America250 egg paint scheme unveiled at Winlock City Council meeting

May 13-Members of the Winlock City Council met on Monday, May 11, and approved a number of items on their agenda, including improvements for the four shower stalls at the Winlock Community Building at an estimated cost of $1,500.

The showers are used mainly by visitors camping out in town during the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic held every July, and city staff recommended both upgrading the shower systems themselves along with the lighting.

Councilors also approved a proposal from the Winlock Police Department to hire contracted flaggers through Impact Staffing Solutions to assist with traffic control during the upcoming Egg Day parade.

Also on the agenda report was a draft copy of a new code enforcement and nuisance ordinance, which councilors moved to discuss further at a workshop scheduled on June 15 beginning at 6 p.m.

The draft nuisance ordinance can be found starting on page 29 of the council's agenda report on the city's website at https://tinyurl.com/yua7beu3.

Friends of Winlock member Kathy Chastain also unveiled a new artist rendering of a paint scheme for Winlock's famous egg to commemorate America250 this summer - the nationwide Independence Day celebration marking America's 250th birthday.

"We have a contract with a mural artist from Chehalis, who actually has ties here in Winlock," Chastain said. "We've looked at her work and she does an outstanding job."

The artist is Emily von Flotow, and the plan is to begin painting at the end of May, weather permitting, with the hope to have it finished by June 1, according to Chastain. Chastain added paint has already been donated, and that a boom-truck will be used in order to allow the artist to do her work.

And while the meeting went on fairly uneventfully, it almost didn't start at all after it began with Councilor Jeramy Allman asking his other councilors to not approve the meeting's agenda. While the agenda had been posted to the city's website at least 24 hours in advance, Allman stated he wasn't emailed the agenda packet until earlier that afternoon just hours before the meeting and didn't have time to fully review it for work.

Ultimately, the other councilors still approved the agenda and the meeting went forward - with Allman still voting on some agenda items "due to the fact that there is no paperwork (in the agenda packet)."

This wasn't the only procedural issue Allman brought up though, as he pointed out a new assistant city clerk had been hired without council approval. According to city code, all city staff hires are required to be approved by the council before being finalized.

Because of this, a special Winlock City Council meeting was called on Wednesday, May 13, at 6 p.m., to vote on confirmation of Lily Niles as the city's new assistant city clerk. However, Niles hasn't been the only city staff member hired without council approval.

Also on the agenda for Wednesday's special meeting were the retroactive confirmations of Justin Moon, who began working for the city on July 21, 2025; Jaymz Brossard, who began working on May 10, 2024; Joshua Morhous, who began working on Nov. 1, 2022; and James Argren, who began working on April 12, 2022.

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