BG looks for budget stability
Officials of the city of Battle Ground plan to raise some taxes and fees, and dip into reserves to balance the city’s 2007 budget.
Interim city manager Dennis Osborn said the city’s fixed expenses for salaries, benefits, operating expenses and supplies are increasing faster than revenues.
As a result, city officials could use about $280,000 from reserves to balance the new year’s budget, subject to city council approval.
The 2007 draft budget includes a 2.5 percent increase in water rates, a 9 percent hike in drainage fees, and several other fee and tax increases, including increases in dog licenses.
The city’s general fund balance is projected to be about $1.7 million at the end of 2007, well below the $2-3 million level specified in city policy.
New, single-family housing starts in Battle Ground have declined in recent years from a high of 509 in 2003, to 320 in 2004, 226 in 2005, and to just 53 so far this year. The decline in new single family homes has been partially offset by new multi-family units. After six years (1999-2004) of no new multi-family construction, the city witnessed 70 new multi-family dwellings in 2005 and 78 so far this year.
A single family housing permit, with related utility hookup fees, impact fees and other charges, currently costs about $20,098.
Osborn stressed the importance of growth to the economy of a city.
“If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” said Osborn. About 70 percent of the city’s revenues in the new year will come from property, sales and business taxes. One-time revenues in the budget, such as development fees, will comprise 18 percent of the budget.
City employment is expected to remain stable in 2007, with the addition of one new engineer. The city’s total full time equivalent staff of 83.2 people this year is planned to increase to 84.2 people in 2007 when salaries and benefits will total $6.6 million up 9.2 percent from 2006.
Osborn said negotiations are underway with two unions, the Battle Ground Police Officers Association and the Battle Ground Public Employees Association which represents clerical workers and public works personnel.
Police department staffing is to remain at 31 people with 18 officers, five sergeants, one lieutenant, one chief, two community services officers, and four clerks.
The budget includes money for the purchase of two new police cars, two pickups, and a new street sweeper to replace the city’s existing equipment. The acquisitions would bring the city’s rolling fleet to 54 vehicles, including 19 police cars, three other cars, 25 pickups, six heavy vehicles including a street sweeper, and one animal control vehicle.
The budget contemplates the construction of a second connection between the city’s water system and the water service operated by Clark Public Utilities.
The current inter-tie is located near Maple Grove Elementary School. A second connection is planned in the southwest corner of the city where the city limits is near a Clark Public Utilities line in the vicinity of the Tudor Glen subdivision along NE 199th St. Inter-tie construction is estimated to cost $150,000.
The proposed 2007 budget totals about $17.5 million, not counting transfers between budget categories that inflate the budget total, and not counting construction projects. The proposed budget is about 7.1 percent higher than the 2006 budget.
City finance director David Reeves said the city presently has about $28 million in the bank, investments or other funds, some of which is dedicated to specific uses. City officials reported having $22 million in the bank and investments at this time last year. The draft budget includes nearly $1.2 million in expected interest earnings.
The budget includes $15,000 for the cost of elections. Osborn said the city council may consider asking voters to approve the formation of a Metropolitan Parks District which would have taxing authority. Such a District could include lands outside the city, said Osborn.
Reeves said the city’s total assessed value will go up about 8.1 percent between 2005 and 2006, pending final calculations by the Clark County assessor.
The budget includes $530,000 for design work on the reconstruction of SE Grace Ave., and $200,000 for design work on S Parkway Ave.
The city’s contract for fire and medical services with Clark County Fire District 11 would increase by about $112,000 (more than 20 percent) if the draft budget is adopted. The contract went up 17.3 percent between 2005 and 2006.
The contract was valued at $546,675 in 2006, and would go to $658,675 in 2007.
Osborn said the increase is due in part to two annexations that removed land from the Fire District’s taxing rolls and put the land in the city. The District currently receives property taxes of $1.32 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The two annexations reduced the Fire District’s annual property tax revenues by about $20,300.
The budget includes about $712,000 for “professional services” such as legal services ($125,000), court judge ($56,000), public defender ($58,000), drainage work ($110,000), and consultants in streets, police, water and sewer services, and court interpreter.
The budget contains $100,000 to hire a lobbyist who would look after the city’s interests at the state and federal levels.
