The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—City Administrator Trina Cole provided the Dayton City Council with an update about the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) project at last week’s council meeting.

“We are moving forward with constructed wetlands,” Cole said.

She said while it seems like progress is slow, the City and its partners; Anderson/Perry & Associates, the Confederate Indian Tribes of the Umatilla, Washington Water Trust, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Dept. of Ecology continue to work on the project.

The City has run into some conservation easement challenges on property west of town that is being considered for the WWTP project but continues to look for other property for the project.

Cole said the WWTP project could move more quickly as soon as there is complete buy-in from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

She said Rep. Skyler Rude was at their meeting last week and has expressed his support for the project.

Cole also reported:

• Construction on the Electric Vehicle Charging Station to be located at Caboose Park will begin in six or eight weeks.

• The City has entered the 60-day scoping period with FEMA for flood-related damages to City property.

• The City is working on a work order with the County to remove woody debris from the Touchet River.

• The City is also working to have rock sediment removed from the Touchet River. Cole said the permitting process with FEMA is lengthy.

• The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers levee rehabilitation project will be awarded this week. Construction will begin in November with completion before Dec. 31.

• The City will move forward with an application for flood hazard mitigation studies of the Touchet River and Patit Creek.

• The South Third Street Sidewalk project will begin the week of Sept. 14.

Mayor Zac Weatherford reported the City would be working on Phase 3 of the irrigation project at Pietrzycki City park, in October.

He met with an official from the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife regarding a cougar siting inside city limits. Officials tried to locate the cougar with dogs, but they were unsuccessful.

A note from a city resident said the city cemetery looks better than ever before, thanks to City staff.

Attorneys for the City and for the County are reaching out to mediators for help with negotiations of the Interlocal Agreement for Law Enforcement, Dispatch, District Court services, which has stalled.

The Dayton Chamber is working on a Shop Local campaign, and banners purchased by the Dayton Development Task Force will be located on Main Street.

Brix and Brew will be a virtual fundraiser for the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, this year, taking place on Nov. 6.

The following was approved at last week’s meeting of the Dayton City Council:

Resolution No. 1434; Columbia County/City of Dayton temporary construction easements relating to the Army Corps of Engineers' Touchet River Levee Rehabilitation project, water intake segment.

Resolution No. 1435; Granting Columbia County permanent right of way easements for the sole purpose of flood control related projects; accepting right of way permanent right of way easement from Columbia County for the sole purpose of flood control related projects, associated with the Touchet River Levee system.

Resolution No. 1436; Authorizing the Mayor to execute a right of way agreement with Columbia County for County flood control projects, for a portion of the levee close to the wastewater treatment plant.

Resolution No. 1438; Authorizing Anderson/Perry & Associates, Inc. Task Order for engineering and project management services relating to the North Front Street Bridge repairs, for damages to the guardrail from a motor vehicle accident.

Resolution No. 1439; Authorizing Anderson/Perry & Associates, Inc. Task Order for engineering and project management services relating to the Flood of 2020, for the Wastewater Treatment Plant repairs project. FEMA requires a 25-percent match from the City.

The Dayton City Council also considered and approved Ordinance No. 1966, authorizing the City Administrator to enter into bond purchase contracts for the issuance of the City’s water and wastewater revenue refunding bonds.

Cole said the ordinance allows the City to move forward to refund the 2004, 2004 A, 201 and 2017, outstanding water and sewer bonds. The bonds which will be reissued have an aggregate principal amount of not more than 3.5 million. The current amount for outstanding sewer and water service revenue bonds is about 3.489 million. There will be a savings of $699,000, savings over a 26-year period, because of a lower interest rate, she said.

The $25,000 attorney fee is included in the price of the loan. This has been discussed and approved by the Finance Committee.