Heibert selected to fill Dayton city council vacancy

DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met for a hybrid meeting on September 8, 2021.

Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm shared that 57 traffic tickets were written over the past month, 38 were within city limits. He said that a new deputy is currently going through his Field Training Officer (FTO) program and that he is doing well. He said that the department hopes to have the new deputy working on his own as soon as training is complete.

Sheriff Helm and County Prosecutor Dale Slack are currently planning town hall-style meetings, likely to be hosted at the Liberty Theater, to help explain the policing reform laws and the impact on how the Sheriff’s Office handles calls.

“We want to educate people and let them be aware of why we are responding to certain things and why we are no longer allowed to respond to other things so that we can get the community involved and make them aware of the safety concerns we have from sheriff’s office and the prosecutor’s office regarding these laws and how they will impact our community,” Helm said. Further information will be shared as it develops.

The sheriff’s office is currently working with Mayor Zac Weatherford to help solve animal control issues. Helm said that it is not necessary to deputize a city employee to enforce city ordinances. Deputizing an employee could create liability issues for the city and the sheriff’s office, he said.

“It would make a city employee my employee if I were to deputize them,” Helm explained. “I met with the prosecutor, and the mayor and he has been provided with a ticket book.”

City officials may enforce city ordinances. Mayor Weatherford added that he would train city employees on writing tickets for city ordinance infractions. Helm said that he could help with traffic violations as long as deputies were available.

Belinda Larson, Dayton Chamber of Commerce Director, asked the council to remove the motorcycle parking stalls on Main Street. She said that the motorcycle spaces are rarely used, and the space could be used to accommodate more cars in an effort to improve downtown parking.

Council members said that you cannot see around any large vehicles to safely pull onto Main Street from the side street, if they are parked in the dedicated motorcycle parking. Weatherford said that he would advise the council to consider removing the spaces as part of the Main Street Safety Plan.

Weatherford said that he received two letters of interest to fill the vacant council position left by Delphine Bailey, who resigned last month. After an executive session, the board selected Heather Hiebert to fill the position for the remainder of the term. The other applicant, Laura Auckerman, is on the ballot for the November 1 election.

Heather Hiebert has lived in Dayton since 1978 and operated a business for many years. She has served on the Planning Commission, and volunteers at the senior center.