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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
March 15, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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March 15, 2012
 
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Courtesy of Doug Sells The Shelton track and field team runs in the snow during practice on Tuesday, March 13. During the past several days, Shelton experienced light and heavy rain, light and heavy snowfall and bouts of hail. Despite poor weather, the track team continued to practice in preparation for the first Mason County Jamboree, a track meet between the 4A SHS team, the 2A North Mason Bulldogs and the 1B Mary M. Knight Owls track and field teams. Bridge is open, work remains STAFF REPORT The new Weaver Cree~k Bridge on Skokomish Valle'.y Road opened for public use this past Friday. Officials say that final work required to complete the project is weather depen- dent and will be completed as soon as conditions allow. It is anticipated that the remain- ing work could take up to two weeks to complete. That work includes deck membrane installation, road- way paving, miscellaneous earthwork, guardrail instal- lation, and site cleanup. During the final work on the bridge, traffic will need to use the detour route on Courtesy photo The Weaver Creek Bridge on Skokomish Valley Road is now open for public use. the old bridge down to one lane of traffic under signal control. The speed limit through the project site will remain at 20 mph until all construc- tion activities have been com- pleted. Community leaders ask residents to test minds By NATALIE JOHNSON na~alie~asoT~cour~tyocoT~ Community leaders, non- profits, churches and repre- sentatives of local govern- ment want to hear what you think about Mason County's health through online quiz- zes and a survey, part of a se- ries called, "Test Your Mason County Mind." A group of about 30 com- munity leaders are currently working toward creating a Community Health Improve- ment Plan (CHIP) to help one another coordinate efforts to improve the health of county residents, said Mason Matters Executive Director Kim Klint. The group is tasked with identifying priorities for the future. Patti Kleist, executive di- rector of the non-profit group Faith in Action in Belfair, sits on the panel. "Some of the priorities that stand out for me are the lack of low-income housing in the coun- ty in general and particularly in North Mason (and) the lack of chemical abuse and addic- tion services," she said. 'qgVe've been having a real resurgence of property crime. Businesses have been pummeled." All of the members of the panel have their own priori- ties for improving the overall health of Mason County, but Klint said they need more in- formation. "We want to make sure we have opportunities for public input." she said. In December 2011, the panel invited a group of Uni- versity of Washington School of Public Health graduate students to help them in- crease public input on the CHIP program. "They're the ones who came up with the germ or the seed of the 'Test Your Mason Coun- ty Mind' series," Klint said. The series includes four quizzes and a survey on com- munity health priorities. Klint said the series func- tions "as a way for the com- munity to give us input as to what their priorities are," she said. "We're trying to find a balance to make sure we pick the right issues." The first quiz poses ques- tions about basic demograph- ics in Mason County, and asks participants what per- centage of people they chink live m poverty, can afford to buy health insurance or are supported by programs such as Social Security. The second quiz includes questions about youth in Mason County, asking how many students get free or reduced meals through their school district, are obese or have no health insurance. The third includes questions about adults, asking how many people over 18 years of age in the county are obese, have is- sues with mental or physical health or get food stamps. The fourth quiz focuses on the health of entire house- holds, environmental health issues, such as maintenance of water and septic systems, and pregnant women. All the quizzes are avail- able at Mason County's web- site at www.co.mason.wa.us. The answers to each question appear at the end of the quiz, so participants can learn from the experience, Klint said. After the quizzes, partici- pants are encouraged to take a short community health survey to help the CHIP pan- el focus on priorities for im- proving the county's health. Klint said the survey and quizzes haven't been avail- able for long enough to get much feedback. "There's a lot we could be doing to make Mason County healthier." she said. Kleist said she is optimis- tic that the CHIP. when com- pleted, will help organiza- tions in the north and south ends of Mason County work well together. "I think it's been really posi- tive ... for the different groups and their issues," she said. Page A-2 - Shelton-Mason County Journal-Thursday, March 15, 2012 Board delays decision on ,Be/fakir sewer clarification County codes conflict on sewer connections By NATALIE JOHNSON The Mason County Board of Com- missmners voted 2-1 Tuesday to con- tinue a public hearing to amend Title 17~of the county's code, which covers zoning ordinances, as it relates to mandatory connections to the Belfair sewer system, until April 17. In January, the county commission voted to amend Title 13 of the county's code, which relates to sewers, to re- quire residents and businesses within 500 feet of the sewer line to connect, Barbara Adkins, director of planning and community development said. However, language in the county's Title 17 code requires all structures in the Belfair Urban Growth Area (UGA) to connect to the sewer, she said. "That language is now in conflict with itself," she said. Adkins asked the county commis- sion to take action to address the con- flicting codes during Tuesday's public hearing. During the hearing, she presented three possible options to resolve the situation. First. Adkins said the board could choose ~o take no action to change the language in Title 13. If the board took this option, the more restrictive code, Title 17, would continue to override Title 13, and would require all struc- tures in the UGA to connect to the sewer. Second, the board could choose to amend the language in Title 17. to only require structures within 500 feet of the sewer line to connect, making it identical to Title 13. Third. the board could vote to amend Title 13 to resemble Title 17, requiring all structures to connect, regardless of how close they are to the sewer line. Tom Moore. interim director of utili- ties and waste management, proposed a fourth alternative. "The basis of this proposal is the county and the utilities department needs three things to happen to this system to make it ... viable," he said. In order to make the system work, Moore said it needs revenue, wastewa- ter and to serve the entire UGA. "What I would propose is that in- stead of allowing septic tanks and drainfields, that we explore the option of a utility operated holding tank oper- ation for those single family dwellings within the UGA," he said. Moore said trucking wastewa- ter from these private holding tanks would provide revenue to the county through sewer fees, wastewater to the system, and would include areas of the UGA beyond 500 feet from existing sewer lines. "I think this idea, if it had to be de- fended, it could be defended," he said. "I think it's doable and I think it's an option that might be palatable to all those concerned." However, since it was not included m the scope of the public hearing, the county commission could not vote on this option during the hearing. The scope of Tuesday's public hearing only allowed the commission to vote on whether or not to amend Title 17 of the county code. Greg Zentner, of the Washington State Department of Ecology's water quality program, commented on the proposal. "As we understand it this is the sec- ond of two changes to the county code that if adopted would allow septic to be adopted." he said. According to Title 13, new struc- tures outside the 500-foot limit could build and use a septic system until sewer lines came within 500 feet of the structure. "We'd appreciate if the commission- ers would defer action on this item," Zentner said. "We see a couple issues with the proposal. The more people you leave out of the system the harder it is on the business owners and the homeowners who are in the system and left with the bill." The commission voted 2-1 to con- tinue the hearing in order to further consult with organizations like Ecolo- gy and Washington State Department Health, as well as Belfair UGA land- owners. Commissmners Steve Bloom- field and Tim Sheldon both spoke in favor of continuing talks with stake- holders. However Commissioner Lynda Ring Erickson voted against continuing the discussion until mid-April, expressing a desire to not "kick the can down the road." The board also approved a recom- mendation from Moore. to award a contract to AAA Septic Tank Pump- ing of Shelton to haul sewage from the Belfair wastewater treatment plant to the North Bay/Case Inlet wastewater treatment plant for 10 cents per gal- lon.