Dayton City Council Update

DAYTON—City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford presented the 2020 Preliminary Budget at last week’s city council meeting. The proposed budget for 2020 is $7,058,033 million, which is .3 percent less than the 2019 proposed budget.

He said the budget for 2020 includes a 1% increase in the regular property tax levy, in the amount of $4,201.21. Chris Mills, the County Assessor will be at the next city council meeting on Nov. 20, to address questions about the proposed one percent tax increase.

A final hearing for the Preliminary 2020 Budget will take place on Dec. 4.

The budget can be viewed on the city’s website at: http://www.daytonwa.com, under City News

Mayor Weatherford also said representatives from the Department of Ecology will be at the December 4 city council meeting, to discuss the city’s wastewater permit status and what progress has been made regarding upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

The Public Safety Committee has been working to address fireworks issues, and Dain Nysoe talked about a proposed change for when it is legal to discharge common fireworks within city limits. These dates are: June 28, from noon until 11 p.m., June 29 through July 3, from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Dec. 27 through Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Nysoe also talked about the responsibility for cleaning up after discharging fireworks.

‘It’s not the city’s responsibility to clean up your mess. It’s your responsibility as a conscientious and responsible fireworks officianado, so to speak,” he said.

He also talked about the problematic compost recycling truck parked on S. 4th St.

“My understanding is the vehicle in question has agreed to move,” he said. “It still raises the question as to where the appropriate place is to park a tractor and trailer on city streets.”

Nysoe said the city is going to be looking into that question, to see if a reasonable solution can be found.

Mayor Weatherford said the city is working on nuisance and safety issues and will continue to work with other offices to address issues of this type.

Misty Yost said a smoke test will be conducted on the west side of town, to locate a missing storm drain. Residents living in that area will be notified of the test, which will take place in the next couple of months.

Yost said Basin Disposal, Inc. will pick up bagged leaves, on Nov. 18, 25, and on Dec. 2. Bags should not be overfull, and they should be placed in the alley, or next to the curb, but not in the street.

Public Works Director Jim Costello said, “We’re having a problem with people dumping cooking grease in the sewer lines. Please don’t do that. It causes all kinds of chaos.”

Costello said his crew saw cooking grease, oils, fats and paints coming through a manhole, recently.

He also cautioned against using toilets for garbage disposal.

Sheriff Joe Helm said Municipal District court cases were up 61 percent, over last year at the same time, and up by 25 percent, in the Prosecutor’s Office, over the same time last year.

Volunteers are still needed at the Sheriff’s Office, and for the Search and Rescue Program. Helm said he is considering adding a new program, much like the Neighborhood Watch Program.

Helm said the Sheriff’s Office will add two more deputies to the payroll in December, and the Citizens Academy will begin, again, in February or March.

His office has been asked to address speeding on Main Street, and they are ticketing local people as well as people from out of town.

“So just understand, that give or take, we are trying to do the best that we can,” he said.

Helm also wants people to know the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t dictate who gets out of jail or who stays in jail.

“That’s out of our authority. We have no control over that,” he said.

“If you have any questions or concerns please come to the Sheriff’s Office,” Helm said. “My door is open.”

Planning Director Meagan Bailey said adding Parks and Recreation Planning to the duties of the Planning Commission is likely. She said there is still one vacancy on the Planning Commission.

Bailey said the Dayton Historic Preservation Commission has submitted a grant for a sign designating Main Street as a historic district.

She also said the Cities of Dayton, Walla Walla, College Place and Waitsburg have been awarded a $110,000 grant through the Dept. of Commerce, to develop an Affordable Housing Action Plan.

She said the next step is to get a consultant on board to create the Plan.

Bailey told the council not to look for any quick movement by the Affordable Housing Commission.

“We are starting from ground zero,” she said.

Five people will serve on the commission, but it only takes three to have a quorum, which will get the commission going, she said.

Dain Nysoe was elected by the city council to Chair the Affordable Housing Commission.

The City Council also adopted a resolution declaring intent to adopt legislation to authorize a sales and use tax for Affordable and Supportive Housing.

Bailey said this does not increase the sales tax for Dayton’s residents, but it allows the city to retain some of the existing sales and use tax, the state gets, which will be used for acquiring, rehabilitating, or constructing affordable housing.

Funding must be spent on projects that serve people whose income is at, or below, 60 percent of the area median income.

Bailey said, “For us, we are able to retain $5,144 every year.”

Walla Walla County and Columbia County are both in the process of adopting this local revenue sharing program.

The City of Dayton 2019 Comprehensive Plan Update and its docketing provisions were approved by the city council at last week’s meeting.

City Administrator Trina Cole said, “It is very important that the community as a whole read it, because it is really the guiding tool moving forward.”