Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–The Port of Columbia will conduct a public information meeting about the Touchet Valley Trail via Zoom webinar on Monday, April 26 at 5:30-7:30 p.m. The meeting is to share research findings with the public and review the thirty percent design drawings. It is not a public hearing, and no decisions will be made at the meeting.

Beginning April 13, the 30% design drawings can be previewed, questions and comments can be submitted, and the live webinar link will be posted on the Port's website at http://www.portofcolumbia.org.

The comment portal will remain open through May 12, and a recording of the webinar will be posted there after the meeting. Citizens will be welcome to make an appointment after April 26 to view the recording in our Port conference room if internet or computer access is an issue.

"A great deal of work has been done by our design consultant and local stakeholders to conduct research and gather information for this meeting," stated Earle Marvin, chair of the Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners. "This webinar is where you will hear the most accurate information about the proposed trail, and I encourage everyone to join if you can."

Items that will be covered in the presentation include:

• Reasons for building a trail, including a preliminary economic impact analysis, and trail background information.

• 30% Design Drawings–preliminary drawings of the trail and its location in the railroad right of way will be shown on the screen and described by the consultant, Anderson Perry and Associates.

The Port of Columbia's mission is to maximize public resources and private investment to

create jobs, provide infrastructure, and maintain and improve the economic vitality of

Columbia County and its communities.

• Results of surveying and property ownership research through title records and deeds.

• Results of research conducted on concerns raised by citizens at previous meetings, through comments, letters to the editor, etc., such as agricultural spraying, safety of a trail along a working railroad and near a highway, homelessness, trespassing, etc.

• Maintenance research results and a preliminary maintenance plan

• Operations and maintenance of existing trails in eastern Washington. Representatives from the Centennial Trail (Spokane–Coeur d'Alene) and the Bill Chipman Trail (Pullman-Moscow) will be in attendance to share their experiences with trails in their communities.

• Public Safety–hear from the Whitman County Sheriff's Department on their experience with public safety along the Bill Chipman Trail, and the Columbia County Sheriff's office regarding local resources.

-Submitted photo

A question-and-answer (Q&A) period will be held at the end of the presentation. Questions can be submitted in writing through the Q&A function during the webinar. Instructions on how to use the Q&A function will be provided during the meeting and will be answered live during the meeting if possible. However, if a question requires a more complex response, it will be answered in writing on the Port's website after the meeting. Questions can also be submitted through the portal on the Port's website prior to the meeting.

All are encouraged to attend, and no registration or password to join the meeting is required. The webinar link is http://bit.ly/TrailZoom . To join the meeting, click on the TrailZoom link just prior to the meeting.

Please call the Port office at 382-2577 ahead of the meeting date if you need assistance in learning how to join the meeting.