Ken Vance
staff reporter
In an effort to better serve the citizens while saving money, the commissioners of Clark County fire districts 11 and 12 have decided to consolidate their departments, effective Feb. 1. The consolidation is the initial step toward the goal of a full merger between the two districts.
The consolidated agency will be known as Clark County Fire & Rescue, and District 11 Chief Dennis Mason will serve as its chief. District 12 Chief Larry Bartel, who volunteered to step aside and endorse Mason, will serve as the deputy chief in charge of support services.
Both of the three-member boards of commissioners from districts 11 and 12 voted Jan. 8 to consolidate into one six-member board. Gerald Kolke, Linn “Penny’’ Dollar and Bob Johnson serve on the District 11 board, while District 12’s board consists of Jon Babcock, William Hargett and Michael Lambrecht.
The new organization will serve about 120 square miles and a population of about 48,000 people in the Battle Ground, La Center and Ridgefield areas. The annual budget of Clark County Fire & Rescue will be about $7.1 million.
The consolidation was endorsed by Union Presidents Brett Graham of Local 4229 and Abe Rommel of Local 3674.
The districts are able to consolidate services with consent of their commissioners. A full merger of the districts into one district would require voter approval.
An examination into the possibility of the consolidation has been taking place for some time. The two districts split the $35,144 cost of a study performed by Emergency Services Consulting, Inc. of Wilsonville. The 288-page report was completed in December and is available at www.ccfd12.org on the internet.
Both Mason and Bartel said the independent, third-party study was the key to the consolidation. While Fire District 3 was invited to be part of the study, that district declined further involvement at that time, said Mason.
The highlight of the report is that the two districts could save money by consolidating. The report estimated the annual savings would be $364,800 in operating costs, largely due to the need for three fewer employees, two battalion chiefs and a training chief.
Some of those positions at the two districts were not currently filled.
Before the consolidation, District 11 had one chief, one assistant chief, two division chiefs, and seven captains. Three battalion chief positions were not filled. District 11 has operated with a $4 million annual budget.
District 12 had one chief, two division chiefs, three battalion chiefs, three captains and two lieutenants, and an annual budget of about $3.1 million.
The new agency will have one chief, two deputy chiefs, four battalion chiefs, and 11 captains. Deputy chief Dan Yager will handle operations while Bartel will be in charge of support services. Battalion chiefs will be Dean Lange, Jim Langborg and Tim Dotty.
In addition to requiring fewer battalion chiefs, the new agency will require just one department for things such as training, public information and education, rather than both districts maintaining such departments.
“I think anytime you can combine the resources, the personnel and your efforts to provide services, the public is always a winner,’’ Mason said. “It will immediately begin to reduce the duplication of services in terms of administration staff. For example, our (new) organization doesn’t need two sets of everything. All of that will be combined under one organization. As a result, there are some efficiencies that will be realized.’’
“In the past we’ve had two training programs,’’ Mason said. “We’ll be able to take the resources from both and combine them under one training program. As a result, I think we will have one of the best fire training programs in the county. Same thing with public education. District 12 didn’t have a public education coordinator and District 11 did. That person will now be able to manage the programs of the larger organization. So, not only are their efficiencies there, but that program will be able to fill some holes.’’
Between the two districts, there are currently seven stations that serve the area. All seven stations will remain open. Mason said no salaries will be cut even if some people move to lower positions, although some wages may be frozen until the salary schedule catches up.
Like Mason, Bartel is very excited about the merger.
“It’s a huge step for the district; we are very excited,’’ Bartel said. “It gives us a lot of new opportunities to look at how we are doing things and how we would do it if we had the chance to do it all over again.’’
Bartel said the decision to not pursue the position as chief of the new agency was an easy one.
“Dennis and I sat in a room and talked about what would work the best in the long run for the departments,’’ Bartel said. “It could have been either one of us. There are a lot of challenges to pick up on the support side that I am interested in and he is interested in doing the chief part of it so we thought this would be a good fit for both of us.’’
That cooperative spirit between Bartel and Mason appears to have built a solid foundation for the future of the combined agency.
