Library District still a topic for Dayton City Council

DAYTON — Mayor Roger Trump called the Dayton City Council workshop meeting to order at 3 p.m., February 20, 2024. Council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, Laura Aukerman, and Shannon McMillen met at City Hall.

The workshop agenda included discussing requests to change the golf cart policy, updating the code of ethics, and the relationship between the city and the rural library district.

The council discussed a request to change the golf cart policy, including the costs and liability of allowing the carts on city streets. The city has received three requests asking golf carts to be permitted on Dayton streets, including Main Street and the Touchet River bridge. The board and mayor tabled the issue.

The council reviewed the Council Rules of Procedures and Ethics handbook section by section. They made minor changes in wording and some small changes to the policy. One policy change allows council members to participate remotely in meetings with the mayor’s approval, no longer limited to once a year.

After the handbook review, McMunn apologized to the council for attempting to present data from a Neighbors United for Progress (NUP) pamphlet on the library issue at a city council workshop meeting. The accuracy of the data was not questioned; however, the pamphlet distributed by NUP may have crossed the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine. The mayor stopped McMunn from handing out the pamphlet at the earlier meeting; she promised to try and do better.

Discussion continued in response to Dayton resident Katie Roughton’s request that the city consider a ballot measure to allow city voters to decide on “de-annexing” from the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD.)

The mayor said he has had several discussions about the library. He said Public Works Director Ryan Paulson suggested that some citizens who were involved in establishing the rural library district with knowledge of the past attend a council workshop.

McMillen and Aukerman thought studying the issue further amounted to “beating a dead horse.” Su’euga said the council should wait until the state legislature passes reforms allowing city residents to vote on the rural district library issue.

After Proposition 2, the proposed ballot measure to dissolve the CCRLD was found unconstitutional in Columbia County Superior Court and taken off the ballot; SB 5824 was introduced in the legislature to improve the process and guarantee representation. The bill would make sure everyone who pays taxes in a rural district, including city residents, would have a vote regarding the district. It passed 49-0 in the Senate and is now in committee in the House.

Aukerman said Roughton’s request was not to hear the mayor and council’s opinions about the library, but she came to the council to ask for a re-vote on annexation from the people of the City of Dayton.”

Petras agreed with Aukerman’s statement.

Trump said they would have the workshop and vote on the ballot measure at the next regular city council meeting.

The Columbia County Parks and Recreation District has been approved by voters and established through resolution by the county. Trump said the city will prepare a resolution of support for the council’s approval at the next regular meeting.

The council adjourned around 4:30 p.m. The next regular meeting will be March 12 at 6 p.m. The date for the workshop meeting on the library district issue has not been announced.