Osborn said two lobbying companies would monitor funding for the I-5 interchange at NE 219th St., for example, as well as funding for improvements to NE 219th St. from I-5 to the city, and other matters.
The budget includes $800,000 to be used for the design and start of construction on a second operations center building to be located on SE Grace Ave. near the city’s other, newly-constructed operations center. This building would be paid for in part from the city’s sewer fund.
More parks
Earlier this year, the city borrowed $6.9 million for improvements to parks. Kiwanis Park was remodeled earlier this year, and work is underway on the first phase of improvements at Fairgrounds Park.
The 2007 budget includes funding for design work at a sports complex at the Remy site and a second phase at Fairgrounds Park, plus construction money at both locations. Design and construction work at parks totals $3.3 million in the draft budget.
Because of parks improvements, said Osborn, parks are used more and maintenance expenses have gone up. Staff hours for trash pick up at parks is estimated at 1,200 hours in the 2007 budget, up from 700 hours this year. Mowing in parks is estimated at 1,300 staff hours, up from 800 hours this year.
Several tax and fee increases
The budget includes a 13.2 percent increase in sewer hookup charges, increasing the cost of a hookup to $7,486 per single family home.
Licenses for spayed or neutered dogs are slated to double from $5 to $10 a year. Licenses for other dogs are to go up from $20 to $25 per year. Senior citizens would also pay $5 to license a dog, a license that is currently free. Fees are also planned for impounded dogs and for their daily care.
The city’s draft budget again incorporates $2 million of revenue from the sale of city land on NW 20th Ave. which was previously designated for a new city hall. That site remains for sale.
A public hearing on the budget is set for Mon., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., at city hall, 109 SW 1st St., Battle Ground.
Information is available from Osborn, 342-5005, and Reeves, 342-5025.

Waldow remembered as selfless, generous man
Family members describe Lucky Waldow as a hard-working, generous, out-going man who never wanted much for himself. He gained the nickname “Lucky” following near-death injuries in the Army. He died last week after struggling with congestive heart failure and other ailments.
Waldow was best known throughout the area as operator of North Clark Construction and a gravel quarry and rock crushing operation near Amboy.
Willis Robert “Lucky” Waldow, 80, was born Sept. 5, 1926, in Willow Lake, SD, the son of Wilhelm M. and Ruth (Anderson) Waldow.
As a young boy, he became proficient with a .22 rifle, hunting skunks and rabbits for bounties. He also used a shotgun to hunt pheasants, ducks and geese on the family farm and his grandfather’s farm nearby. At age 12-14, he guided hunters from Chicago. He shot birds for those who were not successful in the hunts. He could shoot 25 birds with 25 shells, sometimes shooting more than one bird with a single shot.
Waldow attended high school for two years in South Dakota where he also played on the basketball team.
In 1942, the family moved to Vancouver where Lucky and his father both worked in the shipyards. He met Henry Kaiser at the shipyards and thanked Kaiser for giving him a job. He made hunting trips back to South Dakota.
Waldow served in the Army 1944-1945, stationed in Okinawa.
The Army misinformed Waldow’s family more than once about Waldow’s welfare.
Waldow’s parents received one telegram saying Waldow was not on a troop ship and was apparently AWOL. The Army warned that Waldow could go to jail. But Waldow was actually on the ship, the Army later realized.
Later, sitting around a campfire, an incoming shell or other explosion tossed Waldow into the air. Most of those around the campfire were killed. Waldow was placed in a pile of bodies and presumed dead.
The Army sent Waldow’s parents his dog tags and announced his death.
But Waldow woke up the next morning, having suffered a severe concussion and his eyes had swollen shut. His eyes were black, including the whites. His face was covered with dried blood. His family received a telegram informing them that Waldow was, in fact, alive.
Shortly after that event, Waldow passed out when he heard a loud noise. Japanese troops found him, took some of his clothing and tried to take his boots, he later realized.
In another serious incident, Waldow was a sentry when an enemy soldier approached. He grabbed the enemy’s rifle and was shot in the hand, chest and arm. He walked several miles in 7 1/2 hours to an aid station with his thumb in his belt to hold his arm in place. He was not emotional and waited his turn for treatment. He broke down when he saw the clean sheets of a bed because of the adverse conditions he had been living in.
Army doctors told him they needed to amputate his arm. He resisted and the arm was placed in a cast.
