Metropolitan park district question to go to voters

DAYTON-The Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution for a metropolitan park district to be placed on the November General Election ballot during their special meeting on July 25. They also heard a quarterly update the Chamber of Commerce and about vehicle needs for the Sheriff’s Office.

Resolution 2022-22 was approved for a ballot measure entitled Proposition No. 1 to establish a metropolitan park district, pending the approval of a matching resolution by the City of Dayton. The proposition will read: Columbia County and Dayton jointly propose creation of the Columbia County Joint Metropolitan Park District, governed by five at-large, elected commissioners, with boundaries coterminous with County and City, excluding portions in Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District and Starbuck. This would create a metropolitan park district with powers in Chapter 35.61 RCW, including, but not limited to, authority to levy general tax on property located within the district up to 75 cents per $1000 assessed value.

The purpose of the district is to qualify for grant funding to build a pool and have a tax district to fund the maintenance and operations. Other recreational needs can be funded through the district including ball fields, the parks, and the golf course.

Manager Belinda Larson of the Chamber of Commerce presented a quarterly report to the Commission and covered events and involvements such as the Chamber Banquet, Dayton Days, All Wheels, and Alumni Weekends, as well as hosting the childcare forum and writing letters of support for local efforts including the golf course irrigation project and returning horse racing to the fairgrounds.

Sheriff Joe Helm appealed to the Commissioners for the vehicle needs of the department. He stated they are supposed to have two vehicles traded in each year which did not happen last year or this year to date. Six of the current vehicles are at high mileage and have costly repair needs sometimes due to breakdowns.

He presented a lease option to previous Public Works Director Charles Eaton, but he never followed through. Helm re-presented a five-year lease option to the Commissioners that would allow for ten equipped patrol cars for $140,000 which is a little more than the cost of buying only two new vehicles each year. The County could buy out the vehicles for $1 each if they have low miles or trade them in at the end of the term.

Other area law enforcement departments use this option which also provides continuity between the vehicles. The County has been using an ER&R (Equipment Rental and Revolving) program to purchase and outfit the vehicles, and cover maintenance and fuel.

Currently there are four newer vehicles in the fleet so leasing less than the ten vehicles would save some money but would not provide the continuity.

Presently, there is only $60,000 for vehicles in the budget which does not cover the cost of one vehicle. Auditor Anne Higgins contributed that other costs such as insurance need to be considered about any option that is pursued. The Commissioners acknowledged that what they are doing now hasn’t been working and were in support of the pursuing the option.