City Of Kalama

City Council Recap: July 3rd

The City Council continued discussion regarding the community building operations and how to get the message out to the public through an advisory vote. The Council is very clear about wanting to be transparent with the voters. The continued operations of the building plus building improvements will cost the citizens additional tax dollars. The ballot measure has a limited number of words it may contain. Staff presented two draft samples. The Council wants the explanation of financial impact to be included. Staff will work on the draft and consult with the city attorney this week to bring the requested revisions back to the council. The resolution must be passed in July to make the November ballot. A special meeting might be required.

Envision Kalama member Eric Yakovich presented information on the mural they have commissioned to be placed on the I-5 wall at the end of Fir Street.

The library’s summer reading program has had a strong kick off. Two of the public works projects – China Garden Road improvements and Old Pacific Highway Sidewalk - have been completed. The Sewer Line Replacement project continues on the north side of town.

During the week of July 14th, 2025, First Street (downtown) will be closed to parking and traffic to complete the chipseal and sealcoating from Elm to Kingwood streets. While a temporary inconvenience to the community, these street improvements are necessary and will give our downtown a refresh. The contractor is planning on working the project in two sections to minimize disturbance. We appreciate the cooperation of the citizens and encourage people to support our local businesses when possible. Sidewalk access will be available.

Upcoming events:
July 10th- 12th, Kalama Community Fair @ Haydu Park by the Kalama Fair Board
July 12th, Annual Kalama Parade downtown (11am) by the Kalama Chamber of Commerce
July 19th, Dance-A-Palooza, Westin Amphitheater, 3-8pm by Rising Heights Dance
August 5th, National Night Out @ Haydu Park, 6-8pm by the Kalama Police Department

The city offices and Kalama Public Library will be closed tomorrow, July 4th for the Independence Day holiday. Join us at the Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth event at the Westin Amphitheater! For city event details, visit: https://www.cityofkalama.com/page/kalama-summer-lights-on-the-fourth Garbage pickup for Friday, July 4th will be on the regular schedule. Please put your cart out the evening of July 3rd. Thank you! Legal fireworks discharge times are posted on the City's website. Have a safe Independence Day!

The Kalama Public Works department is hiring a summer maintenance laborer for July- September, 2025! For the full job description and application, visit: https://www.cityofkalama.com/article/2272332 This position will be open until filled. Please note, this is a temporary position with the City of Kalama.

The upcoming Planning Commission meeting will be held on Thursday, July 10th @ 6pm, at 320 N 1st Street and via Zoom. The agenda and virtual attendance info will be available through the city calendar and here: https://www.towncloud.io/go/kalama-wa

* Update, 7/2/25 @ 10:00am * All water tests passed, and the Boil Water Advisory has been lifted. Thank you. Broken Waterline: Water will be off OFF for about 2 hours from a portion of China Garden Rd up to Gwynne Rd (including all of Gwynn Rd) while the City crew works to repair a broken waterline. Once the water is back on, there will be a BOIL WATER ADVISORY notice in place until further notice. Please share with your neighbors in the area that do not use social media.

The July edition of the City's newsletter is full of community information including fireworks discharge times, garbage pickup details, speed limit changes, downtown construction work, upcoming events, and more! Check it out here: https://5il.co/3knjy

FREE facepainting! Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth has partnered with the Kalama Fair princesses to provide free face painting from 12pm-4pm. Donations are welcome, but not required! Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth @ the Westin Amphitheater, 215 N Hendrickson Dr., Kalama, WA

Construction Notice: N. 3rd Street will be CLOSED starting Tuesday, July 1st from Elm Street to Holly Street. Please use the detour route on N. 4th Street and N. 3rd Pl. This will be "local access only", and residents living in this area will be notified by the contractor. This portion of the project is estimated to be an 11-13 week closure. Delivery services will be allowed to get through the job site to deliver packages to affected residents with the use of onsite flagging personnel. This is a continuation of the NE Downtown Sewer Rehabilitation project, and we appreciate your patience as it moves forward.

🎆Fireworks season is here🎆— that special time of year when we celebrate the birth of our nation. Every year we respond to dozens of complaints of illegal and improper fireworks use and property damage caused by careless use of fireworks. Firefighters and emergency medical personnel also respond to numerous fireworks related fires and injuries. Please be thoughtful and careful with your fireworks use this year. It is a season to celebrate, but it is also an opportunity for everyone to be good neighbors and considerate of others. FIREWORKS LAWS and SUGGESTIONS According to Washington state law and the Kalama Municipal Code, fireworks may be used at the following times: • June 28 from noon to 11:00 p.m. • June 29 thru July 4 from 9:00am to 11:00pm • July 5 from 9:00am to 9:00pm • Dec. 31 from 6:00pm to Jan. 1 at 1:00am Please be considerate of other residents when using fireworks, especially late in the evenings, around animals, or anyone that could be adversely affected by explosions and loud noises. Remember, fireworks users are responsible for any property damage that may result from their use of the fireworks. Never discharge fireworks at other persons, livestock, or pets. Never discharge fireworks at vehicles or from moving vehicles. Clean up all fireworks debris. Alcohol consumption and fireworks use are a dangerous mix! Children should always be supervised around fireworks. Thanks!