After that event, Waldow was flown to San Antonio, TX. He cut off the cast himself in order to play basketball, but then spent several more months in rehabilitation with a new cast. In later years, he played ball side-arm because of the war injury.
While in the Army, Waldow earned sharpshooter medals, good conduct medals, a Victory Medal, and two Purple Hearts. He earned a high school certificate while in the Army.
Waldow played on an Army basketball team and once defeated the national college champions. Scouts saw Waldow play basketball in Texas and invited him to play at the University of Southern California. He spent just one year there, and returned to Vancouver.
Waldow worked in construction, traveling to various work sites where he built tract homes. He came home on weekends.
In about 1947, Waldow owned a 1932 Ford Roadster hot rod. He later told stories of police anxious to give him speeding tickets. In one event, Waldow later recalled, he tried to outrun the police, drove to a friend’s house, and hid in a dog house. A barking dog gave him away.
On another occasion, Waldow went deer hunting in the Yale area, shot a deer, and hid it in the rumble seat of the Roadster. Game agents let him pass without inspection, thinking he could not have a deer in a hot rod.
Waldow also owned a motorcycle. When he later had children, he forbid any of them to own a motorcycle.
Waldow enjoyed cars during this part of his life, and owned a 1949 Mercury, 1953 Lincoln, a Ford convertible and another Lincoln. He kept a Lincoln the rest of his life, even though it was ruined with outside storage. He refused to let his son Dave move it into a garage.
Waldow married Esther Irene Nichols in 1949, lived in a Vancouver apartment, and continued to travel to work sites in Wyoming, Montana, Minnesota, Oregon, Spokane and Moses Lake. Son Carl was born in 1951 and daughter Lori in 1954.
In 1954, the family moved to Arcata, California, where Waldow worked six years in housing construction. He built a home for himself in California and another home to sell.
In 1960, the family arrived in Amboy and settled on a 77-acre farm in the View area with a purchase price of $12,000. Son Dave was born in 1961.
Waldow continued to work in construction. He could build an entire house by himself, preferring only to have someone else do the masonry work. He built a fire station near his home. He acquired rock for the fire station from a quarry in Bald Mountain operated by Jay Noakes. He later became partners with Noakes, then the two split up with Waldow keeping a rock crusher.
Waldow purchased the Nichols Pit in Chelatchie Prairie from his brother-in-law Vern Nichols in 1976. He later leased the Courtney pit near Amboy which he still operated at the time of his death. Both his sons worked in the gravel business with him.
For several years, Waldow moved a rock crusher to job sites to crush rock for certain projects, staying 3-4 months at each location. He crushed rock for a federal highway project at Smith Ridge near Mount St. Helens.
Waldow leased a pit in Camas and acquired a second crusher.
State law in 1993 required Waldow to obtain a reclamation permit for his Courtney pit. The permit was not done correctly, resulting in trouble with state and county officials beginning in 1997. The Courtney pit was closed for a month in 2003 until the permit issue was resolved.
Waldow’s wife developed Parkinson’s Disease when she was 59, and Waldow cared for her for 19 years. He felt the medical establishment had let her down and couldn’t make her well. He researched her condition, and at one point thought her symptoms were the result of wrong medications rather than Parkinson’s. He believed his wife had some other ailment.
Waldow owned 51 acres across from Amboy School where he allowed various softball and baseball leagues to play, along with campers and nature trails. He recently sold the property to the Battle Ground School District for a new high school.
Waldow wanted to keep every property he owned, including the Nichols pit and the former site of an Amboy trucking company.
Waldow was in good health until 1999. He was somewhat against medicine. His customary treatment for injury was to soak it in Lysol. He used this technique for various cuts and other injuries. He once closed a pickup gate on his thumb and only went for medical attention when urged to do so by others. The thumb was “hanging by a thread,” his son Carl said.
Waldow suffered from congestive heart failure and ulcers in his later years. At one point, he lost weight, going from 170 to 140 pounds. While bedridden at home, care workers inquired about efforts that should be made to resuscitate him should his health fail. In modesty, he said he didn’t want them to wear out their machine, “but a couple of good jolts wouldn’t hurt.” He was unable to work much the last two years yet he is remembered as an upbeat person.
Waldow was 5-ft. 10-in. tall. He never needed glasses except for reading. He never smoked.
