Pub pushes to reopen Webber Street as TD council approves archaeology contract, funding changes

Crestline Construction working at the Corner of First and Webber streets several weeks ago. New sewer lines and storm drains need to be installed in this section of Webber Street, which will close Webber for up to 3 months.

Steve and Stacey Kane go before council on Monday, April 27.

The Dalles, Ore., April 28, 2026 — Business owner in the Port of The Dalles say ongoing construction and road closures are already cutting deep into revenue, as city officials warn that a full shutdown of a key access route may soon be unavoidable.

During public comment at the April 27 City Council meeting, Steve Kane, owner of Bargeway Pub, and operations manager Nolan Hare said their business has seen a 60% drop in revenue tied to the prolonged closure of Webber Street. Kane said as many as 30 local jobs could be at risk if conditions do not improve.

The request from Kane and Hare was straightforward: keep Webber Street open to one-way traffic with flaggers to maintain customer access during construction.

Hare noted the cost of flaggers to the city was high, but also pointed out that without them, small businesses such as theirs was unfairly having to bear the entire economic brunt of the closure.

File photo - the City of The Dalles opened up one-way traffic on Webber several weeks ago with the help of city staff flagging traffic.

City Manager Matthew Klebes and Public Works Director Dale McCabe said that will not be possible for the next phase of work. Contractors with Crestline Construction need a full closure of the street to install underground utilities, a process that requires uninterrupted access for heavy equipment and materials.

Klebes said allowing one-way traffic would slow the project due to the need to repeatedly move equipment on and off the site. He added that with construction already underway on First Street downtown will eventually cause the closure of Union Street near Lewis and Clark Park. So, delaying the Webber Street closure increases the risk that both Webber Street and Union Street near the underpass could be closed at the same time.

That, would in effect, close two of the three access points to the port, leaving the only access point over the highway bridge west of Home Depot - an approximate additional 7 minute drive.

Councilors acknowledged the tradeoff between maintaining business access and completing critical infrastructure work efficiently. Councilor Dan Richardson said each additional day Webber Street remains open is valuable for affected businesses and he pushed city staff to find as many as possible.

Councilors directed staff to improve detour signage and communication, emphasizing the need to clearly guide traffic to alternate routes and reinforce that downtown businesses remain open and accessible, particularly via the Union Street underpass. Councilor Ben Wring also asked staff to reach out to other state agencies such as ODFW to see if they had additional signage that could assist in the temporary detours.

They also asked staff to explore expanding the construction schedule from five days a week to seven in an effort to complete the project and reopen Webber Street more quickly.

The project is expected to require a full closure of Webber Street for approximately three months, highlighting the ongoing tension between long-term infrastructure upgrades and immediate economic impacts on local businesses.

Archaeology contract approved for First Street project

Archeologists with Archeological Investigations Northwest record data and examine layers of dirt after shells were located in the excavation at the corner of First and Court streets in The Dalles on March 11. City Council approved a contract to continue the additional archeology work on the project at their Monday, April 27, meeting .

The City Council voted 4-1 to approve a $146,800 contract with Investigative Archaeology Northwest for up to 50 days of survey work tied to the First Street project.

Councilor Rod Runyon cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the cost should be reduced to $100,000, stating contractors would deplete the total amount without guardrails.

During discussion, city officials said failing to complete the required archaeological work could result in significantly higher costs by violating state law.

Community Development Director Josh Chandler told councilors the $146,800 figure represents a not-to-exceed amount and could come in lower. The higher cap was set to allow work to continue without delay if additional discoveries are made.

Officials said roughly 200 artifacts have already been identified, along with four significant archaeological sites within the excavation zone between Court and Washington streets. Archeologists are very discreet about what is found in an effort to prevent looting or other nefarious behavior, thus no descriptions were given.

Nonprofit funding process to shift under new budget approach

City Manager Matthew Klebes also outlined changes to how the city will fund nonprofit organizations, aiming to simplify the city budget process and improve oversight.

Under the proposed approach, the city’s budget committee would first approve a total funding amount during the annual budget process. After adoption, nonprofits would apply for funding in July, with final award decisions expected in November 2026.

The shift is intended to separate the allocation of funds from individual funding requests and create a more structured timeline for applicants and the city.