The late Mayor Roger Trump honored at city council meeting

DAYTON – Mayor Pro-Tem, Michael Smith, called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 PM, May 12, 2026. All the other council members were also present in the conference room: Shannon McMillen, James Su’euga, Glenn Hagfeldt, Kyle Anderson, Joann Patras, and Dave Harvey.

The meeting began with a moment of silence in honor and remembrance of the late Mayor, Roger Trump. Smith concluded the silence by remarking that Trump’s presence on the Council and in the City would be sorely missed.

Early in the meeting, the council disposed of a number of administrative items. Belinda Larsen, the Chamber of Commerce Director, gave a quick update on the Chamber’s activities. She mentioned Dayton Days on Memorial Day weekend, including good participation in the parade. For All Wheels Weekend, on Father’s Day, Larsen said entries were picking up. She said a new event, Valve Cover Races, would be added to the All Wheels event, but did not yet know the specifics. She said there will be Hot Wheels races for the kids and a car parts swap meet.

On the Fourth of July, Dayton will hold a celebration of the 250th Independence Day event in City Park. Vendors, live music, and a beer garden are planned. There will also be kid and adult games with prizes. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association will be passing through Dayton in August with a convoy of historic military vehicles.

Su’euga nominated Smith to serve as interim mayor, and Anderson seconded the motion. There were no other nominations. Hagfeldt pointed out that with Smith’s ascension to the position of Mayor, an empty seat on the council will need to be filled. Smith said the vacancy would be advertised and the council would interview and select a new Council Member. Smith was elected as Mayor unanimously.

With leadership established, the Council selected the Dayton Chronicle as the paper of record and authorized the auction of surplus property on the public surplus website.

Public Works Director Ryan Paulson reported that the re-striping project for Main Street will begin on 22 June 2026, with grinding of current markings scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, followed by painting of the new markings on Wednesday night.

Deb Hays, City Clerk, relayed a public records request received on 27 April 2026 from an inmate at Airway Heights Correctional Facility for the search history and internet use on all city-owned electronic devices from January 1, 2026, to April 27, 2026. The inmate has since requested additional data. The city’s attorney knows of at least three other cities that have received the same request from the incarcerated individual. The costs from the city’s Internet provider could be thousands of dollars, and the city wants to demand a down payment from the inmate.

After addressing the records request, the Council and staff discussed whether to appoint a Mayor Pro Tem before selecting a new council member. By acclamation, they decided to defer the decision until next month.

The Council and Paulson discussed the differences between bell presses and screw presses, which are two types of equipment used for dewatering solid waste in treatment plants. They considered factors such as efficiency, maintenance needs, and suitability for Dayton’s facility.

The meeting adjourned at 7:17 p.m.