“We were both very comfortable with the decision,’’ Mason said. “That was our recommendation to the board. In these cases, one of the areas that can quickly break down communications and cooperative agreements is neither chief wants to give up anything. We worked through that relatively quick early on in the process. I am very comfortable with the recommendation we came up with and I am looking forward, as I think Larry is, to putting together a new organization--Clark County Fire & Rescue.’’
Bartel credited Fire District 12 commissioner Jon Babcock with moving the consolidation forward. Babcock was a firefighter in Vancouver when that department consolidated with District 5. “He started the ball rolling,” said Bartel. “It just picked up steam.”
Mason, 55, started as a volunteer with District 11 in 1977. He then worked for American Ambulance as a paramedic and moved up to general manager. In 1987, he became deputy director and then interim director of the Clark County 911 center. He was part time chief at District 11 in 1986, becoming full time chief in 1991.
Mason presently earns $96,252 per year.
Bartel, 58, started as a volunteer with Fire District 12 in 1978 and became chief in 1985. He had been around the Fire District much of his life, he said.
Both Mason and Bartel hold the Executive Fire Officer designation from the National Fire Academy.
Ken Vance
staff reporter
Jason Gladden, a 1993 graduate of Prairie High School, died Dec. 31 while vacationing in Montego Bay, Jamaica, according to family members and friends. He was 32 years old.
The circumstances surrounding Gladden’s death are not known at this time. Grieving friends and family members have received little information from Jamaican authorities.
“We don’t have a lot of information; it’s under investigation,’’ said Bill Gladden, Jason’s father. “He was down there for a 3-day vacation. He was just going to sit in the sun, take a break from everything and come back.’’
A Memorial Service is planned for Sat., Jan. 19, 3 p.m., at Evergreen Memorial Gardens, 1101 NE 112th Ave. in Vancouver. Following the services, there will be a gathering at Who-Song and Larry’s Restaurant & Cantina, 111 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver.
At the time of his death, Gladden was a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California. He worked as the Director of Operations for Stylecraft Marketing, a graphic communications company in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
In high school, Gladden had a 4.0 grade point average and was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He was a standout football player for the Falcons, starting at quarterback and linebacker. He was also an accomplished wrestler.
“He played football for us and he was also a state-caliber wrestler,’’ said Butch Hill, Gladden’s football coach at Prairie. “He was a tremendous kid. He had great grades, a very intelligent kid. He was just the type of kid you liked leading your football team. He was our quarterback and definitely our team leader.’’
Upon his graduation from Prairie, Gladden had multiple offers for athletic and academic scholarships--including one from each of the military academies. He chose to accept a scholarship to attend Stanford University, where he played both football and wrestled for the Pac-10 Conference school. He graduated from Stanford in 1997 with a degree in environmental sciences.
Ryan Barnes grew up in Portland and was a graduate of West Linn High School. He became a wrestling teammate, fraternity brother and roommate of Gladden’s at Stanford. Barnes, who now lives in San Francisco, remained close friends with Gladden after they graduated from Stanford.
“When we were freshmen, Jason had two majors and played two sports as well as did ROTC and was very active in the Christian community,’’ Barnes said. “I don’t know how he balanced everything. To be a two-sport athlete at Stanford and have two majors with a G.P.A. close to 4.0, there’s no way a guy could do that, but Jason did.’’
According to Barnes, while at Stanford, Gladden and friend Scott Chapman developed an on-line company called 100hot.com, which they eventually sold to Seattle-based go2net.com. Chapman and Gladden remained close friends, started several companies over the years, and worked together at Stylecraft during the past two years.
Other friends and family members indicated the sale made Gladden a millionaire for the first-time just two years after he graduated from Stanford.
“They did fairly well off that sale and started a bunch of companies together,’’ Barnes said. “Jason was a classic entrepreneur.’’
Barnes spoke to Gladden just three days prior to his friend’s trip to Jamaica. He indicated it was not unusual for he, Gladden, or their other friends to travel abroad alone.
