TD Council hands $50k back to Parks & Rec as room tax exceeds projection
One of the Great Ones - The Late David Neitling filling cracks on Riverfront Trail in years past. He volunteered his time and money to repair the trail for more than a decade to help Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation which has recently got a budget upgrade of $50k from the City of The Dalles. The money will assist the district in maintaining 8 community parks totaling more than 200 acres. Included within these parks are multiple athletic fields, an 18-hole disc golf course, tennis courts, shelters, restrooms, picnic areas, playgrounds, skate park, mountain bike skills course and the 8-mile Riverfront Trail that Neitling and his wife Juanita so loved.
The Dalles, Ore., June 30, 2025 — The Dalles City Council approved a series of spending measures and heard updates on critical operations during its Monday, June 23, including contract amendments, supplemental budgeting, and post Rowena Fire relief efforts.
Key Spending Decisions
Water Treatment Contract: The council authorized a $1,498,464 contract amendment with OMI (Jacobs) for continued operations of the city’s wastewater treatment plant. This represents a 4.99% increase from the previous year. The contract will be paid from the city's Wastewater Fund, which had budgeted $1,498,617 for the service.
Council Adopted a resolution approving a supplemental budget that included two significant allocations:
$50,000 in excess transient lodging tax (TLT) revenue will be transferred to Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation, in accordance with a prior ordinance mandating 2% of collected TLT be directed to the parks district. The transient lodging tax in The Dalles was established in 1977, which precedes state statutes that mandate a 70/30 - tourism/general fund split. This gives The Dalles greater flexibility in spending transient lodging taxes, meaning it can allocate funds more freely across city services, support local park districts, even if those projects are not tourism-related and are not legally required to spend a specific portion on tourism marketing or infrastructure.
Federal Aviation Administration grant revenue, originally budgeted in the jointly managed Airport Fund, will be reallocated to the city’s Capital Projects Fund. This shift was recommended during the city's recent audit and better aligns with financial oversight since the airport is co-owned with Klickitat County.
Other Highlights:
Our favorite Barber Mike Nagle captured this gem On Monday, Feb. 17, 2025 on First Street in The Dalles. Nagle snapped a great shot of contractors putting a new lid on the solid waste digester.
The Dalles sewer treatment plant received the needed maintenance at its biosolids digester which utilizes bacteria to break down all the goodies in sewage.
The upshot? A safer, cleaner environment for all of us in The Dalle and protection of the Columbia River which is used by 26 downstream communities.
As you could imagine, sewage and human waste is corrosive, meaning it has molecules made of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom that are negatively charged. Called hydroxide ions or (OH-), the molecules promote the formation of hydrogen gas on the surface of a metal, which can then readily penetrate the metal lattice, leading to a phenomenon called "hydrogen embrittlement" that weakens the metal and causes corrosion.
So, after several years in operation, maintenance is necessary to reline the tanks and lids to keep the digester safe and operable.
Jacobs Wastewater Report: Oscar Farris, the plant manager for Jacobs, presented the annual operations report. He noted the facility maintained compliance with environmental regulations despite a secondary digester failure, and highlighted ongoing renewable energy studies and sustainability initiatives. Ferris was also recognized with a national award within Jacobs for his leadership.
Insurance Update: Scott Reineer of Columbia River Insurance reported a flattening of insurance rates and commended the city for its strong performance across policy categories. A property loss totaling $697,000—presumed to be tied to the wastewater digester—was still under review by CIS. City Attorney Jonathan Kara said half of the insurance claim has been paid and the second half was expected in the near future.
Rowena Fire Response: City Manager Matthew Klebes provided an update on the city’s involvement in the Rowena Fire response. The wastewater treatment plant processed 36,000 gallons of septage from damaged septic systems, and the city supported emergency operations through police and public works departments. An incident management team is expected to be fully operational by early next week.
