City Briefs

City moves on public works yard design

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday voted to award a $145,410 contract to Williams Architecture of Shelton to further design a new public works maintenance yard across the street from Olympic College Shelton to replace its overcrowded site behind Evergreen Elementary School.

Williams Architecture completed a planning study that was presented to the City Council in June. The planning study concluded that the facility should have a minimum lifespan of 50 years; be at least 5 acres; be able to accommodate 37,000 square feet of buildings for administration and maintenance; and be "seismically capable to be immediately occupiable after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake and serve as the City Emergency operations center for all man-made and natural disasters." The site also needs to have multiple access points and be near the community.

The laydown yard would just be the start for the transformation of the 5-acre, triangle-shaped piece of land just north of Mason General Hospital. The project would be conducted in three phases over the next nine years.

For 75 years, the city's public works yard has been located on 2.6 acres at 1000 West Pine St. The yard is home to fleet repair, water and street operations, parks supplies, facilities maintenance, diesel and gas fueling station, employee and fleet parking, and materials storage.

Two appointed to parks committee

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday filled two positions on its Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee.

Melvin Schneider will serve another four-year term on the board, which advises the council on future parks and recreational resources, makes recommendations on park use and regulations, serves as a liaison to the community, and assists in comprehensive planning efforts. Dann Gagnon, who applied for an open position on the board, will also serve a four-year term.

City will hire Designated Crisis Responder

The City of Shelton has contracted with Olympic Health and Recovery Services to hire a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR).

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday approved the contract. The city's Homelessness Task Force recommended that the city make the move to help people who are experiencing mental health crisises. City officials worked with Olympic Health and Recovery Services to develop a contract for DCR services in the city.

The DCR will work at the Shelton Police Department, but will work independently. The city received a grant from the Association of Washington Cities to fund the position.