Town, County approve Johnson House resolution

During the Tuesday, Aug. 21 Wahkiakum County Commissioners' meeting, Commissioner Dan Cothren had suggested demolishing the "Johnson House" on 80 Division St. Currently owned by Wahkiakum County, the Johnson House comes with an annual cost of $5,000. Following a back and forth between proponents and opponents to the Johnson House's demolition, Commissioner Lee Tischer granted the group supporting the edifice 30 days to develop a feasible plan to save the house.

During the Monday, Sept. 15 session of Cathlamet Town Council, several members of an organization named Wahkiakum Heritage: Engagement, Education and Legacy (WHEEL) presented Resolution 465-25. The design of this resolution was to "request Council support for the Heritage Campus Project at the Johnson House." The eight-section proposal, which included options for building and land, sponsoring groups, use of building and land, and proposed timelines impressed both Mayor David Olson and members of Town Council. "This is an incredible amount of work you've just done," said Olson to the representatives of WHEEL. "Really a phenomenal amount of work in framing this and providing context and in fleshing out the possibilities. I applaud you and I applaud everyone who's here to support this." Councilmember Laurel Waller described the proposal as being "so well prepared that it's scary."

The lengthy presentation given by WHEEL board members Megan Blackburn Friend, Ken Brewer, Dennis Doxtater, and Ron Wright consisted of funding and tourism strategies, including fundraising events like auctions, tours, and heritage dinners. The purpose of these suggestions was to stress the amount of revenue that could be generated from sales tax collected. Recognizing this as "an amazing opportunity for our community," Councilmember Crystal Baker said, " I know many of you are well aware of our budget issues right now. Our biggest source of income is actually sales tax, so having something that encourages more people to come here and spend more money is one of the easiest ways to get more money into our town and help us out with our budget."

A doubtful Councilmember Robert Stowe said of the proposal, "We don't own the property in question. The county owns it. They don't have the funding to do anything with it. Quite frankly, neither do we." Despite Stowe's reservation, the group's proposal was approved unanimously by Town Council with the intent of it being presented before the County Commissioners during their Tuesday, Sept. 16 meeting. Offering a more segmented presentation before the Commissioners during a workshop Tuesday, the group was met with opposition but, at the same time, bolstered with support. Among the dubious attendees of the County Commissioners meeting were resident Marshall Stowe, who described the Johnson House as "far past the point," and Commissioner Dan Cothren.

"These numbers that I've seen, and I've read this document two to three times just to find some good cause, but the whole thing is they're dream numbers," said Cothren. "I worry about these other entities out there because that is going to cost money. You've got a community that has a lot of folks that don't have the finances to be able to do that...I cannot support leases. I cannot support dream numbers."

A wave of encouraging comments in favor of the proposal came from attendees like Puget Island Gardens Owner Gene O'Neill, who, noting the effort being put in by WHEEL, said, "Please don't dismiss the sweat equity that the heart of a volunteer can bring back to a home." Representing Town Council, Councilmember Joe Baker said, "When I first read the proposal, I was incredibly skeptical... After seeing the proposal presented to us and listening to the passion, I'm 100 percent for this."

Pioneer Community Association Board Member Suzanne Holmes reminded those in attendance "a small group of people very similar to this" came together to save the Pioneer Center years back and brandished the plaque acknowledging the volunteers for their efforts.

After both sides presented their arguments, Commissioner Lee Tischer noted he "understands Dan's frustration," referring to Cothren. Still, Tischer, before motioning to approve WHEEL's request, said, "Our motion was for this group to come to us with a proposal that could possibly work, and the effort and time that they've put into this is something we have not seen around here in years. I truly believe that we can keep the best interests of the County and this group in place to come up with a lease agreement where we can make a little revenue off of it plus help our community thrive."

Seconding Tischer's motion, Commissioner Gene Strong represented the only other assenting votes, as Cothren manifested his doubts with a dissenting vote. The motion passed 2-1. "I'd be willing to work with (attorney) Dan Bigelow and this group to see if we can make something work," said Tischer. "Maybe it will not happen but at least we'll give it a heck of a shot."

Following the vote, Commissioner Strong said, "I would expect something back in October so we can take a look at this."