Board of County Commissioners Report

DAYTON—At last week’s city council meeting the Friends of the Community Center President Vicki Zoller spoke about the importance of getting a community center/pool or pool feasibility study done.

She said there is much that is beyond the scope of the community’s understanding and knowledge that a feasibility study can help with.

“There’s just a lot that we need to know that will come from the professionals,” Zoller said.

A feasibility study can provide information about how programs and events can bring dollars in to offset costs, along with providing information about maintaining and operating the facility.

Zoller’s organization has reached out to Schemata Workshop, in Seattle, for a feasibility study cost estimate. The cost for them to do it is $60,000.00, and they are willing to do it in a piecemeal fashion, as soon as funds are available, she said.

She said the community will be surveyed about what is wanted, and how they want funds to be allocated.

“We all want different things. This will help narrow the focus and establish what is really needed,” she said.

“Our goal is to keep the community stakeholder costs down to as low dollar amount as possible and have the pool and the community center be more self-funding,” Zoller said.

She said her organization has $8,000 in the bank and will begin fundraising efforts this spring with a raffle in May, and fundraising events for youth to participate in, throughout the summer.

The Friends of the Community Center is currently seeking a $20,000 Wildhorse Foundation grant, and they are looking into some USDA grants.

Zoller said grants are harder to obtain without first having a feasibility study in place.

Grant raising efforts for summer swimming at the Prescott Pool have been successful, allowing summer program youth and youth enrolled at the Club, along with people living in Dayton, to swim, free of charge, and to use a Columbia County Transportation van to travel to Prescott, free of charge.

Left over funds from last year’s swim programs will help with swimming at the Prescott pool next summer, she said.

The City’s Finance Committee discussed going out for a bond to pay for the pool and City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford was authorized last week to sign an engagement letter with D.A. Davidson, to look into several options for their consideration.

City Administrator Trina Cole said, “No costs are associated with it, unless we move forward with a plan to put a bond out to the people, and then there would be.”

Also, at last week’s council meeting, the council authorized an ordinance setting limitations on when, and where, fireworks can be set off, within city limits. The ordinance will go into effect by New Year’s Eve, 2020.

Fireworks can only be set off on June 28, from noon to 11 p.m., and on June 29, through July 3, from 9-11 p.m. and on July 4 from 9 a.m. until 12 a.m. on July 5.

On Dec. 31, 2020 fireworks can only be set off from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Jan 1.

“We’re not allowing fireworks on any of the streets in the City of Dayton,” Nysoe said.

In other words, fireworks will not be allowed in the lane of traffic, and people will need to clean up afterwards because of the city’s ordinance regarding litter.

Nysoe said the Affordable Housing Commission is seeking members and those interested in serving on the commission can contact Meagan Bailey at the City Hall.

The City’s Public Works Committee discussed cleaning the culverts and replacing the rip rap on the river dyke, and having A/P & Associates prepare an engineering document at a cost of $38,000.00

A vacant lot on E. Patit St. has been donated to the city and possible uses are a pocket park with raised beds for gardening.

Before they adjourned, the council authorized a municipal services contract for lodging and tax funded activities and events with the Dayton Chamber.