In what was essentially a formality, the Chehalis City Council voted to declare a local state of emergency Monday, an essential step in obtaining federal damage recovery funding. The declaration was signed by Mayor Tony Ketchum last week, but required ratification by the council. Councilors were also briefed on flood preparation and emergency operations by several department directors. Community Development Director Bob Nacht said the latest tally shows 42 residential units and 17 businesses in Chehalis were damaged by water during Thursday's deluge. Those numbers are far below the aftermath of the December 2007 flood, and much less than was expected when the National Weather Service predicted record flooding last week, officials said. "With all the news events, and the forecast, I think a lot of people really took it to heart," said Chehalis Fire Department Chief Kelvin Johnson. During the meeting, the council also: -- Voted to send the city's Solid Waste and Recyclables Collection Contract back to bid after receiving two bids originally. Councilors asked staff to throw the bids out and rebid with specific services and prices. -- Authorized and directed City Attorney Bill Hillier to execute a conservation easement between the city and the Port of Chehalis regarding the National Avenue Wetland Property. The port applied for the use of the 13-acre property in 2004 for a mitigation project to offset the Fred Meyer distribution center. The approval of the easement is required by the state Department of Ecology. Eric Schwartz: (360) 807-8245
