The White Salmon City Council has referred the question of whether to purchase Highway 141 from Highway 14 to Alternate 141 to the municipal planning commission for study.  The idea came from a meeting between White Salmon’s City Operations Committee and the Washington Department of Transportation discussing moving portions of the Loop Trail.  The City purchasing the highway from the state would give the City all the authority of what takes place on the road, but also make it responsible for its maintenance.  Mayor Marla Keethler said this should be part of a larger discussion revolving around the cost of overall budget issues.  When the planning commission will be able to take it up is an open question, as Councilors emphasized that panel already has a number of issues on its plate.