Two well-known, longtime Umatilla residents are facing off for the city’s open mayoral seat. Lyle Smith, current Umatilla City Council vice president, and Dave Trott, former mayor, have both thrown their hats in for the position left open by Mayor Pat Lafferty’s death earlier this year.
Lyle Smith
For Smith, the position boils down to one issue: continuing a legacy.
“I want to continue what Mayor (Pat) Lafferty was doing and the changes that came about in the past few years,” Smith said. “I really believe in what Pat was doing.”
A 12-year resident of Umatilla, Smith has had a seat on the Umatilla City Council for four years. Before joining the council, he served on the Umatilla Planning Commission and the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee. He also served on the Umatilla Critical Groundwater Taskforce and the Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board for three years.
“I think it’s the responsibility of every citizen to be involved in the community,” Smith said.
During his time on the Umatilla City Council, Smith is most proud of two accomplishments – both of which look toward the future.
The first involves the city’s finances and reserves set aside in the water and sewer funds. The reserves both provide a cushion for unexpected expenses and allow the city to refinance loans at better rates, which will save at least $500,000.
The second accomplishment focuses on the Columbia Riverfront and the city’s discussions with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about developing the Umatilla Old Town site. Smith said he would like to see the Old Town connected with the Umatilla Marina and RV Park – which the city now operates – in order to make a “destination” spot for visitors from Portland or Boise to spend a day or a weekend.
Those destination changes also include supporting the city’s moratorium on adult businesses on Sixth Street.
Although Smith referenced the Riverside Sports Bar and Lounge – which does offer nude dancing in the lounge – as a successful Umatilla business providing local jobs and tax revenues, he also said he would like to prevent future businesses from opening along the town’s main street.
“This moratorium – and any future regulations – would not impact existing businesses, but, in the future, I’d like to see them off Main Street, away from schools, away from churches,” he said. “We are limited in what we can change, but in talking with people in the city, they want us to change as much as we can.”
Smith also said he would like to see increased youth services – a passion of Lafferty’s – to help prevent young people from joining gangs. Smith noted the city has a gang presence that could worsen if not addressed proactively.
“Long term, I’d like to see a community center set up. In the meantime, I’d like to see programs through the library and the school district,” he said. “Basically I think the town needs to be more family friendly so when our kids leave and go off to college, they want to come back here.”
Smith has one daughter, two grandchildren and an 11-month-old puppy. He said he and his wife plan to retire in Umatilla and will continue to make it their home into the future.
In addition to his volunteer and civil work, Smith is a registered nurse serving dialysis patients at Two Rivers Correctional Institution. He has received both masters and bachelor’s degrees in nursing science as well as a master of arts in environmental biology.
Smith encouraged residents to cast a ballot – no matter which candidate they support.
“I don’t think there’s a bad choice between me and Dave Trott,” Smith said. “I think we’re both good people with different visions.”
Dave Trott
For Trott, the race centers on leadership.
“I think the city has some leadership needs right now. I think there needs to be some stronger leadership represented, and I think I have the leadership experience to do that,” he said.
Trott, a former Umatilla mayor, has 32 years of experience in private industry and government contracting, including managing Department of Energy programs at Hanford and Savannah River and working with the Department of Defense at the Umatilla Chemical Depot. He is a former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy and reserve police officer with the city of Kennewick as well as a former manager of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program. He is currently an investigator and employee concerns specialist for the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant.
The former mayor said all that experience will assist him if he is re-elected. He stepped down as mayor in 2010 but continued to be involved with the city’s planning commission and code improvement board. He said he is ready to return to the mayoral position.
“The real bottom line is the mayor needs to listen and lead,” Trott said, pointing to the mayor’s political role as the figurehead of the city as well as the liaison between city staff, the city council and the community.
Trott said he would like to work with the city’s downtown development and beautification as well as taking up community concerns, such as the recent discussion over adult entertainment. Trott said although the city cannot ban strip clubs and other adult entertainment, there are options with regulating those types of businesses.
“Part of it is really constrained, and what the Oregon Supreme Court has ruled goes back to freedom of expression and freedom of speech, but the city does not have to roll over and play dead for something they don’t want,” Trott said.
Trott said he would also focus on strengthening the relationships with other neighboring communities, such as meeting with other mayors, connecting with Two Rivers Correctional Institution and rebuilding relationship with the Port of Umatilla.
“We may disagree with certain visions of the Port, but they need us and we need them, so that relationship needs a little TLC,” he said.
In addition to working on organizational relationships, Trott said he would also like to see increased feedback from the community. He said he would like to host a town hall meeting, have residents attend and “figure out” what the city residents would like to see their town grow into. Trott said these discussions could build on the Umatilla 2020 work from 2003 as well as surveys and plans put together in the past five years. The candidate said he would like to bring together all the interim measures into a full campaign to update the city’s comprehensive plan, establish goals and set a vision.
“We need to take a look at some small measures we can get accomplished fairly soon and make some long-term goals,” he said. “I’m really not sure we’ve come to terms with what we want Umatilla to be. If you go ask 15 people what the vision for the city is, you’ll get 15 different answers. We’re good at reacting, but we need to have honest conversation with ourselves about what we want – or, even better – what we can achieve.”
Trott said he has the leadership experience to help drive that campaign and be a strong mayor. He pointed to his past experience with the city as well as his management and leadership experience.
“I still care about Umatilla, and I think there needs to be a very active, political head to the city,” he said. “I have a proven track record of leadership, and I think that’s what the city needs.”
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