City advances in the process for WWTP

DAYTON-The City Council were informed of signed Wastewater Treatment Project (WWTP) purchase agreement, met new City Planner Clark Posey; voted in Heather Hiebert for Planning Commission; presented with the Just a Pool petition; report relating to Jasper Pines; and discussed interlocal agreement as the April 11 meeting.

Mayor Weatherford announced to Council that he had received the signed purchase agreement for the proposed property for the Wastewater Treatment Project. This allows the city to move forward in the process. He had met earlier on April 11 for the monthly meeting with the stakeholder agencies to review plans for next steps.

Weatherford also introduced new City Planner Clark Posey who came out of his recent retirement to work for the city part-time in the position. He had previously worked for the Columbia County in the Assessor's Office, as well as for Planning and Building before working for Benton County. In addition, the Mayor recommended Heather Hiebert for the Planning Commission who submitted a letter of interest. She had previously served on the Commission. The Council voted unanimously to appoint her.

Just a Pool Committee representative Chuck Beleny came before Council and the Mayor to present a copy of the petition to have placed on the November ballot the formation of the Columbia County Pool District. If approved and passed, the district would be funded by a vote of the people in the form of an excess levy no greater than 20 cents per $1000 of assessed property value.

The petition states that the district would be "formed for the sole purpose being limited to building and/or acquiring and maintaining and operating a District Pool" as per RCW 36.69.010. The district would be governed by a board of five elected commissioners to also be voted in. The petition has more than the required number of signatures to be presented for approval to be placed on the ballot. The district would also be able to apply for grants under the County Parks & Recreation.

Following investigation, the committee is recommending the pool be built at the site of the current dilapidated pool which would be allowable by the city. The next step is to present the petition to the Starbuck Council for approval along with the city before the petition is given to Auditor's Office to verify. Then it will be put before the County Commissioners during an advertised public hearing after which they will vote on it by resolution at a later meeting.

Mayor Weatherford told Council that they will be presented with a resolution on the matter at the next regular meeting on May 9.

In a closed record hearing Nicole Stickney from AHBL, Inc. provided findings of fact and conclusions of law from their report for the purpose of Council to approve the Jasper Pines Preliminary Plat on South Fifth Street. Property owners requested that two adjacent parcels be subdivided into six residential lots comprising of approximately four acres. Previously a public hearing was held followed by a review by the hearing examiner. Council approved unanimously the findings and the preliminary plat.

Councilman Dain Nysoe reported for the Finance Committee and said they have been discussing the impact the interlocal agreement with the County for law enforcement, dispatch and municipal services is having on the city budget since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) went from 1-2% to 4% and now this year is over 8%. When the agreement was reached the city agreed to pay 100% of the CPI. Councilman Kyle Anderson suggested they negotiate with the County to amend the agreement to put a cap on the CPI percent they pay to which the councilmembers agreed.