Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environmental Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Former observatory official urges Goldendale council to address broken dark‑sky commitments
Summary
Robert Eumesley, a former observatory president, told council the observatory lost its International Dark‑Sky designation and asked for a written city response about an unfinished Chamber‑contracted education program and the status of a dark‑sky community application.
Robert Eumesley, identifying himself as a former president of the local observatory, urged the Goldendale City Council during public comment on July 1 to explain why an earlier contract with the Chamber of Commerce to pursue dark‑sky community designation and to provide public education on lighting was not completed.
"Long story short is the observatory was decertified by the IDA for lack of complying with their requirements to provide advocacy for protecting the night sky," Eumesley (speaker 5) said, requesting a written response to his PO Box address on the status of the promised education program and any completed application for dark‑sky community designation.
Eumesley recounted the observatory’s history, saying the telescope and site were established with a promise of local ordinances and education to protect night skies, and he described the Chamber’s application for designation as inadequate and rejected. Councilors acknowledged the concern, noted the topic’s relevance to upcoming ordinance discussions, and said they would follow up; the council did not provide a written response at the meeting but invited the commenter to stay after the meeting to discuss next steps.
Why it matters: The observatory is frequently cited as a local tourism asset and the public commenter framed the issue as both a cultural-resource and contractual-accountability matter. The council indicated it has an existing lighting ordinance and that lighting and street-lighting work has been part of council priorities, but the meeting did not resolve the question of whether the city would reapply for dark‑sky community designation or seek remedies for the contractor’s alleged failure to deliver.
Next steps requested: The commenter asked for a written reply describing the status of the dark‑sky community application, whether the city intends to pursue certification, and what education work was performed under the Chamber’s contract. Council members indicated they would investigate and noted the ordinance-committee work and the upcoming ordinance meeting as appropriate places to revisit lighting and dark-sky issues.
