Columbia County Commissioner
Incumbents Re-Elected

Dwight Robanske and Dick Jones both see improvements to the fairgrounds and jail as important issues to be addressed in 2009.

By Ken Graham

Columbia County voters re-elected incumbents Dwight Robanske (District 1) and Dick Jones (District 2) in November's general election. In the initial vote tally on election day, Robanske outpolled Tony Currin by 143 votes and Jones led Wanda Brooks by 239 votes. (See box) As Blue Mountain News was going to press, the Columbia County Auditor's office had 77 ballots left to count. Those ballots were to be counted and final results certified on November 25.

In separate interviews, Robanske and Jones both were asked what they saw as important issues facing the Board of Commissioners in 2009, and both first brought up the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The east grandstands have been closed this year due to safety concerns, and there are serious structural issues with both grandstands that need to be addressed. The Commissioners are also considering improvements to the pavilion, the youth building and the horse barns at the fairgrounds to allow for greater use of the facilities. "We have some big decisions to make about the fairgrounds," says Robanske, "and we'll be relying on the public to help us make those decisions."

Commissioner Jones is part of a committee that has been formed to review options for repair or replacement of the grandstands as well as possible improvements to other fairgrounds facilities. The committee is made up of representatives from all of the major users of the fairgrounds, including the Fair Board, the Dayton Days committee and the All Wheels Weekend committee. The County Engineer and representatives of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the County Auditor's and Treasurer's offices are also on the committee. Jones says that the fairgrounds committee will make recommendations to the full Board of Commissioners next year.

Another issue in front of the commissioners is the county jail, which is too small, outdated and doesn't allow housing of women. "It's costing us a lot of money to house prisoners in other counties," says Commissioner Jones. Jones also says that the local jail is deficient in terms of state jail requirements. In 2009, Jones expects the commissioners to be looking at potential funding options for construction of a new jail and law enforcement facility.

The Commissioners are also preparing to address space conflicts between District Court and Superior Court. "We really need a separate hearing room for District Court," says Jones. He says that there are many times when both courts need to hold sessions on the same day, but can't. Jones says that if the jail and Sheriff's office were moved to a location away from the courthouse, space would be freed up for a separate hearing room for the District Court.

We asked Commissioner Robanske if the recent decline in energy prices would have any effect on plans for construction of a natural gas-fired generating facility proposed for the Starbuck area. He told us that the prices hadn't affected those plans, but that the project is held up because of transmission line issues in the Columbia River Gorge area.

"There is a serious shortage of generating capacity in the Northwest now," says Robanske. "And the developers have told me that the Starbuck location is probably the best of any that they are looking at." Robanske says that it is likely that the new transmission capacity will be available within two or three years and that development of the Starbuck facility could begin shortly thereafter.

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