Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Sunday’s Tribune.

RIGGINS — Should a taxing district be formed to support ambulance service to the Riggins area? Prior to that question being brought before the voters in the May 17 primary elections, those who reside within the proposed district have the opportunity to speak on the matter at a public hearing set for Tuesday.

As part of the Idaho County Commission’s Tuesday meeting, the hearing will be held in the District Court room at the Idaho County Courthouse in Grangeville, starting at 1 p.m.

“The purpose is to determine whether or not this will be placed on the ballot,” said Idaho County Clerk Kathy Ackerman. “The commissioners will listen to those who are for and against, and then make a decision, either yes this will move forward or no it doesn’t.”

The hearing is open for the public to attend; however, only those taxpayers who reside within the boundaries of the proposed district may offer testimony. Those testifying will be given three minutes, and they may speak on issues regarding district organization, its proposed boundaries, and the including or excluding of real property therein or therefrom.

To determine district residency, a map is available for view at the Idaho County Clerk’s Office in Grangeville. As well, a legal notice is required to be published for three weeks; this is in this issue of the Idaho County Free Press and provides legal descriptions of the proposed district boundaries.

If approved by the commission, the district question will be on the May 17 ballot, with a simple majority required for approval.

What has led to the proposed district is insufficient EMT staffing for Riggins Ambulance, which threatens local emergency medical service response.

“There aren’t enough licensed volunteer EMTs to cover our ambulance 24/7 while maintaining jobs elsewhere,” said Riggins EMS director Cody Killmar in a one-page letter mailed out to Riggins area residences regarding the problem, as well as the information concerning the proposed district. “Riggins EMS has been blessed to rely on volunteers since the beginning, but that is changing fast.”

Killmar outlined the process of classes and testing needed to become a licensed EMT, noting the dedication and hard work required to complete it, and the lack of compensation for first responders that make it difficult to leave full-time jobs to respond to an ambulance call.

“There are a lot of days we are struggling to fill a shift with one EMT,” Killmar wrote. “What does this mean if we get two 911 calls at one time? Each call averages three hours from start to finish because our hospitals are so far away from Riggins. That’s a lot of time to not have medical coverage in our canyon.”

According to Killmar, the Riggins ambulance is responsible for a 932-square-mile area. In 2021, it resonded to 81 more 911 calls than it did in 2020, “and 2022 is already showing a very large jump in patient contacts. We can’t keep going at this rate and take care of our community.”

As proposed, an ambulance district would assess taxpayers to provide even compensation for first responders, ensuring an ambulance is staffed and available 24/7 for emergency response. To do this, property owners within the district would see a 0.04% increase on their county taxes. An example explained in the letter said if an owner’s assessed property value (not appraised value) is listed at $100,000, that person’s ambulance dues would be $40 a year.

A prerequisite to formalized before a district could be formed, the City of Riggins passed a resolution on Jan. 12, deeming this a matter of public interest and giving consent to participate in the proposed Salmon River Ambulance District.

Proposals for establishing new taxing districts within Idaho County is uncommon, but attempts — and a few successes — have been achieved. The last proposal was creation of a taxing district for the Ridge Runner Fire Department, which voters defeated in 2018. Successfully formed proposals were the Harpster Fire District (in 2007), Clearwater Water District (2008) and the White Bird Recreation District (2014).

If the ambulance district were to be approved by the commission to go on the May ballot, Ackerman explained that — as per Idaho code — only those who physically reside within the proposed boundaries, and who are also registered voters, would be eligible to vote on the matter.

— David Rauzi, Idaho County Free Press, (Grangeville), Wednesday

Creditors obtain judgment against Columbia Pulp

DAYTON, Wash. — Columbia Pulp I LLC, which announced Feb. 11 that operations at its innovative straw-pulp plant near Lyons Ferry would go “idle” on Feb. 18, was handed a $758,490 default judgment in Columbia County Superior Court on Dec. 16, 2021.

Questions concerning the circumstances that lead or contributed to the two contractors not receiving payment, and why Columbia Pulp I LLC (CPI) did not appear or have an attorney appear in answer to the lawsuit were not responded to by Interim CEO Terry Ryan.

