Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Over 70 auto carriers or autoracks are being stored by Columbia Rail, the operator that leases the Columbia Walla Walla railroad from the Port of Columbia. Shortly after these cars appeared on the track between Waitsburg and Prescott, posts on the facebook page Waitsburg In the Know began to appear from people concerned about their use. Port Director Dickinson posted on the page, explaining that Columbia Rail, the operator that leases the railroad from the port, is temporarily storing the cars while they are repaired. She and the operator asked the public to stay away from the cars as it is unsafe. It is also private property and unlawful to trespass on the property.
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at the port's office on May 7, 2024. Commissioners present were Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson.
During the first public comment period, Teeny McMunn thanked the port for its assistance in the community-wide flea market held at the fairgrounds over the weekend.
The commissioners handled several administrative items, including the budget report and vouchers. There were no new leases to discuss.
Dickinson said she had submitted the Recreation and Conservation (RCO) grant application for improvements to Lyon's Ferry Marina. RCO will do a technical review and have a Zoom meeting with the port to show how the application can be strengthened. There are several presentations and reviews before the decision. Dickinson shared the list of grant applicants, which she described as substantial. However, she has heard that the RCO is looking to work with applications from Eastern Washington.
She will discuss the application with the board once it has been reviewed by the technical review by the RCO.
Dickinson and Phil will present a grant proposal for the Mainstem Malt/Grain Cluster project to the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) on May 12, 2024. CERB's funding decision should be announced on the same day as the presentation.
Glass recycling has begun at BMS. Dickenson thanked Dave Harvey for his work on the project. She said the public had expressed support.
There still has not been an appraisal on the railway property. Dickinson addressed seventy-seven car-haulers parked on the CWW Railroad tracks. Eventually, there will be 127 cars stored on the track. The operator is renting out the rails for the cars' storage. This is a common practice for rail operators as a supplemental income source.
The Dayton and Touchet Valley Broadband projects are very close to being closed. The latter will add about sixty more customers to the broadband.
Charter will pay for damage sustained at a trailer park in Dayton. A garbage truck snagged a line that was left dangling by installers.
The port received a $10,000 grant from the State of Washington Tourism to promote tourism in the county through rural marketing, production, content development, and digital assets.
Spring reported on the Dayton Development Task Force, which held a meeting on April 24, 2024. He said ten volunteers participated in the city spring cleanup, which included sprucing up the Sacajawea statue. He also said the Chamber of Commerce is investigating obtaining a portable stage for community events. Downtown Trees is still actively trying to choose a type of tree to plant on Main Street. There is also a project underway to put QR codes on historic downtown buildings, which can be scanned to read the history of each building.
The meeting broke for an executive session to discuss possible litigation with the port's attorney, with no action expected.
The next port commissioners' meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on June 12, 2024, at Lyon's Ferry Marina and on Zoom.
Reader Comments(0)