“A lot of us have this no-fear mentality,’’ said Barnes, whose travels with Gladden included Russia and “all through Scandanavia. Jason was such an intellectual guy. If you looked next to his night stand, he had 10-12 books there. He was always trying to push the limits and expand his knowledge. He was a constant sponge and always lived for the experience.’’
Todd Fisher was a football teammate and classmate of Gladden’s at Prairie and is now a firefighter in Bellingham. Among the many virtues that Fisher recalled that his friend possessed, generosity was at the top of the list.
“He was very generous,’’ Fisher said. “He would give the shirt off his back to somebody who needed it and he wouldn’t ask for anything in return.’’
Fisher recalled an example of Gladden’s generosity.
“I remember when he went to Spain in college,’’ said Fisher, speaking of a time before Gladden had become successful financially. “He knew I played the guitar. He came back with a classical guitar that he purchased in Spain. It was a pretty extravagant gift, but he was a gift giver. That’s how he showed his affection to people.’’
Fisher has his theories as to what happened to his friend in Jamaica, but reaffirmed that nobody really knows and they may never know. Barnes said he has not made serious inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his friend’s death. It was still too painful.
“People I have talked to have said certain areas down there can be real hairy. It is not a very safe place,’’ Barnes said. “It’s been tough. Jason was your classic All-American kid. You meet very few people like Jason in your lifetime. It’s an absolute tragedy to lose him at age 32. That said, he had accomplished more than numerous people could have accomplished in their lifetimes.
“He’s best described as a big Teddy bear,’’ Barnes said. “He was built like a tank, but he had a really warm heart. He was very intelligent and had an incredible sense of humor. He always had a smile on his face.’’
In addition to his father Bill and mother Dawn, Jason is survived by brother Brian Gladden, grandmother Margaret Martin, aunts and uncles Marty and Julie Martin and Fred and Lisa Detwiler, and cousins Scott Martin, Danny Martin and Steve Elsea.
Brandy Slagle
Staff reporter
Mike Ciraulo faced a crowded city council chamber Jan. 7 where he received standing applause after being unanimously nominated as the new mayor of Battle Ground.
Alex Reinhold was elected the new deputy mayor in a 5-1 vote.
New council member Paul Zandamela nominated and voted himself for deputy mayor.
Ciraulo thanked the council for their support and said he believed the council was a good team that would build on the foundation set by former mayor John Idsinga.
Having been on city council since 2002, Ciraulo said he first considered a role as mayor two years ago.
“I told John (Idsinga) that I would not oppose him or run against him,” he said. “I believe he was a great mayor.”
Ciraulo said he views the mayor as being “the first among steeples” in terms of providing leadership in the community along with fellow councilors.
During the next two years before Ciraulo’s council seat is up for re-election, he said he would like to set some development standards for housing, focusing on lot sizes and density.
The city is in need of some diversified housing options, he said.
“We have a lot of entry level housing in the city with small lot sizes,” he said. “That isn’t a bad thing, but we need to look at giving people more options.”
Long range city planning needs to be closely examined to ensure a better balance between commercial opportunities and residential properties, he said. The recent housing market slump makes the present a great time to shift the focus to inviting businesses into the community, he said.
“I don’t think that anyone on the council is interested in bringing heavy, smoke-stack industry into the city,” he said. “We would like to see more clean, family-wage jobs come into Battle Ground.”
Some of those commercial opportunities would include more restaurants and retail centers.
Marketing the city to desirable companies is a top priority, he said. Ciraulo cited a mountain biking company interested in relocating to the city from California.
“A big part of it is livability,” he said. “They are excited about our plan to expand the trail along the railway and for Tukes Mountain. That is the kind of business we want here.”
Ciraulo also said he would like to bring Clark College and other higher education opportunities into the city limits.
Even with Zandamela, a political newcomer in Battle Ground, taking office and another position still vacant, Ciraulo said he still feels like the city has a strong council and that all members are invested in the future of the city.
“We will disagree,” he said. “But we will do it agreeably. It’s a good thing that we disagree on certain issues.”
