Current News

Regular City Council Meeting: Kelso City Council Chambers 203 S. Pacific Ave at 6:00 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

If you wish to make a general comment/question, please fill out the comment form by 5:00 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2024.  

If you wish to attend the Council Meeting via Zoom please contact Jessica Bronstein at 360-577-3379 or by email to jbronstein@kelso.gov no later that 12:00 pm Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

To view council agenda items and other legislative-related information, you can visit our BoardDocs site here:  http://www.boarddocs.com/wa/kelso/Board.nsf/Public#  For additional information concerning BoardDocs, please visit www.boarddocs.com.

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
For information contact: Andrew Hamilton
City of Kelso City manager
(360) 423.1371
andrewh@kelso.gov 

Severe Weather Event

Kelso, WA – January 15, 2024

In reviewing the current state of our roadways and the forecast for the next 24 hours, out of an abundance of caution, City Hall and the Library will be closed on Tuesday, January 16th, 2024.  In conjunction, the Special and Regular Council meetings will also be canceled.

Essential personal including the Police Department and Public Works Department will be on duty and working.

This call was not made lightly.  The partners we received information from were the Police Department, Public Works Department, Kelso School District, Cowlitz County Department of Emergency management, City of Longview, and the Portland office of the National Weather Service.   The Weather service has us under an ice storm warning until Wednesday at 4:00 a.m.   Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice storm and travel could be difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the commute.   They are advising travel is strongly discouraged.

Thank you for your understanding.  Be safe. 

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A severe weather event was declared by the City of Longview, which means that shelter at First Christian Church (2000 E. Kessler Blvd, Longview) will open starting 1/11/24.

 

How can you help? 
If you are a trained volunteer with time to give please contact:
or would like to donate shelter supplies please contact:

Hollie Hillman
360-747-3375
cowlitzshelter@gmail.com

Do you live, work or travel through Kelso, WA? We’re working closely with @WaKelso to identify improvements to Allen Street. Visit the workshop at Council Chambers on Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m. or visit our site to learn about possible solutions & share your thoughts. bit.ly/allenstreet

 

The City of Kelso is partnering with Washington State Department of Transportation to study potential improvements to Allen Street between South 8th Avenue and North 17th Avenue that will help improve safety and mobility. We need help from the community in choosing potential design options to improve the way people travel on Allen Street.

The workshop – which is part of the city’s efforts to study potential improvements to Allen Street – will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Kelso City Hall in the Council Chambers. Attendees will have the opportunity to weigh in on proposed designs, which include traffic signal enhancements, roadway and lane modifications, and potential roundabout options.

Those who cannot attend the workshop are encouraged to visit the Allen Street Corridor Transportation Study online open house at bit.ly/allenstreet to learn more and share feedback online.

Later this winter, the project team will compile community feedback to refine the concepts and select a preferred design option. Once selected, the team will begin efforts to secure funding for the work as quickly as possible.

We want to hear from you! 

Full closure of the WEST bound lanes of SR-4 / Cowlitz Way will begin Monday, November 13, 2023 from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.  The closure will begin at the intersection of North Pacific Avenue and Cowlitz Way, and extend through NW 5th Avenue. These night time full closures should last about four days.

 Traffic going north or south bound on NW 5th and Long Avenue will be flagged through the work area on Cowlitz Way. No turns either direction will be permitted at NW 5th/Long Ave and Cowlitz Way.

A posted detour will be in place. The detour route will be on Allen Street, starting at N. 5th Ave continuing over the Allen Street Bridge onto Catlin Street in west Kelso.

We ask you for your continued patience as we work to repair your city storm drains.

 

EASTBOUND SR-4 / COWLITZ WAY

Full closure of the east bound lanes of SR-4 / Cowlitz Way IS CANCELLED.

Operational adjustments to the progress of the work have made this closure unnecessary at this time.

Nightly reductions to one lane will continue Mondays through Thursdays, 7pm to 5am.

We ask you for your continued patience as we work to repair your city storm drains.

Due to multiple near accidents with motorists and workers resulting from work zone traffic control violations, emphasis patrols in the area of Cowlitz Way and NW 5th will begin tonight.

Motorists are reminded that infractions issued in a work zone are doubled, and that intentionally evading a traffic control device, or driving a vehicle in a work zone in a manner likely to endanger persons or property, is a gross misdemeanor per RCW 46.61.527.

As a reminder, the City of Kelso is conducting emergency replacement of a storm sewer line located at the western approach of the Cowlitz Way Bridge at Long Avenue / Northwest 5th Street.  Work will take place during the night from 7pm-5am and will continue for approximately six weeks.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane each way from 7pm through 5am. Turns at the intersection of Cowlitz Way and Long Avenue / Northwest 5th Street will be restricted. Motorists are strongly encouraged to use alternate routes during the construction period.

We ask you for your patience as we work to repair your city storm drains.

 On Thursday, July 6th 2023, the Coweeman River Bridge on Kelso drive will be closed. The closure will start at approximately 7:30 am to 4:00 pm while WSDOT conducts routine bridge inspections. A traffic detour will be in place.

Cascade Natural Gas will replace existing natural gas main pipelines and service lines in a portion of Kelso over the next several months. The replacement project is an on-going integrity management process to ensure the safety and reliability of the natural gas system. Through an evaluation, Cascade identifies sections of pipe for replacement based on physical and operation & maintenance components.

 

The Kelso project is expected to begin on June 26 and will take approximately two to three months, depending on weather conditions and any other unanticipated delays. The work will require a short interruption of natural gas service for customers. A company representative will contact affected customers to schedule a brief shut off and then relight of appliances.

 

Please refer to Cascade’s website for more information and a map that outlines the area where the replacement work will occur. https://www.cngc.com/in-the-community/construction-updates/ 

The City of Kelso is seeking a contractor to perform nuisance abatement services.
These services will include, but are not limited to, debris removal, vegetation removal, and the boarding of unsecured structures.
To request a bid packet please visit https://www.kelso.gov/engineering/bids-and-proposals
Bids close June 28, 2023 at 2:00pm
 

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