Waldow still worked in the business as he was able, making runs for parts to repair equipment. He was a positive person with a good sense of humor. He was slightly hard of hearing. He told stories during long telephone conversations.
Waldow never passed up a hitchhiker, his children recall. He often gave $5 to $20 to men with cardboard signs on street corners. He once saw someone with car trouble at a McDonalds, diagnosed the problem, drove to get parts, returned, and fixed the car. He refused payment. He helped others even while suffering heart failure.
Waldow was a frugal person, not wanting much for himself. He wore the same, few clothes much of the time. Upon his death, family members found various shirts and other clothing that they had given Waldow as Christmas gifts still boxed in his closet. They were too nice to wear, he would say. He didn’t spend money on himself.
Throughout much of his life, Waldow was fastidious about his hair. He had a way of combing a wave into the front of his hair, and always used the same style. He refused to wear a t-shirt because it would mess up his hair getting the t-shirt on and off. “Don’t ever touch his hair,” his family learned.
Waldow didn’t tell jokes but is remembered for his good sense of humor. He said things that were funny even if not intended to be so. At such times, he laughed right along with others. His favorite comic strip was Hagar the Horrible.
Waldow coached his son’s baseball team. He followed Battle Ground High School basketball teams during the John McKnight era and in subsequent years. He attended Clark College basketball games. He watched various teams on television. He also followed football. He coached his son Dave’s baseball team 1974-76.
Waldow believed he had a good eye for people. If people wanted to work, he was willing to help them.
Waldow collected pill bottles from his wife’s illness. He had no hobbies. He was well read. He had highlighted various portions of the encyclopedia and other reference books.
Waldow was a member of the La Center Chamber of Commerce, Clark College Boosters, Home Builders Association, Southwest Washington Contractors’ Association and the American Legion. He paid dues to these organizations but was not active in programs.
Earlier this year, Waldow had a car wreck when he either fell asleep or blacked out. He never drove again for fear of hurting someone else.
He is remembered as a good dancer, although he didn’t describe himself that way. He recalled dancing to Lawrence Welk dance music at dance halls in South Dakota before Welk was famous. He once bought an organ in Vancouver and had it delivered to his home in California. He enjoyed listening to his wife play the organ which was recently donated to a church.
Waldow was preceded in death by his brother, Kerwin Waldow. Survivors include widow Esther Waldow, at home in Amboy, sons Carl Waldow of Vancouver and Dave Waldow of Woodland, daughter Lori Reiman of Cheney, brother Del Waldow of California, sister JoAnne Gilliland of California, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Interment was at Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, with the Woodland Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Stuart wins term as commissioner
Clark County voters returned incumbent commissioner Steve Stuart to office in last week’s general election, giving Stuart his first full term in the post.
Stuart defeated Republican challenger Bruce Hagensen, 55 percent to 45 percent, a margin of about 9,500 votes.
“What I felt that night was that all the hard work paid off,” said Stuart, “both as a commissioner and as a candidate.”
“I made it my business to represent all of Clark County,” said Stuart, “all three districts. That’s where I grew up.”
Stuart said his handling of growth issues likely contributed to his victory. He said he takes a reasoned approach to growth management. “The pendulum swinging back and forth in the past has been destructive,” said Stuart. “We need sustainable growth, not shutting down or opening the flood gates.”
Stuart said he enjoys getting out in the county and dealing with issues. “A person gets a very limited perspective sitting in an office,” said Stuart.
“People are starting to get to know me,” said Stuart. “This is who I am.”
Stuart said he will examine precinct-by-precinct results at a later date. “I think it will show that I ventured to areas where Democrats were not previously successful,” said Stuart. “I got support from Republicans who I work with. It helps when people who are Republicans get to know that I am not a typical Democrat.”
Stuart said the nationwide trend toward Democrats likely had some impact on his race.
Stuart has served two years as county commissioner, having been appointed in 2004, and elected to complete an unexpired term last year.
Hagensen ran positive campaign
Hagensen, a Republican, said he found it difficult to unseat an incumbent.
“We ran a positive campaign and a very good campaign,” said Hagensen. “It’s very difficult to run against an incumbent, asking people to make a change. That’s a difficult task.”
The election results “showed that people are satisfied with the way things are,” said Hagensen. “We can expect more of the same, I guess.”
