Emergency Management budget hearing held

DAYTON–The Board of County Commissioners heard reports from the departments heads to start the regular meeting on June 21. A budget hearing has held to add Emergency Management projects to the budget. The Board of Health convened, and the new Coalition Manager Jasmine Helm gave a report on what she has been working, an update was provided about establishing an environmental health program and scheduling interview for applicants for the open Board positions was discussed.

Misty Yost reported she is working to tie up loose ends before her departure from Emergency Management. Desirae Lockard added they are currently training someone to work dispatch, and another will begin training July 1 and once completed they will be fully staffed. A budget hearing has held to add the radio and phone upgrade projects as well as the drone program for Emergency Management to account for the already budgeted costs.

Treasurer Carla Rowe shared the collections for property tax applied to the current expense was about 50% and applied to road is similar. She has been working on foreclosures with eight letters mailed out to property owners of 16 parcels – three of whom have since paid, two only enough to come out of foreclosure but have agreed on payments, and the other has paid in full.

She contributed to a discussion about the transitions in the County including working out the funding for a Human Resources Director and that communications about engineering questions and or needs will be handled by Jeff McCowen. Interim work will be handled by neighboring County Engineers Grant Morgan from Garfield County or Mark Storey from Whitman County. Phinney said a formal contract is needed with the counties. Emergency Management is also facing major transition since Director Ashley Strickland stepped down and Yost is moving to the City Deputy Clerk position. In addition, Lockard is going on maternity leave.

During the Public Works portion of the meeting, Interim Public Works Director Amber Phinney said they are making progress on getting everything in order to begin the HVAC upgrade for the courthouse. She also said they have received FEMA money from the flood of 2020 totaling about $700,000 to date with another $300,000 expected for the Flood Control Zone District. Due to the recent rain, Kellogg Hollow and Patit Roads have incurred damages from flooding which will have to be mitigated.

Phinney also informed the Commissioners that the County has a critically low amount of gravel and needs to be addressed quickly. She also has been meeting with the County Road Administration Board (CRAB) and WSDOT to prioritize projects for the County. She also told the Commissioners that the Fair Board has decided not to allow the horse boarders to remain at the fairgrounds for the month around fair time as they have previous years. Phinney said the County will extend that period by a few weeks to address some maintenance needs. Notice will be given to the boarders.

The Commissioners formerly passed the resolution to lower the speed from milepost 1 for the remainder of the paved South Touchet Road. They previously only approved it without passing a resolution. The County has yet to place new signage along the road with the speed changes.

At the Board of Health meeting the new Coalition Coordinator Jasmine Helm provided a summary of the work she has been doing since she was hired beginning with establishing communication with other coalition members to talk about keeping the program going. She also has been getting feedback from the community about what they want for families and for mental health, as well as prevention of suicide and substance use. There is money for the program to be spent on programing and events for children. Katie Roughton, administrator, spoke of plans to start a camp next year for at-risk youth partnering with parents, schools, law enforcement and the military at Camp Wooten.

She also shared that she is schedule to meet with the Walla Walla Health Department next week about environmental health to propose to keep the services in Columbia County using foundational health funding. She has been talking with Dayton area contractors about offering the services and will provide more information to the Board at a later time. Applications are currently being solicited to fill Board member positions and interviews will be scheduled for a meeting in the next few weeks.

Roughton closed with a comment of appreciation for local support of the changes at Public Health. “I just want to thank the community. We have had a great outreaching of support for Public Health and all of our changes, and it’s been fabulous.”