During the Mossyrock City Council meeting last Wednesday, Aug. 20, Mossyrock Mayor Randall Sasser announced there is now a vacancy on the council following the resignation of Councilor Craig Byrum due to health issues on Aug. 3.
Also discussed were recent instances of local youths in the community getting in trouble with law enforcement after one stole a local resident's tractor and took it for a joy ride and three other children vandalized school buildings in the Mossyrock School District.
After being appointed to the council to fill a vacancy himself, Byrum had been re-elected in 2021 and was in the last year of his four-year term.
Per state law, the city council has 90 days to appoint Byrum’s replacement on the council following the date of his resignation, at which point the Board of Lewis County Commissioners is required to step in and appoint someone qualified to fill the vacancy.
Currently, Mossyrock staff are accepting letters of intent from any Mossyrock resident who has lived within city limits for at least one year and is a registered voter.
Letters will be reviewed by the council, which will then hold a public interview process before selecting an appointee to serve out the remainder of Byrum’s term.
Along with the current council vacancy, the Mossyrock Planning Commission still has multiple vacancies, according to Planning Commission Chair Marcia Manley.
Currently, the planning commission has three members, but can have up to seven total. Manley is looking for at least two more members.
The Mossyrock Planning Commission meets on the second Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. at the Mossyrock Community Center, located at 219 E. State St. in Mossyrock. Commission members review, discuss and make recommendations to the city council pertaining to development proposals, zoning issues and long-range planning projects.
Those interested in serving must live within the 98546 ZIP code in the Mossyrock area. Applicants can submit a letter of interest at Mossyrock City Hall, located at 231 E. State St. in Mossyrock.
Youth problems
As for the youth problems, Sasser explained both had just recently happened.
“A couple nights ago, some kids broke a bunch of windows out at the school and vandalized it. They got the one boy, and they got the names of the other two,” Sasser said. “And according to what (Morton Police) Chief (Cole Cournyer) told me, it could be a class 1 or class 2 felony because of the dollar value. It’s a big deal.”
As for the tractor thief, stealing the tractor wasn’t the only crime committed either, as another local youth broke into a private residence, stole the tractor, took it on a joy ride going through the U.S. Highway 12 underpass connecting Mossyrock Road West and Degoede Drive and continued driving it even after breaking the rear axle.
The City of Mossyrock currently contracts with the neighboring Morton Police Department to provide emergency response services.
Though Cournyer was unable to attend last Wednesday’s meeting with his department facing ongoing staffing shortages, Sasser vocalized concerns about not just the local youths who got in trouble with the law recently, but with society’s overall attitude toward law enforcement and authority in general.
“I believe at this point in time in our society, where we are with the government and stuff … Nobody respects the police anymore. They just do what they want, and nobody is holding them accountable,” Sasser said.
He added the youth who stole the tractor was only in jail for one night following the joy ride and had been released already despite having a history of run-ins with the law already.
The issue goes beyond just youth lacking respect for authority, as Sasser added he frequently observes adults ignoring stop signs and committing other traffic violations outside of his business, Mossyrock Auto Value.
“I’m just frustrated with this. I think it’s because the laws that we have and the judges that we have, make things so that nobody is being held accountable,” Sasser said. “... I see something happening in front of my store, somebody is going to get hurt really bad some day. People parked on the wrong side, trying to make a u-turn as people are coming down State Street to take a right down Williams.”
He added speeding is also an issue, especially in front of the Mossyrock School District on Williams Street.
Mossyrock City Attorney Marissa Jay suggested city staff look into possibly installing speed cameras on Williams Street.
“They’re allowed in front of schools and certain parks. They’re kind of expensive, but they almost always pay for themselves,” Jay said.
“I would love to be able to do something like that,” Sasser added.