Hagensen, a former Vancouver city council member and city mayor, said he is unsure what his future holds. “I have no idea,” said Hagensen of his future. “I am free to pursue any number of things. “
Hagensen said he believed he had the experience and skill to serve as county commissioner. “I offered myself for public service,” he said.
Hagensen said he doubted that political office is in his future.
“I want to thank all those who supported me,” said Hagensen.

Ridgefield council: Fox must go
Bill Myers
staff reporter
Ridgefield city council members, polled Nov. 8 by mayor Gladys Doriot after deliberating behind closed doors for two hours, each said that George Fox must go.
Council members decided to execute a new resolution to terminate Fox at a regular city council meeting Thurs., Nov. 16.
The council action came after the suspended city manager appealed Resolution 320, executed by council members in June 2006 to end Fox’s employment with the City. The resolution alleged various instances of mismanagement.
With Fox present and her voice strained by emotion, Doriot said their votes on Nov. 16 will make the decision official.
Doriot polled council member David Standal first. Standal said he will uphold Resolution 320 with modifications. Some items in the resolution are not “true or accurate,” he said.
Council member Chad Sessions agreed. Fox made some poor management decisions and poor choices, said Sessions.
Council member Gary Adkins said he will not support a re-hiring of Fox for reasons will be evident in the revised resolution.
There were enough mistakes to go around, said council member Scott Hanson. Hanson said he favors a “mercy rule for us and George” and said he will support a modified resolution to terminate Fox.
Doriot said “some things” in Resolution 320 are accurate; “others are not.” She said that after hearing public testimonies, she feels it is in the best interest of the community to terminate Fox’s contract.
The Nov. 16 council meeting will be in the Ridgefield Community Center, 210 N Main Ave., Ridgefield. Start time is 6:30 p.m.
Fox has said he would pursue federal arbitration, currently scheduled in March 2007, if city council members terminated him.
Payments by the City of Fox’s salary and benefits would end Nov. 16, if that is the date of termination. City records that Fox has been paid $139,883 for salary, car and cell phone allowances since his suspension last December.

Library to benefit from historic Stroud photos
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
The Friends of the Woodland Community Library have put together a collection of photos from Woodland’s past into a calendar that will be sold during the annual library used book sale on Sat., Nov. 18.
The sale will take place from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Woodland Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall basement, 756 Park St. Hardcover and soft-cover books will be available, and the library will offer children’s books, mysteries, science fiction, thrillers, romance novels and non-fiction, said Erin Thoeny, vice president of the Friends group.
The calendars, for sale at $15 each, feature photographs from the early to mid-1900s, and will showcase photographs by former teacher, the late Leon Stroud, Thoeny said.
Stroud, a native of Tacoma, began teaching at Woodland High School in 1938, said his son Buzz Stroud, assistant athletic director at the University of Portland. Except for three years during World War II, Stroud spent his entire teaching career in Woodland.
Stroud retired in 1974 and died March 7, 1994. His widow Margaret, who was a librarian in Woodland, lives in Vancouver. In addition to Buzz Stroud, the couple has a daughter, Sally Chadbourn of Alexandria, VA.
Buzz Stroud said his father was primarily a science teacher but also taught math and journalism. He was the faculty adviser to the newspaper and yearbook.
When a new school was built in 1957, the elder Stroud had a darkroom installed in his science room. He was the unofficial photographer for the school’s sports teams, and took wedding portraits as well, Buzz Stroud said.
In the middle of Stroud’s science classroom there was a pipe attached to metal hooks in the ceiling. A white backdrop was wrapped around the pipe and could be easily lowered for portraits, Buzz Stroud said.
“He taught several generations in Woodland,” Buzz Stroud said. “He knew grandparents, and taught parents and children.”
The Stroud family has donated the photographs to the Friends of the Woodland Library.
The calendar has other photographs from earlier in the century, including pictures of horse logging and the Woodland schools in the snow. A portrait of the Woodland class of 1930 and a basketball team from 1910 are included in the calendar.
Sale books will be individually priced, and a special bag book sale at $2 per bag is set for 3-4 p.m.
Members of the Friends will get a preview sale from 5-7 p.m. Fri., Nov. 17. Memberships will be available at the door.
Proceeds from the book and calendar sale will go to the building fund for a new library. Librarian Abby Anderson said the sale usually generates between $1,200 and $1,500.
