COVID-19 Local Updates
Rent & Utility Assistance
Lewis County has received funding for rent and utility assistance under the Treasury Assistance Program to assist renters who are behind on rent and or utilities. The county has partnered with the Salvation Army and Equity Institute. Please contact them for eligibility and the application process.
- City Council Meetings
- Municipal Court
- Forms & Payments
- Centralia Department Updates
- Community & National Resources
- Department of Health Public Questions Hotline
- State of Washington COVID-19 Information
- Working Washington Small Business Grants
- Other News
To view information about joining the next Council meeting please visit the Virtual City Council Meetings page.
Public Comments
Written public comments will continue to be accepted and must be submitted to the City Clerk by 3 pm on the day of the council meeting.
The Centralia Municipal Court will be resuming in-person hearings starting June 2, 2020. Safety precautions have been put in place for the safety of our Visitors and City Employees.
You will be required to give your name to confirm you have a court hearing in order to enter the building. Hand sanitizer will be provided upon entry. If you have not brought your own mask, one will be provided. Directions regarding face coverings will be given to individuals when necessary. If you are unable to wear a mask, you must provide a doctor's note. Courtroom seating will be extremely limited for social distancing. Do not bring people with you to court.
If you are unable to appear in court due to illness, please contact your attorney to make other arrangements or call 360-330-7667 to speak with a court clerk.
Please be sure to contact your attorney prior to your hearing. In order to keep court running as smoothly as possible, meetings with your attorney should occur prior to your court date and outside of City Hall.
In the interest of limiting potential exposure, please take advantage of these payment options:
- Pay Online-Utility Payments
- Over the Phone: 866-217-8583
- By mail: 500 N Pearl Street, Centralia WA, 98531
- Using the dropbox outside the Utilities Customer Service Center
Combined Monthly Utility Bill
It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has been an unusual and difficult time for many of us. Throughout this time, the City of Centralia has continued to offer essential services to our utility customers. However, there are costs involved in ensuring access to these services are available to the public and we have continued to incur those costs in order to ensure that services were not interrupted. As a responsible utility company, we must now require any delinquent accounts to be brought current.
The City of Centralia has developed a payment plan to help make repayment more manageable for our past-due customers. Should you choose to sign up for this payment plan, the past due balance on your utility account will be deferred and payments shall be made towards it monthly. Each month, the current amount due for the month plus your contracted payment amount must be paid on or before the due date indicated on your monthly billing statement (the 25th of each month). Any missed contracted payment will cause the full amount to become due immediately and your utility account could be subject to disconnection. Signing up for a contracted payment plan does not exclude you from any part of your past due to balance, it simply allows you to pay the balance down over an extended period of time. Please review the COVID-19 Contracted Payment Plan Policy (PDF).
If you do not choose to sign up for a payment plan, the past due balance on your utility account is due immediately to avoid interruption of service.
In order for the payment plan to be implemented and approved, a COVID-19 Contracted Payment Plan Application Form (PDF) must be filled out and returned to the Customer Service Center (CSC) by December 30, 2021, located at:
500 N Pearl Street
Centralia, WA
The form may be dropped off at the CSC drop box, scanned, emailed, or mailed via the U.S. Post Office. If there are questions associated with this policy and/or the form please contact the City of Centralia Customer Service Center at phone: 360-330-7657.
Other forms are available online for various City Departments.
Parks and Recreation
The City playgrounds are closed for children at this time to reduce the spread of COVID-19. To encourage residents to meet Governor Inslee's Proclamation 20-25, we will be reducing access and parking within Borst and Riverside parks. The gate by Borst Park Kitchen Number 2 will be closed but park patrons can park by Futurus High School/Parks Maintenance building, by Wheeler field/Borst Softball Fields, or by the soccer fields to access the trail system. This is being done to limit the need for city staff who daily lock and unlock gates, dump trash cans, and clean restrooms. We want people to enjoy the City Parks and Trails and as the Governor stated: Engaging in outdoor exercise activities, such as walking, hiking, running or biking, but only if appropriate social distancing practices are used.
The City has placed porta-potties and hand-washing stations at Borst, Riverside, and Washington parks, as well as the Centralia Train Depot, and they, are cleaned daily.
All park rental facilities (kitchens, picnic shelters, and the Centralia Train Depot multi-purpose rooms) and recreation activities are closed or canceled until further notice.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact Emil Pierson, Community Development Director.
Planning & Building Departments
The City of Centralia is now accepting online permit application submittals!
All building-related permit applications, along with construction plans and associated documentation, may be submitted online. Since this is a new process for all of us we thank you for your patience. To access the online permit process please go to the City's website and then go to the Community Development Department front page and you read about the online permitting process.
In the event the City offices close, due to the COVID-19, we have no plans to curtail building inspections or processing planning permits. Please contact the following according to your building/planning needs:
- For assistance with scheduling inspections please send an email to Planning and Building or call/text phone: 360-880-3015 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
- For permitting assistance email Planning and Building or call/text phone: 360-880-3015 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
- For general permitting, planning, and zoning-related questions email Planning and Zoning or call/text phone: 360-523-3930 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
- For all other questions or concerns please send us an email or call/text phone: 360-880-3013 (Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
Thank you for your patience and understanding at this time.
City Light & Public Works
During the closing of the City Light/Public Works buildings to the public, City Light and Public Works personnel are available to answer questions or address customer needs. Please call the office at 360-330-7512 and the staff will put you in contact with the member of City Light or Public Works that you need to contact.
The City of Centralia's McKenna and Nisqually Parks in Yelm have reopened.
- Bethel Hub City Mission
- Gather
- Lewis County Gospel Mission
- Salvation Army
- Cascade Mental Health
- Financial Resources
- Community Action Council
- Lewis County Public Health
- Washington Department of Health
- The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act
- National Restaurant Association Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
- Department of Health Public Questions Hotline: 800-525-0127
- St. Vincent de Paul Phone (Leave a Voicemail): 360-623-1144
Guidance for businesses who want to request inclusion and individuals who want to report suspected violations of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order.
The City of Centralia Wastewater Department would like to remind everyone to only flush the Three P's
Pee, Poop and toilet Paper.
Please do not flush disinfecting wipes, paper towels or flushable wipes. Throw them away instead! Flushing disinfecting wipes, flushable wipes, paper towels and similar products will clog sewer mainlines and cause backups and overflows at our treatment plant, disrupting service and creating an unnecessary public health risk. Even though the package says flushable, flushable wipes clog pipes, and plug pumps and interfere with sewage collections. Wipes and paper towels do not break down like toilet paper. Throw these in the garbage instead!