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Dayton/Main Street Chamber seeks Columbia REA Legacy Grant to fund rodeo sound system, historic QR codes and fairground repairs
Summary
The Dayton/Main Street Chamber asked the Columbia County commissioners for letters of support to apply to Columbia REA’s Legacy Grant for multiple community projects including a rodeo-arena sound system ($18,589 quote), a QR-code historic-sites project, light-pole painting, sesquicentennial support and potential fairground grandstand repairs.
The Dayton/Main Street Chamber presented a request on Oct. 6 for the county to provide a letter of support for a Columbia REA Legacy Grant application. The Columbia REA program accepts requests between $50,000 and $250,000; the Chamber said it intends to submit a consolidated, community-wide application covering projects from the Chamber, the county, the port and local task forces.
Chamber representatives said the combined request they plan to submit totals $84,908 and would fund several projects: an outdoor all-weather sound system for the rodeo arena (quoted at $18,589), repainting of Main Street light poles, a QR-code historical-tour project for downtown storefronts (funding to research, digitize and host historical content), $10,000 for a port sesquicentennial project and other minor items. Chamber staff also said an estimate for repairs to the fairgrounds’ east grandstand surfaced during planning at roughly $287,000, and the Chamber is exploring whether the broader grant could be used toward that work in partnership with the port and county.
The Chamber requested that commissioners sign a letter of support the same day so the application could be submitted before the deadline (staff said the formal deadline is Oct. 10, but Chamber staff indicated they needed to file today due to travel). The Chamber emphasized this would be a multi-jurisdictional “legacy” project that Columbia REA staff encouraged.
Commissioners and county staff asked clarifying questions about storage and maintenance for the proposed rodeo sound system and whether equipment would be secured by county staff; Chamber representatives said speakers and consoles are weatherproof and the console would be stored when not in use. The Chamber representative offered to provide a final letter and paperwork and brought a $3,500 check (from Tucci Valley Golf & Rec via Blue Mountain Community Foundation fiscal sponsorship) to help the county with an RCO match related to another project discussed at the meeting.
Commissioners did not vote on the request at the Oct. 6 meeting but staff said they would sign and return the requested letter of support if commissioners approved. The Chamber asked the county to return signed forms the same day to meet the applicant’s timeline.
