The Goldendale City Council spent a focused portion of its meeting reviewing two consultant quotes to update the city’s critical areas ordinance and debating whether to include a separate "best available science" report that would tailor state guidance for local conditions.

The discussion matters because the state-mandated update must show how jurisdictions incorporate the best available science for wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas and critical aquifer recharge areas — and because the council must decide whether to pay more now for a locally specific report or adopt the state's guidance “off the shelf.”

Ethan Spoo, a land-use planner with consulting firm DOWL, explained the two proposals before the council and the trade-offs. He told the council the lower-cost option, which does not include a best available science report, is priced at $54,975; the higher-cost option that includes the report is priced at $84,840. "If you remove the report, what that does is it means that the city would have a little bit less leeway and flexibility to apply science in a locally specific way and would have to take the state's guidance off the shelf," Spoo said.

Spoo also told the council the state has set aside a $20,000 grant that Goldendale can apply toward the update but that the Department of Commerce grant does not require preparation of the best available science report. He characterized the report as a written record of the scientific sources considered that helps if the ordinance is later challenged: "The real purpose of the report is putting on the record what scientific sources you included in your ordinance so that everybody knows what was considered," he said.

Councilmembers raised cost and scope questions and pressed staff for more background before committing. Councilmember Steve described the requirement as "a bunch of unnecessary state government regulation" that overlaps federal and local shoreline rules. Councilmember Lauren and others asked whether the city already has a best available science report from prior updates and how many acres of critical areas exist inside the city limits — information Spoo said would normally be developed during the consultant work but was not yet available.

City Administrator Sandy Wells said the city received two quotes and that because the contract total is under $100,000 the city was not required to advertise a formal solicitation. "We don't have to advertise if the contract itself is under a $100,000," Wells said. Wells also confirmed the state grant and said staff had invited the prior consultant to submit a quote after he reached out to the city.

Councilmembers asked staff to gather more information before selecting a scope: determine whether a best available science report already exists for Goldendale, collect comparable costs from similarly sized cities, check whether Klickitat County's ordinance might be adoptable by the city, and seek more detail on archaeological and tribal engagement needs. Spoo noted the typical update is structured to cover two years of work and that the periodic update cycle for the ordinance is essentially 10 years from adoption.

No formal motion or vote was taken. Council members concluded they need more background before directing staff to enter a contract and directed staff to return with the requested information and comparables at a future meeting.

The council later thanked Spoo for the presentation and said staff would follow up with additional information for deliberation at a future meeting.