Pre-Election Vancouver Meeting As Planned

VANCOUVER -- Garbage rate adjustments and lack of public engagement are issues here.

At the Nov. 3 regular Vancouver City Council meeting, officials remain composed on the eve of the General Election. That composure paid off with Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle defeating challenger Justin M. Forsman the next day.

Not to mention Councilmember Kim Harless coming out on top, even with a looming ethics complaint against her.

Councilmembers Eric Paulsen and Diana Perez also beat out contenders, securing more time on the dais, which they took seriously at a meeting that "tackled a range of issues, from crucial infrastructure repairs and telecommunication franchises to contentious garbage rate adjustments and concerns about public engagement,” according to the OpGov.ai platform.

"The overall tone suggested a council grappling with complex administrative processes while attempting to address, sometimes reactively, community concerns," the platform reports.

What the platform did not report was the interrupted footage on YouTube, which broke the less than hour-long meeting into two videos seen here, with the first half and second half poorly filmed with low volume.

The meeting began with amending agenda, moving item number five to the consent portion. The item, regarding rate setting for the collection of solid waste, recyclable materials, and organics, specifically whether to increase or adjust the 2026 rates and charges consistent with approved utility user taxes and rates in current contracts, was discussed.

Vancouver Washington government website, garbage and recycling page

Citizen Bruce Barnes had signed up to speak about item five before the adjustment.

“Number one, they are a monopoly," Barnes said. "There's no other garbage company you can go to. Number two, this will lead to more garbage like at Vancouver Lake, our department, and National Resources Lands, our US Forest Service Lands, because the garbage prices to go to the dump are through the roof."

"It's going to pass on to consumers, which, if you're a renter, it's going to drive your rent up, which we're already talking about affordable housing, and that's just going to make it more unaffordable. When you drive down the highways, you see bags of garbage everywhere now,” Barnes said.

The discussion on garbage rate adjustments, which was hindered by a small error resulting in a lower proposed increase, still faced public criticism regarding monopolistic practices and potential impacts on affordability and illegal dumping.

The platform reports Barnes also "warned that increased rates would lead to more illegal dumping (citing Vancouver Lake and local parks), and further drive up rent, exacerbating affordable housing issues," the platform reports, adding he questions the "city's support for making 'billionaires more billionaires' instead of working with the community to lower costs during the current economy."

Then came a lack of public engagement, with the platform paraphrasing a troubling decline in participation and safety concerns at community forums, signaling a failure in current public engagement strategies.

The mayor and council discussed the monthly community forums, with the notion that it should halt until elected officials find ways to engage public more effectively. Like peers, Harless said she would like to see more engagement and measurable outcomes to prove it.

"City Hall may not be a place that is successful for everyone," Harless said. "The opportunity to be throughout the city was wonderful."

Vancouver, Washington City Hall government website photo

Harless said the first year of hard work was evident in the attendance, but it is not now.

The next forum, scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving, was up for question, with Harless suggesting that officials and staff use the time without the public to work on a successful community forum model.

Paulsen agreed, noting that when it comes to hearing from the public, he is reluctant to take it off the calendar. However, due to the "diminished amount of engagement" at that time of year, it is not a wise move to keep the date.

"Predictably, during the holiday, folks travel," Paulsen said.