Younger leader takes seat at Coulee Dam council

Shawn Derrick was elected to fill a vacant seat on the Coulee Dam Town Council Wednesday night, but not without some twists and turns.

Bob Poch, the councilman that Derrick replaces, had a lot to do with Derrick being seated at the meeting.

When the vacant position came up during the council meeting, Derrick was nominated, and received two votes, those of council members Gayle Swagerty and Ken Miles (Councilmember Duane Johnson was away). Then Councilmember Ben Alling nominated Carol Netzel, who received his vote.

Then Alling made a motion to delay the appointment until all four council members were present. This passed.

That's when Poch, who had recently resigned his position on the council, spoke up from the audience.

"You just elected a new councilman, how can you postpone the appointment?" he asked.

After some hassling that involved the town's attorney, Mick Howe, it was recommended that Alling withdraw his motion on the delay.

Immediately, Derrick, who was in the audience, took the oath of office and was seated.

Derrick was one of three who ran for Coulee Dam mayor in last year's primary, receiving 23 votes, or 8.6 percent of the total votes cast.

While running for mayor, Derrick stated that the town needed some younger leadership. He had served four-and-a-half years in the army stationed in Germany and Iraq.

A native of Wenatchee, Derrick is on the security force at Grand Coulee Dam. His wife, Rebecca, works at Coulee Medical Center.