We look forward to seeing you at the Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth event! And yes, that's on Friday, July 4th! Timeline of Events: 12:00pm-12:15pm Opening Ceremonies 12:00pm-9:00pm Artisan Vendors & Food Trucks 12:00pm-9:00pm Beer Garden (hosted by the Kalama Lions Club) 12:00pm-4:00pm Free Face Painting (with the Kalama Fair princesses) LIVE MUSIC 12:30pm-2:30pm Dennis + Grace (Kalama Locals) 3:30pm-5:30pm CloudShine 7:00pm-9:00pm 5 Guys Named Moe Fireworks: Although there is no set time for fireworks, the public usually puts on a wonderful display, starting around dusk. We suggest using the offsite parking and shuttle option at the Kalama School parking lot (548 China Garden Rd) to get to and from the event area. The shuttle will run from 11am-midnight. Thank you Peak Tours & Transit! Event Location: 215 N Hendrickson Dr, Kalama, WA 98625 (Westin Amphitheater)

The City Council discussed proposed changes to speed limits in various areas of the city, considering safety concerns and engineering recommendations, and adopted Ordinance No. 1533 setting the following new speed limits: • First Street from Elm to Kingwood (downtown) – lowering to 20mph • Cloverdale Road within the City limits – Lowering to 25mph • China Garden Road from Tenth Street to Gwynne Road – lowering to 30mph • Old Pacific Highway South from Elm Street to the City limits – now all 25mph The Council also discussed the community building survey which outlines the financial and structural challenges of the structure at 216 Elm Street while exploring options. It is clear the building holds an emotional attachment to many in the community which makes decisions difficult when the reality is the building is underutilized and underfunded without the means to support the costs of operations, maintenance and needed improvements. Funding for the building is coming from taxpayer dollars and to continue future operations the Council may need to hear from the citizens if this is how they want tax dollars allocated. The November ballot offers the opportunity to hear directly from the voters with either an advisory ballot measure or even a ballot measure requesting additional tax dollars to support the building. The consensus of the Council seemed to lean toward an advisory vote to hear how the public values the building. There will be continued discussions at the upcoming Council meetings in July (3rd & 17th). The Planning Commission is working on lot access code updates and will be moving onto the critical areas ordinance portion of the Comprehensive Plan Update. Public Works projects throughout the City are going well. The China Garden Road improvements project is complete. Work is underway on the sidewalk project along Old Pacific Highway. Two areas in the sewer line replacement project have now been completed with more to come. Police Chief Herrera noted the recent completion of ju-jitsu training by Office Castellanoz qualifies him as a training officer for self-defense tactics in this region. The department has been working with other entities to facilitate safe community events this summer including the City’s 4th of July event at the waterfront. The new staff member in Finance started as of June 1st and is working well. The Annual report was filed timely. Clerk/Treasurer Coni McMaster thanked Secretary Emily Moore for covering all the bases while Coni was on vacation. A few public service announcements noted— • Fireworks are permitted in Kalama City limits between June 28th and July 5th (Schedule will be posted to the city website) • North 1st Street will be chip-sealed with an onyx topcoat during the week of July 14th. Upcoming Events: • June 28th & 29th, Big Smoke in Little Kalama (Haydu Park) • July 4th, Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth (Westin Amphitheater) • July 10th-12th, Kalama Community Fair (Haydu Park) • July 12th, Annual Kalama Downtown Parade (N 1st Street) • July 19th, Dance-A-Palooza

This is a reminder that the City Council will meet tonight, Wednesday, June 18th at 7:00pm. Agenda items include speed reduction in downtown and other areas in the city, as well as a community building discussion (which will likely continue to the July 3rd meeting). Agenda: https://www.towncloud.io/go/kalama-wa/agendas/793 (virtual meeting access information can be found on the agenda link)

City of Kalama offices and the Kalama Public Library will be closed on Thursday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth — a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. and honors freedom and equality. We invite the community to reflect, celebrate, and continue the work toward a more just future. Offices will reopen on Friday, June 20th. Garbage service for Thursday pickup will be on the regular schedule.