Ciraulo, a division chief with Clark County Fire District 11, said he wants to stay accessible to the citizens and welcomes people to contact him on any issue. He can be reached at (360) 687-0735.
Reinhold also took office in 2002. He said he is excited by his new role on the council and feels that he is prepared to step-up to the challenges of the position.
“The work has been a lot of fun,” he said. “I am sure this will be even more fun and I will be just the same as I was before (accepting the new title).”
Reinhold said the city has a lot to look forward to in the coming years.
It’s not “the big one” that Cowlitz tribal leaders are still hoping for, but the Tribe gained an important federal approval last week that moved their proposed casino one step closer to reality.
In a Jan. 8 letter to tribal council chair William Iyall, the National Indian Gaming Commission announced approval of a tribal ordinance that would replace the invalidated and controversial “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) between Clark County and the Tribe, an agreement negotiated in 2004.
Further federal approvals are needed before the Tribe can start construction of a proposed casino at I-5 near La Center.
In related action, the Clark County commissioners decided Jan. 11 to appeal a state decision to invalidate the MOU, asking an appeals court to review the decision which was affirmed in December by Thurston County Superior Court.
In approving tribal Ordinance No. 07-03, Philip N. Hogen, chairman of the National Indian Game Commission, concluded that the ordinance embodied the environmental, public health and safety provisions of the MOU.
Hogen noted that the Tribe waived its sovereign immunity and consented to be sued by Clark County for performance of the provisions of the MOU and Ordinance 07-03. The waiver of sovereign immunity is irrevocable, noted Hogen.
The ordinance also contained provision for the creation of an enforcement and compliance officer to help assure that the provisions of the ordinance would be implemented.
Hogen said he had received public comments urging rejection of Ordinance 07-03. Among those objecting, wrote Hogen, were the city of Vancouver, card rooms in La Center, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and several private individuals.
“Most of the opposition comments urged me to disapprove the Tribe’s amendment because the commenters believe that the Cowlitz Tribe is attempting to circumvent public participation rights” in state and federal law, wrote Hogen. Commenters also argued that the Ordinance provisions might not be enforceable.
“I am not persuaded by the opposition comments,” wrote Hogen.
“The Tribe is providing more with regard to (environmental, public health and safety) enforcement than is minimally required under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.”
Cowlitz Ordinance 07-03 includes the elements of the MOU which deal with tribal payments to Clark County for law enforcement, fire protection, emergency response, public health, traffic and transportation, and sewer and water. In the MOU, the Tribe agreed to make payments to the county and other local governments in lieu of property taxes.
In addition, the Tribe agrees in the MOU to follow county ordinances dealing with building and plumbing codes, fire codes, landscaping codes, street standards, contributions to problem gambling programs and the establishment of an education and arts fund.
The 2004 MOU was invalidated by a state Growth Management Hearings Board because, the Board said, the MOU constituted a change to the county comprehensive plan without a full public involvement process. A county appeal of the Board’s decision was turned down in Thurston County Superior Court in December.
Clark County commissioner Betty Sue Morris said last week that she views the MOU as a contract between two parties rather than a comprehensive plan amendment. She said the county has the authority to enter into contracts to the county’s benefit. She said she considers the MOU to be valid and in force as a contract.
Morris also said she believes the Cowlitz Tribe will live up to the terms of the MOU and tribal Ordinance 07-03 if the casino project is ultimately approved and constructed.
County attorney Rich Lowry affirmed Morris’ view that the MOU is a contract, one portion of which was treated as a de facto amendment to the county’s comprehensive plan. But the state Hearings Board invalidated the entire MOU, an action now under appeal by the county.
Lowry said the appeal will allow officials to “sort out” tribal views on the entire matter. The worst case for the county, said Lowry, would be for the tribe to conclude that the county has breached the contract. “That would have pretty ugly consequences,” said Lowry.
The new appeal could take eight months to a year, said Lowry. In the interim, he said, the commissioners could reopen the MOU issue and create a new agreement.
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
A newcomer to city government was appointed to the Woodland City Council Jan. 7.
