Bridgeport council gets green light on Bridgeport Daze

BRIDGEPORT – The Chamber of Commerce will host the annual Bridgeport Daze celebration again this year, said chamber president, Vince Martinez, who addressed the city council at its regular meeting last Wednesday, April 19.  
The two-day celebration will feature the same attractions as last year: “Vendors in the park, dancing horses, and this year we’ll have three-on-three basketball,” Martinez said.
Vendors and other activities will be in Fireman Park at 10th Street and Columbia Avenue.
Festivities will start at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 3, with the parade at 11 a.m. and continue through 12 noon, Sunday, June 4.
Council members voted to increase the city’s financial contribution to Bridgeport Daze from $200 to $500 this year in addition to picking up the costs for porta-potties and other services.
In other business, mayor Janet Conklin said the annual Hooked on Kids Fishing Derby, for youngsters up to 14 years of age, will be held on June 10 this year to coincide with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Free Fishing Weekend when licenses are not required to fish.
Conklin said WDFW has already designated 400 trout for release in Marina Park lagoon. Council approved $500 to cover derby expenses and Cabela’s Outfitters will once again contribute prizes for winning catches.
The public swimming pool at 2100 Fisk Avenue will open on June 12, conditions permitting, under the supervision of council member, Jackie Hentges. The city still needs lifeguards and the mayor requested and received authorization from council to approve and hire the lifeguards. This year the city received more lifeguard applicants than ever before and Hentges commented that several of those were once part of her swimming lessons classes.
Public works superintendent, Stuart Dezellem reported that the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) is making $5 million of emergency funding to small communities for winter road damage repair. Each applicant has a maximum $50,000 available under very specific guidelines, Dezellem said.
The damage from such winter forces as excess water, frost heave, and other causes cannot be larger than 25-percent of the affected area, Dezellem said.
“I have isolated 10 areas that I’m submitting under the application at a little less than $20,000 worth of funding,” Dezellem said.
Dezellem also advised council that the electric car charging station recently placed on the east side of Bouska Square is now “installed, heated up and ready for use.”
Under council comments, member Matt Schuh asked the council to consider alternate funding options for seven RV spaces the city wants to add to the 10 the PUD will be installing at Marina Park. The city is hoping to receive funding through a Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant, but if is unsuccessful another funding option would allow Bridgeport to have the spaces added in conjunction with the PUD project, when it would be most economical to do so.
“I hate to see us squander this opportunity to do this the way we want if we don’t get RCO funding,” Schuh said.
Conklin agreed that alternate funding should be arranged so the city can move when the PUD is ready.
“To do it on conjunction with the PUD would be a lot cheaper,” Conklin said and speculated that having to wait and add them later would probably cost the city twice as much.
“If my projections hold true,” said city clerk Judy Brown, “those seven spots could potentially give us $30,000 a year income.”
While council awaits further RCO developments, members decided to explore ways to cut project costs through self-funding and look for surplus city revenues that could be used as a last resort.