According to court records, construction contractor DKB Inc. of Pasco, and electrical contractor Power City Electric Inc. of Spokane, filed a lawsuit in December 2020, seeking a lien foreclosure, and alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment due to unpaid compensation for their services and materials. A third company was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, however, its lien documentation was not “perfected” in the required time and its claim was dismissed.

Columbia Pulp I LLC failed to appear, plead or otherwise respond to DKB Inc.’s complaint and Power City’s crossclaim, court documents indicate. At an Oct. 21, 2021 hearing on the matter, the judgment debtor did not appear in person or by counsel.

Superior Court Judge Brooke J. Burns ordered the sale of Columbia Pulp I, LLC’s real property at 1351 Highway 261, Dayton, Wash., through a sheriff’s sale. The legal notice pertaining to the ordered sheriff’s sale begins publication this week in the Dayton Chronicle.

The Dayton Chronicle directed several questions to Ryan, including the question of the company’s immediate plans. “As it relates to the foreclosure questions, we don’t normally respond to legal matters,” Ryan replied in an email. “However, we would note that we continue to work with our primary senior secured creditors on options for the business going forward.”

When the company announced plans to idle production in February, they estimated approximately 80 employees at the Dayton headquarters and Starbuck-area plant would be affected. “The Company continues to maintain a staff at its Lyons Ferry site, and we expect to maintain our Dayton office,” Ryan said this week. “With our current staff levels, we anticipate continuing to manufacture products used in customer trials in an effort to develop alternative fiber grades in this market while we evaluate our strategic options.”

Ryan stated that CPI has no plans to exit the Port of Garfield facility in Pomeroy. “We will continue to evaluate opportunities to support our customers with that space,” Ryan said.

Columbia Pulp I, LLC’s responsibility for unprocessed straw or obligations to companies or individuals in Columbia County and neighboring counties who sell straw to the pulp plant were touched on by Ryan. “In light of our current production levels,” he replied, “we may or may not opt to sell our wheat straw material. This is based on the needs of the facility, the harvest year of the straw and the market dynamic of wheat straw demand.”

From the proceeds of the sale, DKB Inc. is to receive $660,200.21 in the principal judgement amount, $8,010 in attorney’s fees, $1,995.84 for costs, for a total of $670,206.05. Post-judgment interest was ordered to be 12% on the Principal Judgment and a like percentage on attorney’s fees and costs. DKB Inc. is represented by Spokane attorney John H. Guin.

Power City Electric Inc. is to receive $70,193.30 in principal judgment, $13,760.18 in interest to the date of judgment, $3,964.50 in attorney’s fees and $366.94 in costs, for a total of $88,284.92. Richard D. Campbell of Campbell & Bissell PLLC of Spokane represented Power City Electric.

DKB Inc. recorded a claim of lien on April 24, 2020, the last day services, labor, materials and supplies were furnished to Columbia Pulp I LLC. In its suit filed later in December 2020, DKB Inc. asserted that Columbia Pulp I LLC breached its contractual obligations by failing to pay for work performed, and that CPI was allegedly unjustly enriched by the “fruits of DKB’s services, labor and materials without fully compensating” DKB, Inc.

Pacific Civil & Infrastructure Inc. of Tacoma was also named in court documents as recording a lien against CPI on Nov. 23, 2020, but Pacific Civil & Infrastructure did not perfect its claim in the required time and its lien no longer bound the property.

Proceeds of the sheriff’s sale shall be distributed on a pro rate basis to DKB and Power City until Power City’s total judgment is satisfied, the court ordered. After that, remaining proceeds shall be remitted to DKB until its total judgment is satisfied. Any deficiency in remittances shall remain as a judgment against CPI, the court document indicated.

Power City and Pacific Civil were both listed as defendants in initial court filings. Power City filed a cross claim.

The court document also named John Does 1-10 as defendants.

The company’s corporate offices are located at 115 E. Main Street in Dayton, and also leases property from the Port of Garfield where small-scale processing equipment is housed.

— Loyal Baker, Dayton Chronicle (Dayton, Wash.), Thursday