Susan Humbyrd, a 36-year resident of Woodland and an employee of the PeaceHealth Medical Group in Longview, was selected by a 3-2 vote from a field of nine applicants to fill the seat vacated by Jim Tone.
“I was surprised,” Humbyrd said. “I’m excited and I’m a little in awe. There were so many qualified candidates.”
Humbyrd and candidate Tena Wall were the two finalists, receiving the most votes in the first round of balloting, ahead of Al Swindell, Walt Hummel and Gene Silvey, who were candidates in the 2007 election, and former Mayor Jim Graham.
Other candidates were Tim Mattison, Suzanne Taylor-Moore and Heidi Thompson.
The final vote was a 2-2 tie, and Mayor Chuck Blum voted for Humbyrd to break the tie.
Commenting on the final vote, Blum said that both candidates were well qualified. Wall is the wife of Woodland police officer Blayden Wall, and Blum said that when matters concerning the police department come before the council, there could be a perception of a conflict of interest.
“I like Tena very well, very well,” Blum said. “If any issues concerning the police department come to the council, I felt there could be a conflict of interest there.”
Voting for Humbyrd were council members Darwin Rounds and John J. Burke.
“We listened to all the presentations,” Blum said after the meeting. “I think we were looking for those who had the best interest of the city.”
Humbyrd said that she had been “thinking about volunteering in the community,” and she saw the announcement about the council vacancy.
“I’ve been participating in the Lower Columbia Leadership Academy of Castle Rock and Longview,” she said. “We have to work on a project, and I thought I should work on things for my community.”
A 20-year employee at PeaceHealth, Humbyrd is a registration services specialist, working in quality control.
The newest council member said she had never attended a council meeting and has never before held public office.
Answering the questions on the city’s application form for the vacant seat, Humbyrd wrote, “I have watched our city grow from a small town to a growing city and would like to be part of the continuing growth.”
She wrote that she had no particular interest in any issues.
“There is nothing that stands out… at this time. I would just like to be a part of keeping our community a safe place to live and raise our children.”
Humbyrd said she grew up in Idaho and other western states.
“My dad was a government worker and we moved a lot,” she said. “I’ve lived in many places in the West and I think Woodland is the most wonderful place.
She met her husband Bob Humbyrd in Idaho and moved with him to Woodland. The couple has two children, a son, Tyson, a Woodland volunteer firefighter, and a daughter, Kara Coss of Ariel.
In her free time, Humbyrd enjoys raising horses and trail riding during the summer. She owns a quarter horse and miniature horses.
“I’m a fair weather rider,” she said. “In the summer I ride almost every day.
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Dave Ripp, executive director of the Port of Woodland for 13 years, has taken the job of executive director for the Port of Camas-Washougal.
Ripp, a Woodland native and graduate of Woodland High School, began his duties in Camas-Washougal on Jan. 7.
Ripp said in a written interview that leaving was not an easy decision.
“I saw the opportunity to go to a larger port with elements that I have not experienced with the Port of Woodland,” he wrote. “The Port of Woodland has been a great place for me to grow, and it has not been an easy decision for me to leave.”
Woodland Port Commissioner Dale Boon praised Ripp’s work.
“When he came, we were about 30 percent funded by leases and 70 percent by the taxpayers,” Boon said. “Now, it’s the other way around. We’re going to miss him. He will be difficult to replace.”
Port revenues have increased from about $95,000 in 1994 to $495,000 projected for 2008, Ripp said. The Port has 24 tenants. The Port of Camas-Washougal generates nearly $2 million in lease revenue, he said.
The Port of Woodland closed the application process on Jan. 11. Boon said the commissioners hope to have a new director by the end of February or early March.
Under Ripp’s leadership, Port-owned industrial parks have opened. The newest, Guild 1 and 2, developed with grant funds, are ready for leasing. Down River Park, with six buildings, is full.
Ripp said he is pleased with the ability to “plan a project and see it come to fruition.”
“For example, the Port’s Down River Industrial Park. When I started, we had two buildings,” he said. “By the end of 2007, the Port has six buildings that are completely rented. Also, the development of our Schurman Way Industrial Park. When I came on board there was nothing out there but bare land. Today there is a thriving commerce there.”
