County Briefs

County awarded Public Services community development block grant

Mason County commissioners signed a sub-recipient agreement with Community Action Council of Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties at the Nov. 8 commissioner’s meeting.

According to the information packet, the county was awarded a public services community block development grant through the state Department of Commerce, and it will allow the county to provide referrals or direct client services to eligible participants through the partnership with Community Action Council.

The contract is for $100,080 with a performance period until June 30 and $3,500 will be used to off-set administrative costs. Community Action Council responsibilities include a minimum of 6,430 individuals in Mason and Lewis counties, which includes a minimum of 3,279 people meeting the HUD’s 51% income qualification. The CAC will also provide Children’s Justice and Advocacy Center services and referrals for a minimum of 350 residents of Mason and Lewis counties.

Mason Lake Road Improvement Project approved

County commissioners approved county road project 2031 to improve Mason Lake Road.

According to the information packet, the project on Mason Lake Road will be from milepost 5.23 to 6.23. Improvements will consist of resurfacing the existing roadway, upgrading the shouldering with hot mix asphalt, roadway striping and any other necessary safety improvements.

The estimated cost of the project is $725,558 and the Surface Transportation Program will pay for $575,950.

Public Works authorized purchase of grapple attachment

Mason County public works is purchasing a new grapple attachment after approval from county commissioners.

According to the information packet, Public Works Utility and Waste Management Division uses a John Deere excavator with a grapple attachment to load and compact garbage into trailers to export solid waste. The grapple attachment needed repairs and it will need to be sent off for a period, so the department wanted to purchase another grapple attachment to continue solid waste services while the other attachment is rebuilt.

The attachment for the excavator is sold through PAPE Machinery, premier John Deere dealership in the state which makes products specifically for the county’s excavator. The attachment cost is $45,256.25 and is purchasable through the solid waste budget.

County receives local records grant from state

The Mason County commissioners authorized the county Department of Community Development to accept a local records grant.

According to the information packet, the local records grant was received from the state Department of Archives for $19,620. The county department of community development worked with state archives staff to apply for the grant to assist with continuing efforts to organize files consistent with state records retention laws and the goal of timely and satisfactory responses to public records request.

The original application was postponed due to the pandemic and reapplied for in June.

Public hearing for land rezoning set for Dec. 7

A public hearing is set for 9:15 a.m. Dec. 7 about a rezoning request for 3.22 acres of land in Union.

According to the information packet, applicant Michael Ricketts is asking the county to rezone land 260 feet to the east of the intersection of E McReavy Road and E Dalby Road. The parcel of land is on E Dalby Road with a Chevron and Union Food Mart to the west and a Mason County PUD 1 switch station to the east. South Shore Construction and New Community Church of Union are close by across the street.

Imagery indicates the parcel of land has been clear of trees and access to the gas station and convenience store intersects the southwest corner of the parcel and the parcel to the west is zoned rural commercial.

Ricketts applied and participated in a pre-application conference with the county and expressed his desire to develop a self-storage facility on the site.

Off-site backup storage purchased

County commissioners approved the purchase of off-site backup storage.

According to the information packet, Mason County I.T. researched for an off-site backup solution and determined the county’s current backup vendor Unitrends was the best solution to fully integrate systems. Unitrends provides security measures to prevent compromise of our backup during a ransomware attack and the cost of the service is $63,376 for a three-year contract, requiring a budget supplement to approve.

Consolidated homeless grant amendment approved

County commissioners approved the consolidated homeless grant amendment with the state Department of Commerce.

According to the information packet, the amendment included hotel and motel rooms and rental assistance for rapid rehousing for people experiencing homelessness. The subcontract amendment is with Crossroads Housing to administer rapid rehousing funds.

The scope of work in the amendment includes hotel leasing and emergency shelter for four hotel rooms, rapid re-housing for one household per month and 25 households in total and case management and outreach to assist households. The activities the money is supporting will be operationalized by January 2022.

Youth Marijuana Prevention and Education Program extended

The CHOICE Regional Health Network Youth Marijuana Prevention and Education program was extended by the Mason County commissioners.

According to the information packet, the county Department of Health is funding the program to serve as a regional lead organization to coordinate youth marijuana prevention and education for the Cascade Pacific Alliance region. The amendment to the contract extends the end date to June 30 for $25,000.

County awarded money for Highway Safety Improvement Program

Mason County has been awarded federal money from the Highway Safety Improvement Program grant through the state Department of Transportation for safety projects.

According to the information project, public works has been awarded $512,000 for County Road Projects No. 2032. The projects include $385,000 for installing guardrail retrofits to existing county bridges, $73,000 for horizontal curve analysis for data improvement on various county roads and $54,000 for sign post reflective panels on various roads.

The plan is to finish these projects in 2022, and if all phases are authorized before Sept. 21, 2022, the projects are eligible for 100% funding. If construction is not obligated by April 30, 2023, a 10% local match is required.

County surpluses five cars, two sander boxes for auction

Mason County commissioners authorized five cars and two sander boxes to be surplus and disposed of at public auction.

According to the information packet, equipment rental and revolving has vehicles and equipment that have been replaced and are no longer needed, which are surplus and disposed of at auction through Washington State Surplus. The county has five vehicles and two sander boxes that will be sold. The county has four bulk tanks that had been used on trucks no longer in the Public Works fleet and these tanks had flammable liquid inside and cannot be surplus and will be recycled.

The vehicles are a 2002 Ford Taurus with 99,563 miles, a 2006 Chevy Impala with 91,246 miles, a 2001 Chevy Express Van with 73,297 miles, a 2004 Ford F350 with 231,570 miles and a 2006 Chevy C/C SVC Box with 266,029 miles. The vehicle equipment is a 1991 and 1995 Swenson Sander Box.

Auctions are held through the Washington State Surplus Program and the surplus website at publicsurplus.com.

Environmental Health Fees adjusted

Commissioners approved a resolution for environmental health fees to be adjusted for the 2022 calendar year.

According to the information packet, the consumer price index for all urban consumers (CIPU) for July was 5.2%. Fees are being adjusted by the maximum of 5% per resolution and calculated fees are rounded down to the nearest $5.00.

Notable fee increases include $275 for a plan review for a private 2 party, $230 for well site inspection and $275 for a well construction permit in the drinking water program. The fee is $90 per hour for a plan review for a school inspection. A water recreation facility pays $455 for year-round operation and $90 for additional pool or spa.

The solid waste program is $90 per hour for an application to the municipal landfill and $365 for an application for the tire pile, recycling, conditional exempt waste facility and drop box. Food service permit fees are $820 for a complex large restaurant and $550 for a complex small restaurant, $540 for a complex mobile and $275 for a large kitchen. Onsite sewage system fees are $500 for an individual permit and $240 for installation.

For a full list of the environmental health fee schedule, visit pages 152 to 156 at https://dms.masoncountywa.gov/Commissioners/DocView.aspx?id=483798.

County financial shape good at finance committee meeting

County commissioners and staff gathered to discuss the solid financial footing of the county at the Nov. 8 finance committee meeting.

According to the information packet, the county has a cash balance of $19,846,995.13 as of Sept. 30. The total cash and investments for Mason County is $220,273,360.30. County debt outstanding is $28,215,552.81.

(1:16:34, Nov. 8 Commissioner Meeting)