A Camas man pleaded not guilty today in Clark County Superior Court to threatening a city employee with a gun June 17 after the employee informed him that he had painted a city fire hydrant the wrong color.

Steven W. Timmons, 54, is scheduled to be tried Sept. 30 on a charge of first-degree assault.

Timmons, who is out of jail on $50,000 bail, allegedly covered a yellow city fire hydrant with red paint in front of his house, police said.

Tobin Reed Sr., a lead utility maintenance worker for the city, noticed the city hydrant was the wrong color and left Timmons a note about the violation and how to repaint the hydrant.

When Timmons came home and found the note, he decided to confront Reed, police said. He went to Reed’s house in the 1300 block of Dallas Street, argued with Reed and then brandished a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, police said.