allows department heads to authorize spending on line items in the city budget but requires council approval for needed expenditures that were not in the budget. The council 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 an immediate purchase was to spread the $66,000 expense over five years.
Councilors also approved a budget adjustment, moving $320,000 into the City Streets Fund to cover additional costs for the Byers Street improvement project, the funds coming from cash reserves.
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.
“If that bill passes, it’s going to be problematic for the state,” said Police Chief Jay Hunziker. “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. You can reach Rep. Gina Mosbrucker by calling her office at (360) 786-7856 or emailing her at gina.mosbrucker@leg.wa.gov.
On a happier note, Hunziker also reported on a highly successful investigation. He told councilors that Officer Stan Berkshire had been called to Carquest at 6:30 a.m. on February 22, following a robbery. After watching surveillance video, he determined the robbery occurred at 5 a.m. Hunziker picks up the story:
“Then about 8:40 am that same morning,” he said, “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 burglary,’ and it turned out to be that. They were able to take him into custody.”
Hunziker said officers were able to get a search warrant for the car because they could see what appeared to be stolen items through the car’s window. That turned out to be the case, and the property was recovered.
“They did that in under four hours,” the chief said. “They did that very well, and Carquest was very happy.”
