Two write-ins challenge Grand Coulee incumbents

Two candidates for Grand Coulee City Council, Tammara Byers and Tom Poplawski, were running unopposed until last week, when two local residents said they are seeking their council seats through a write-in campaign.

Dorothy Harris is seeking the council seat occupied by Byers, and Deneen Harris, her sister-in-law, is seeking the Poplawski position.

The two have been in the news the past several months over efforts to get the city to agree to a dog rescue operation in a residential area on Young Street, although they say that issue has nothing to do with their decision to run on a write-in basis.

The two have attended and appealed to the Grand Coulee planning commission, which is chaired by Byers, to work with them on either a re-zone or conditional use permit to allow the dog rescue operation.

The planning commission's response has been to recommend to the city council that the two either take the rescue operation to a place zoned for that kind of activity or shut it down.

The two Harris women were given 90 days to do so by the council with the understanding that they would have to appeal to the council for any extension of time. Since then, the two have tried to find homes for the dogs they had rescued. They indicated they planned to appear at the Tuesday night (Oct. 31) council meeting to ask for an extension.

However, they were not happy about it. They claim that over the years they have rescued and found homes for over 400 dogs.

Their pleas have centered on the welfare of animals that are discarded or mistreated in the city.

City officials don't argue with that, only that a dog rescue operation doesn't belong in a residential area.

When Byers learned of the write-in campaign, she stated, "I hope my service to the community speaks for itself."

If Byers is re-elected and serves all four years, she will become the longest public service official in the history of the city, edging out former councilmember Moe Evans by a year.

Byers has served 12 years as mayor, one full term on the council, and two partial terms.

Byers is a 1984 graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School, and said her future goals, if re-elected, are to follow through on updating the city's comprehensive plan, make the work of the planning commission easier for the public to access and understand, revise the nuisance code and get more businesses to locate here.

"Our running the write-in campaign has nothing to do with the dog rescue," Dorothy Harris said Monday, "it is about change. The city needs to change its direction and start serving its people. People who want to see change in the city should use the write-in vote to signal city officials why they are elected to office. All you hear from city officials is no, no, no."

"I have talked with people who agree that changes need to be made," Harris continued. "We need jobs so young people will have something to do, we need a daycare, we need new eyes and fresh ideas."

Deneen Harris mirrored those sentiments.

"I have lived in several communities and been active," she said Monday. "This community needs changes, badly. We need to have more businesses, and city officials need to respond to the needs of residents. A vote for the two of us is a vote for change."

On their chances to win, Deneen Harris said, "I know that write-in campaigns are not often successful, but a write-in vote might get city officials to be more friendly to its citizens."

Poplawski, who also is seeking re-election and faces the same write-in campaign, was out of town and couldn't be reached for comment by deadline.