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Committee to present plan on troubled Belfair sewer
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty.com
The Belfair Sewer Ad-
visory Committee plans
to present a set of recom-
mendations titled Com-
prehensive County-Wide
Sewer Financial Plan,
to the Mason County
Board of Commissioners
in the next three months,
committee members an-
nounced this week.
Committee members
met with members of the
North Mason commtmity
Monday night in Belfair at
the North Mason Conmau-
nity Voice meeting. They
discussed the state of the
Belfair sewer's finances,
and the committee's ideas
to stabilize those finances.
"There's literally a
monster up on the hill that
is eating money every day
-- we don't have enough
to feed it," said committee
member Bob Harris. "The
only way to get out of this
is to develop."
According to the com-
mittee, aspects of the
countywide sewer plan
could include creating a
sewer district owned by
Mason County, which
would have five commis-
Mudslinging
While it's warm you can have
that comforter, blanket, etc.
cleaned with a two working
day turnaround. Republican,
Democratic, Independent etc.
comforters are all the same price.
.
Russ Denney Serving Shelton and Mason County for 87 years
Welcome
Dr. Michael Henry
Mason General Hospital is pleased to
welcome Michael Henry, M.D., to
their staff of physicians and surgeons.
He joins the team of specialists at
MGH Shelton Orthopedics, where
excellent care is close to home.
Dr. Henry obtained his medical
degree from the University of British
Columbia School of Medicine,
Vancouver, B.C.,where he also
did his post-graduate training in
Orthopedics He has a Fellowship in
Orthopedic Trauma from the Royal
Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland,s. ,,,
andis board-eligible in orthopedic
surgery. He complements the expert
team at MGH Shelton Orthopedics
with a specialty in trauma and
fracture care.
To make an appointment with
Dr. Henry, call MGH Shelton _
OrthopediCS at (360) 427-0663
W Mason GeneralHospital
Shelton Orthopedics
(360) 427-0663
939 Mtn. View Dr., Ste. 130, Shelton, WA 98584
www.MasonGeneral.com
T
sioners and in-
dude the North
Bay and Rus-
tlewood sewer
systems. The
sewer district
would have a
single monthly
rate, connection
charge, and codes
and regulations.
Other possible
aspects of the
plan include cre-
ating a utility lo-
cal improvement
district, a sales
tax increase for
sewer and storm-
water, using a
line of credit to
finance the sewer,
redistributing the Ma-
son County Public Works
budget, and using real
estate excise taxes, and
rural county sales and use
tax money to support the
sewer and pay off debt.
"It's not an easy task,"
committee member Judy
Scott said.
Jennifer Hines, vice
chair of the Belfair Sew-
er Advisory Committee,
asked for public com-
ments on ways to solve
the sewe£s financial prob-
lems.
Moore
Scott
"There is no
idea that is too
far out there for
us to consider at
this point," she
said.
The commit-
fee's next meet-
ing is at 6 p.m.,
Feb. 6 at the Port
of Allyn at 18560
E. state Route 3
in Allyn.
The advisory
committee can
be contacted at
belfairsewer
advisory
committee@
gmafl.com.
In December,
the Washington
state Auditor's Office re-
leased its accountability
audit report for 2012 for
Mason County, which
found that the Belfair
sewer fund's financial
condition puts it at risk of
not being able to meet its
financial obligations.
"The sewer is not gen-
erating enough revenue
to pay back the debt," the
report stated.
According to the report,
the sewer fund will be
short by between $500,000
and $1 million each year
until the debt is paid off.
The state auditor in-
structed Mason County to
create a formal financial
plan to show how it plans to
pay down its $14 million in
debt on the Belfair sewer.
Tom Moore, deputy
director of Mason County
utilities and waste man-
agement, gave an update
on the sewer at the meet-
ing. He said the treatment
plant processes between
$50,000 and $70,000 gal-
lons of waste each day.
The county is using half
of the plant, or two of four
membrane filters, to pro-
cess the waste.
In 2013, the county
made about $2 million in
payments on its $14 mil-
lion in debt on the sewer.
Customers pay $96 per
equivalent residential unit.
North Mason residents
and committee members
at the meeting discussed
the size of the sewer,
which was built to serve
the entire Belfair Urban
Growth Area.
"We were expecting
some pretty large growth
rates," he said. "Hindsight's
20/20 - I wish we would
have made it smaller."
Mason County Com-
missioner Randy Neat-
herlin attended Monday
night's meeting and said
the county should look
into hooking up customers
in Kitsap County in the
South Kitsap Industrial
Area (SKIA). The Mason
County Commission has
previously met with SKIA
partners to discuss that.
Joe Dacca, deputy dis-
trict director for U.S. Rep.
Derek Kilmer, said Kilm-
er's office is working with
Mason and Kitsap coun-
ties on projects that could
benefit both areas, such as
the Belfair bypass, a state
Route 3 bypass around
Belfair, and the possibil-
ity of south Kitsap hook-
ups to the Belfair sewer.
David Overton, a land-
owner in the Belfair Ur-
ban Growth Area and
SKIA, said running a sew-
er main up state Route
3 to South Kitsap might
only be feasible for a large
project, such as a new cor-
rections center.
He suggested inviting
developers to Belfair to
encourage growth.
"It really does set the
tone that your community
is encouraging growth,"
he said.
Irish tenor to p0000rmrm at Shelton concert event
STAFF REPORT
news@masoncounty.com
founding member of at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the
The Irish Tenors, will Performing Arts Cen-
perform Broadway ter at Shelton High
hits, opera favorites School.
and classic Irish songs The concert is part
Anthony Kearns,
of the Mason County
Community Concert
Association's 2013-2014
season. Tickets are $30.
Kearns achieved in-
ternational celebrity
status as a member of
The Irish Tenors, ap-
pearing in three PBS
broadcasts in 1999,
2000
and
2001.
While
the
trio
con-
tinues
to tour
annu-
Kearns a 1 1 y,
K e
arns
has met'with continued
success as a recitalist,
with symphony orches-
tras and on the opera
stage.
Kearns has recorded
nine albums with The
Irish Tenors, His first
solo project was re-
leased in October 2013.
The Mason County
Community Concert As-
sociation has brought
performers to Shelton
each year since 1949.
For more informa-
tion, go to mccca.com.
Page A-IO - Mason County Journal - Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014
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