Monday Business Meeting - 11.09.2026

At the Cowlitz County Commissioners’ Monday business meeting on November 9, 2026, the county engineer presented 2027 bid solicitations for rental equipment used by Public Works (bids scheduled to open November 30) and for culvert pipe, beveled-end sections, couplers, and other drainage supplies. The engineer also presented Change Order No. 2 with North Cascades Excavating for the Dyke Road Reconstruction Project, to address excess pulverized material and its relocation; the amount is garbled in the transcript and cannot be confirmed. A supplemental agreement with PBS Engineering Environmental for as-needed unmanned aerial vehicle services was proposed for a one-year extension and an additional $50,000. The discussion also covered a retainage-bond arrangement for the Shadow Mountain water project. The transcript does not clearly record final votes on these items.

The meeting also addressed personnel costs and elected-official compensation. HR requested a starting salary of $10,835 per month, plus the 2027 COLA, for a selected solid waste manager. The commissioners discussed approximately $35,160 in deferred pay for sheriff’s administrative staff under a prior arrangement; counsel recommended documenting it in writing, and no formal vote is evident. The sheriff also proposed salary increases for the sheriff and prosecuting attorney, with estimated 2027 amounts rising from about $151,400 to $166,350 for the sheriff and $218,710 to $249,524 for the prosecutor. Commissioners raised budget constraints and concerns about broader effects; no decision is captured.