Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON-A public hearing was held on November 10 to review the Port of Columbia 2022 Budget with Commissioners and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson.

The beginning reserve listed is $100,000 and the beginning cash balance is $225,000. Total projected revenues are $817,865 plus $2,475,000 in grants and loans. Total projected expenses (with the $2 million broadband project funded by the grant and matching funds) is $3,368,328 with an ending reserve anticipated at $249,537. Following the hearing during the regular meeting, the budget was approved.

Dickinson updated commissioners on a new short-term lease with Columbia Pulp for space for preliminary research and development of products using the by-products of the pulp waste such as livestock bedding, soil amendments including possible pelletizing. If successful, Columbia Pulp will build a facility of its own out at the plant. Also discussed was reinstating the late fee policy beginning December 1 that was suspended early in the pandemic.

Additionally, the meeting format was revisited and Dickinson told the commissioners that she was waiting to learn the official capacity of the Port's small conference room. Commissioner Sean Milligan suggested a hybrid format where in-person attendance is limited but the meeting is still held by Zoom. He asked what criteria the others are looking for to go back to hybrid or in-person meetings. Commissioner Genie Crowe gave the condition if the numbers remain low and Milligan added when the mask mandate is lifted. They decided to continue holding meetings by Zoom for the time being.

Updates on Port assets included one of the tenants at the one of the Rock Hill Industrial Park Cameron Street spaces, Boe Stevenson is moving his graphic design business to Main Street to where the Village Shoppes was previously. Locally Nourished will also be moving from their current Main Street location to share that space. Another tenant is already planning on coming into the Port space that Stevenson is vacating. Dickinson said that two tenants at Blue Mountain Station plan to extend their leases but voiced concern about community social media posts being perceived as discouraging business at the Blue Mountain Station. She appealed for the public to support all of the Dayton and local businesses.

The Columbia-Walla Walla Railway (CWW) has cleaned up along the tracks between Waitsburg and Dayton including weeds, branches, debris and trash particularly where it runs by Commercial Street. An issue was raised of a mobile home being placed illegally in the right-of-way of the rail line by a resident living adjacent to the tracks in town after they placed a new home on their lot. When approached about moving it, the residents didn't comply. The Port is responsible because of the home being in the right-of-way and will be forced to take legal action if it is not moved.

The Port also recently met with the Port of Walla Walla to gauge their interest in the making a rail connection to Port Kelley along with Columbia River in their county for the CWW Railway to have access. Dickinson said that the Port of Walla Walla Commissioners were not interested in the rail line there and that there are too many obstacles to making that connection. Without this connection, in addition to the maintenance needs of the rail in Columbia County which would allow rail cars to move at a higher speed, it limits the grain growers' use of rail for shipping who are sometimes using trucks for faster transport instead. With limited revenue, the high cost of maintaining the tracks in Columbia County is not feasible for the Port and according to Dickinson, CWW Rail Operator Paul Didelius says he wants to continue to operate on the rail line and will pursue funding for infrastructure maintenance to keep it up.

Business start-up grants given by the Innovia Foundation and dispersed through the Port have funded four community businesses, reported Dickinson. The most recent recipients are Troy and Laura Aukerman for Annie's Attic, a restaurant opening on Main Street and another for the Starbuck Lodge which will offer lodging and cabin rentals just outside of Starbuck. Dickinson said there is still $5000 available, but she suspects that money will get used and plans to ask for additional grant money from Innovia.

An update on the Broadband project was given and Dickinson told the Commissioners because she is still waiting to learn from the County if they will be contributing to the matching funds requirement for the grant, she will begin pursuing the match money elsewhere. The Port is working out a contract with PacifiCorp for use of their poles for attaching the fiber optic cable including an agreement with the Port insurance company and letter of assurance of $155,000 designated for any pole repairs related to Port use.

Anderson Perry continues to work out a congestion issue along Commercial Street for the Touchet Valley Trail design and different options are being considered. One of the more recent options is to move the trail to the south side of the tracks which would then not include the much needed but expensive rebuilding of Commercial Street, but would allow connection to the Smith Hallow Schoolhouse. Previously, another option given was to move the trail along Main Street for that section. Proposed plans are expected next month from Anderson Perry. Dickinson said they are also still finalizing the survey along the track for clear knowledge of property and right-of-way boundaries.

Dickinson told the Commissioners, "I'm working on a committee that is made up of the Hospital District, YWCA, the Early Learning Coalition from Walla Walla and the Educational Service District 123. We're trying to put together a proposal for $1 million to the Department of Commerce. They have what's called an Early Learning Facility Grant Program to construct a childcare facility."

Dickinson went on to tell them that the old Christian Church was considered because it's right across from the school, but it was determined after an assessment that the property needs were too great a cost at an estimated $1.9 million with $400,000 needed alone to shore up the roof. The committee is looking at other options including using vacant Port land in front of the existing Blue Mountain Station buildings. This location would provide a convenient location for residents from Waitsburg since they are also facing no daycare options.

Another working idea that came after meeting with the Friends of the Dayton Community Pool was using a portion of the City Park between the ball fields and the fishing pond. This would provide a convenient location close to the schools and hospital. One of the committee members plan to approach the City about use of the property. Dickinson reminded the Commissioners, "In the long term, the hospital will own the daycare center, the YWCA will operate it, and the reason we're involved is because businesses cannot find employees and one of the reasons is because there is no childcare."

The Port plans to prepare a draft bare land lease which would provide the required site control for the project if it were to be on Port property and including a letter of support from the Port. Commissioner Shawn Brown said, "Childcare is not something that normally you would think of with the Port, but with Columbia County and what we're definitely hearing from businesses that want to relocate here and businesses that are hiring–the hospital is involved because it's impeding their ability to hire and retain staff...It's meeting an economic development bottleneck and giving us a way to deal with it." Dickinson added, "This would be different than the daycares that were in homes because this would have longer hours so it could serve the people that are working in healthcare." The other commissioners offered their support for the Port's involvement.

The next meeting will be held by Zoom on December 8.