The library is located at 770 Park St. and may be reached at 225-2115.
This undated photograph of Woodland’s movie theater, Mildred’s Beauty Shoppe and Dinsmore Theater Cafe at 542 Park Ave. is shown on the 2007 calendar, Oregon Pioneers of the Lewis River.
Leon Stroud photo, submitted by Margaret Stroud, Buzz Stroud and Sally Chadbourn.
St. Philips Catholic Church, surrounded by water during the 1948 flood, is featured in the Woodland 2007 calendar, Oregon Pioneers of the Lewis River. A sanctuary fire in 1990 destroyed the church.
Leon Stroud photo, sbmitted by Margaret Stroud, Buzz Stroud and Sally Chadbourn.

Council to discuss PURD moratorium
A proposed sixth-month moratorium on planned unit residential developments (PURD) will be discussed during the Woodland City Council meeting set for Mon., Nov. 20, beginning at 7:30 p.m..
One PURD, proposed for the Meriwether subdivision, has already been approved and will not be affected by the moratorium.
Council members have expressed concerns about private parks and other amenities that may accompany PURDS. Council member Jim Tone has said that he would like to see more public open space.
During the moratorium, council members will study PURD requirements from other Washington cities.
In a PURD, houses are usually clustered closer together than is allowed in regular city lots and a portion of the development is set aside as open space. The Meriwether PURD of 20 residences is restricted by a natural gas line easement.

Torrential rains cause worry, only minor damage
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
It was touch-and-go for a while last week, as the Lewis River rose steadily toward its banks, but despite three days of torrential rains, only minor flooding damage was reported.
Pre-planning and coordination made a difference in the way emergency service agencies and the managers of the dams on the Lewis River worked together, said Dave Kvamme, spokesman for PacifiCorp, the company that operates several of the Lewis River hydroelectric facilities.
At the peak of the torrential rains on Nov. 6, the power company was releasing 40,000 cubic feet of water per second from Merwin Dam. By Nov. 8, the release had slowed to 21,000 cubic feet per second, and space for storage remained in the reservoirs. The Lewis River valley received 2 1/2 inches of rain Nov. 6.
At the height of the storm, 83,000 cubic feet per second were flowing into the reservoirs, Kvamme said.
Although low-lying areas and some roads were covered with water, there were no evacuations and no rescues either in the city of Woodland or in the rural area served by Cowlitz Fire District 2, according to the fire chiefs of both departments.
Cowlitz Fire Chief Bill Grimm said the district was informed every time water was released from the dams, and Woodland Chief Tony Brentin said the city department maintained ongoing contact with PacifiCorp.
“We did better than a lot of areas,” Brentin said.
The Pineapple Express weather system that brought near record high temperatures and dumped one to two inches of rain each day for nearly three days came in mid-fall when there was no accumulated snow on the ground in the higher elevations, said Kvamme said.
“The good news was there was no melt,” he said. “It would have been worse if this had happened in winter.”
Some residents of Raspberry Park on the southwest side of Horseshoe Lake said they were dismayed and concerned by high water in their neighborhood, although none of the homes were flooded. Bobbie Woodman and about 10 others in the neighborhood complained to the Woodland City Council on Nov. 6, after rains had fallen for three days.
The residents said their driveways and yards had been flooding with storm water. Interim public works director Jim Hough agreed to have the city install a pump and generator to temporarily remove the water. Woodland Mayor Doug Monge said the developer did not properly engineer stormwater runoff and should be responsible for correcting the problem.
By Nov. 7, the additional pump had removed the water and Woodman said she and other residents could get into their yards and homes.
Dike Access Road under the I-5 overpass flooded beginning Monday, and Iris Swindell asked the city council to place a moratorium on all new building in the area until the problem has been corrected and traffic is better controlled.
“Dike Road is a Washington Department of Transportation issue,” Monge said. “Last year they did a lot of work.”
The flooding is caused by Burris Creek, he said, and the water flow is not moving properly under the interstate.
Brentin said the airport experienced flooding, although there was no damage to the hangars. Most planes were moved to high ground, he said.
Kvamme said people can get information about weather forecasts along the Lewis River by calling the National Weather Service at 503-261-9246. Information about river flows below Merwin Dam is available through the automated U.S. Geological Service water gauge, 360-225-6942.