Warden council approves sewer loan, adopts body-cam redaction fees

WARDEN — The Warden City Council approved two resolutions Tuesday, held a required public hearing on body‑camera redaction fees and tabled a proposed drug‑paraphernalia ordinance for further revisions. 

The meeting opened with no public comment on the city’s plan to establish a fee for redacting police body‑worn camera footage.  

Under state law, cities may charge the staff time required to obscure sensitive information before releasing video records. City Administrator Kristine Shuler told the council the police department reviewed multiple studies and conducted mock redactions to determine a reasonable cost. 

According to the city’s adopted resolution, the fully burdened rate for the Warden Police Department’s public records officer is about 78 cents per minute. The city will charge requestors at that rate for the time spent redacting video; a figure Shuler noted is below the actual cost to the city. 

Following the hearing, the council unanimously approved Resolution 02‑2026, updating the city’s public‑records policy and formally adopting the redaction fee schedule. 

Council members also approved Resolution 01‑2026, authorizing acceptance of a $142,500 low‑interest loan from the state Department of Ecology. The loan, paired with a matching $142,500 grant, will fund a wastewater system planning project that includes reviewing the city’s Water Reclamation Facility and identifying future sewer‑service areas. The five‑year loan carries a 1% interest rate. 

A proposed ordinance regulating the display of drug paraphernalia in local businesses was tabled for amendments.  

“We should still be able to view it because the consumer still wants to view it,” council member Emily Campos said. “I just want it to be on an appropriate shelf, like behind the counter or where the kids don’t have easy access to it. I think that would probably fit our needs.”  

Council members said they want to ensure items are not easily accessible to minors but also avoid overly restrictive rules for retailers. The draft will return for further discussion at the March 24 meeting. 

In staff reports, Police Chief Jeff Gann said the department logged 77 crime reports in February, the lowest monthly total since he joined the city. Though March has already seen an uptick due to a series of graffiti incidents.  

Gann also reported four arrests in an assault case involving juveniles. This is under active investigation with no further information available to the public, Gann told the Columbia Basin Herald.  

He also announced that Lowe’s in Moses Lake is donating evidence‑kit storage boxes for patrol vehicles. 

Public Works Director Chad Cole reported ongoing water and sewer work, installation of no truck parking signs, ball‑field preparation at Cooley Park and progress on several development projects.  

The delayed First Street North reconstruction project is expected to begin later this month or in early April. 

The council adjourned after approving vouchers.