We are bringing back the "Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth" event, hosted by the City of Kalama! A free, family friendly event with live music, artisan vendors, food, and more! Here are the event details: Who: Everyone-- bring your friends & family When: Friday, July 4th, 2025, running from 12pm - 9pm Where: Westin Amphitheater/Marine Park at the Port of Kalama (215 N. Hendrickson Dr., Kalama, WA 98625) Event Shuttle: Skip the search for parking and use the event shuttle, which will run 11:30am until midnight (offsite parking location is at the Kalama school parking lot by the football stadium). The beer garden will be at the amphitheater, and is hosted by the Kalama Lions Club (12pm-9pm)! Free facepainting will be provided by Kalama Fair princesses. LIVE MUSIC will include: 12:30pm-2:30pm Grace + Dennis (Kalama Locals) 3:30pm-5:30pm CloudShine 7:00pm- 9:00pm 5 Guys Named Moe (The Moes) The BIG question we get asked each year: When do the fireworks start? Technically, we don't have a professional fireworks display, but the Kalama community (the public) tend to put on a wonderful show on the beach. The shuttle for offsite parking will be running through midnight for the fireworks too.

📬 Double the mail, not double the bill! If you receive your utility bill by mail, you may have noticed it showed up twice. Our third-party printer got a little overenthusiastic and mailed out duplicate bills. No need to worry — we’re aware of it, they’re looking into what happened, and the City won’t be charged twice. You only need to pay once (phew!). Thanks for your patience while we sort it out!

Recap City Council Meeting 6/5/25 The City Council reviewed the revised nuisance abatement code edits they made at the May 15th meeting which were prepared and presented by City Planner Todd Johnson. Council clarified a couple of points from the previous review for Mr. Johnson. Council chose to adopt Ordinance 1531 with minor changes replacing Kalama Municipal Code Chapter 7.04 Nuisance Abatement. The updates will be published and made available on the city website in the coming week. City Council authorized Mayor Reuter to sign Addendum 1 Supplement 1 to the 2023-2025 General Engineering Services Contract, increasing the total contract threshold from $40,000 to $55,000 for the two-year contract period ending August 2025. Staff explained that only $8,000 of the $40,000 spent so far under the contract included direct costs incurred by the city. The other $32,000 includes reimbursable expenses paid by development and land-use applicants. The increase in the contract threshold should not necessitate a budget amendment. Staff introduced new municipal law firm Thompson, Guildner & Associates. After a brief introduction from Attorney Erin Lewis and Managing Partner Emily Guildner the Council confirmed the Mayor’s appointment of the city attorneys. Under Staff Reports: Administrator Smee confirmed the Council is willing to discuss future funding and uses of the Community Building to meet the timeline for possibly putting an advisory vote to citizens in November 2025. Director Rasmussen summarized his report and recapped the current road projects underway for Kalama. Chief Herrera presented his report and explained the value of training and collaboration with neighboring LE agencies to keep our community safe. Acting Clerk Moore spoke briefly about upcoming fireworks discharge dates (legal June 28th - July 5th), and included a public service announcement to be aware of fire dangers such as long/dry grass in the summer heat. Upcoming dates and events: • Wednesday, June 18th, City Council meeting @ 7pm • Thursday, June 19th, Juneteenth Holiday (city offices & library closed) • June 28th & 29th, Big Smoke in Little Kalama • July 4th, Kalama Summer Lights on the Fourth (City of Kalama) • July 12th, Summer Parade Downtown (Kalama Chamber of Commerce) • August 16th, Street Dance Downtown (Kalama Chamber of Commerce • August 17th, Untouchables Car Show

The Kalama Planning Commission meeting and public hearing (continued, regarding lot frontage), will be held on Thursday, June 12th, 2025 @ 6pm in the City Council Chambers at 320 N 1st Street and via Zoom. The agenda and virtual attendance information is available through the calendar at www.cityofkalama.com.

The Old Pacific Hwy Sidewalk and Crosswalk project has started this week. Expect slight delays with flaggers for a single lane closure. Substantial completion of this project is 20 working days from the start of project-- we're aiming for early July. Thank you for your patience as we work to improve the safety of our streets and sidewalks!

The Kalama Parks and Rec June Drum 4 Fun schedule is now available! Register for classes here: Register. Classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-11am at the Kalama Community Building at 216 Elm Street. Tuesdays only = $20, Thursdays only = $20, or all June classes = $40. Class dates: June 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, & 26

Join us for Summer Dance Sessions through Kalama Parks & Recreation with instructor Nichole Eden! Classes are Wednesday evenings from 6:30pm-7:15pm at the Kalama Community Building. Here is the schedule: 4th- American Rumba 8th- Single Swing 18th- Merengue 25th- East Coast Swing Each class is $20, OR buy a punch card with 8 punches for $120 (discount of $5 per class). Summer classes will be offered June, July, & August. Punch cards expire on August 30th. Drop-ins are welcome! Register online here: https://tinyurl.com/mpafxj44 Questions: 360-673-4908