According to information from the Port of Camas-Washougal, Ripp will have a 12-member staff and manage a 400-acre industrial park. The Port also manages a 79-hangar general aviation airport and a 350-slip pleasure boat marina.
The Port of Woodland has a paid staff of two, including the director.
“I wish we could have grown enough to add additional staff,” Ripp said. “I would have also liked to see one other large tenant site at the park. At this time, PERI Formworks is our largest tenant at the park.”
Ripp has a shorter commute to his new job. He and his wife Sue live in Camas. He has two stepsons, Cory and Scott Lampe. Cory is a recent Washington State University graduate and Scott is a sophomore at Gonzaga.
Ripp is a second-generation Woodland native. His parents are Bob and Renate Ripp, and his father was also born in Woodland.
The Port of Woodland will host an open house for Ripp on Wed., Jan. 16, 3-5 p.m., the Port office, 141 Davidson Ave.
Alice Perry Linker
staff reporter
Roundabouts at both Woodland I-5 interchanges will be included in transportation concepts to be presented to residents this month.
A public information session has been scheduled for Thurs., Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m., Woodland Middle School Commons, 755 Park St. Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments (COG) staffs will present the concepts for discussion.
Jerry Sorrell of the COG said the concepts are only “lines on paper.”
“We have no commitments, no land purchases,” he said. “We’re not addressing the environmental and other issues. These are concepts only.”
The agencies also have no money to begin the proposed transportation projects.
“That’s the hard part: Where will the money come from?” Sorrell said.
Although WSDOT has set no date to begin firm planning on any of the transportation concepts, the changes will come in stages, Sorrell said.
“The plan is intended to show the projects needed for the next 20-25 years,” he said.
WSDOT’s decision to consider roundabouts or traffic circles has brought opposition from the industrial area of the city. Acknowledging that opposition, Sorrell said, “There could be objections to both (roundabouts), but the federal highway wants those ideas.”
A traffic circle at the interchange of I-5 and SR 503 has not been discussed at length, but Sorrell said that the study will include a concept of removing the signals at the I-5/SR-503 interchange and replacing the signals with roundabouts.
“You have an automatic delay at a signal, at a red light,” he said. “Under certain conditions, a roundabout is more effective than a signal. A roundabout is a yield situation without the need for signals.”
Business owners in the industrial area have said that traffic circles are difficult for long semi-tractor trailers to navigate.
The state is considering other ideas for the interchange at I-5 and SR-503. The use of signals hasn’t been removed from the board, and an idea of dividing the east- and west-bound lanes of SR-503 is under consideration.
Splitting the lanes would dedicate four lanes each way and add new bridges, Sorrell said.
Roundabouts are part of the plan for the interchange at I-5 and Dike Access Road, Sorrell said, and the state is considering a signal at Schurman Way.
Traveling from the east to the west side of Woodland without going through an interchange has been discussed frequently, and Sorrell said many suggestions have been brought to the COG.
One idea has been to extend Scott Avenue across the freeway, and the state is also looking at extending an elevated crossing at the Burlington Northern Railroad.
“We’re looking at combining a crossing of I-5 and the railroad,” he said.
Several concepts are being prepared, but Sorrell said that any elevated crossing of the railroad would be expensive and would require railroad cooperation.
Any of the concepts will be costly, he said.
“We’re talking tens of millions of dollars, even for one interchange,” he said. “Maybe hundreds of millions for everything.”
Each of the concepts would require the purchase of land, Sorrell said.
Only one street improvement is in the final planning stages: adding left-turn lanes to Lewis River Road (SR-503) at the intersections of streets leading to the planned Meriwether subdivision. Construction is expected in 2010.
Another public information meeting will be scheduled in May, but Sorrell said a date has not been set.
The concepts are regularly submitted to a Woodland Citizens Action Committee. Members of the committee are Dennis Johnson, Sharon Knight, Bill Behrens, Darlene Johnson, Larry Schlecht, Jim Donald, Bill Raybell, and Joel Lengyel.