The Town Crier received a letter of resignation from Landon Johnson, a member of the Winlock Planning Commission. In the letter he pointed out that it appears as though there are no plans for improvements of the downtown core.
The letter begins with "while I have enjoyed the conversations we have had, and I respect your ability to accomplish a wide variety of vital tasks in short order. I do not agree with the overall direction the City has prescribed."
In his letter of resignation, Landon Johnson stated "I am a resident of the City proper and I can no longer participate in activities that I feel will render me and my family residents of a ghost town. While the Port of Winlock and other initiatives may serve to benefit Lewis County as a whole, I do not see these projects improving life in the city itself, and when I see a Comprehensive plan element that places the entire economic future of the City in outside projects, it is time to move on."
His letter continues "Please accept my resignation from the Planning Commission, effective Tuesday, December 11. It is pure folly to try to work together towards such acutely diverse goals and there is much work to be done outside of City Hall."
The final statement in the letter is "I wish you and the City Council the best in getting things sorted out, I hope that you will reconsider letting the town crumble in favor of outside projects like Benaroya.
Since Mayor Bradshaw has taken office, we have lost two businesses and only one in the downtown area has opened with another one pending. There is one business owner, Amy Smith that has been trying to open for over 5 months and she has not been able to get a permit.