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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
April 2, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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April 2, 2020
 
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Griffey bill on utility billing transparency becomes law By Gordon Weeks Gordon@masoncounty. com On March 25, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a bill by state Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, that requires more billing transparency from municipal utilities. ‘ House Bill 2889 will require mu- nicipal utilities that charge a tax for operating a water, sewer or wastewa- ter, or stormwater utility, to disclose the tax rate on the billing statement it provides to customers. The bill received 94 “yes” votes and two “no” Votes in the state House Of canamvrnus BRIEFS Representatives. The bill is set to be- come law June .10. In keeping with social distancing ef- forts to prevent the spread of the coro- navirus, Griffey did not attend the bill signing in Olym ia. Griffey said t e inspiration for the bill came from a constituent who had to file multiple public record requests ' to find out the tax rate he was paying for a utility. “You shouldn’t have to,” he said in an interview with the Shelton-Mason County Journal. “Open government is the best gov- ernment,” he added. Money available to nonprofits ' hits by virus Local nonprofit agencies that have been hurt by the coronavirus have been working overtime to provide services to individuals and families who have been drastically impacted, can apply for money through an fund formed by the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound and the United Way agencies in Mason, Thurston and Lewis counties. Nonprofit agencies can fill out surveys for help at https://forms.gle/ quriSEsnv9y9MY19. The groups are asked to state how the coronavi- , rus has affected them and the support that is needed. Fewer employees and hours at Treasurer’s Office To protect staff and to continue mandatory treasury operations, the Mason County Treasurer’s Office is operating with fewer employees and reduced hours. Office hours have been temporar- ily reduced from 9 am. to 1 p.m., which will allow the staff to focus on meeting mandatory obligations and minimize contact, Mason County Treasurer Lisa Frazier stated in a news release. Property tax payments can be mailed to Mason County Trea-l surer’s Office, PO. Box 429, Shelton 98584; you can pay online at https:// property.co.mason.wa.us/’I‘axsifter/ Search/Results.aspx; or you can call 360-427—9670, ext. 475. A fee comes with paying by phone, and you can pay by eCheck for less than the cost of stamp. The payments can also'be placed in the dropbox at 411 N. 5th St. ' “At this time, there has been no decision to extend the April 30th due date for property tax payments,” Fra- zier said. “I am working on the, ability to extend payment options for those impacted on an individual basis.” Frazier added, “Be assured that I am working diligently with state and local officials to decide the best course of action, causing the least amount of financial impact to the state and local entities —- many of whom are first responders, such as public health, sheriff, hospital districts and fire departments — who depend on these tax dollars to function. I understand that not knowing is very stressful, and I ask for your continued under— standing, I will update as soon as I know more.” Frazier said that she expects mort- gage companies collecting property taxes as part of active escrow, ac- counts with their customers will pay on or before the April 80 due date. Frazier said her office will offer the ability to set up Autopay. The Trea- surer’s Office will deduct taxes from the dedicated back account on the April 30 and Oct. 31 due dates. COVlD-19 prompts police, sheriff to take precautions City of Shelton Police officers and Mason County Sheriffs Department personnel are taking extra precau- tions amid the threat of the coronavi- rus. “It has changed the way our teams \ contact people, most definitely,” said Shelton Police Chief Darrin Moody. “When someone calls dispatch, they are asked a series of questions re- garding their well-being or possible contagious, nature. We are doing as many reports as possible via phone. We are also asking people to meet us at the door rather than go inside if possible. This is strictly for non- emergency calls. We have personal protective equipment for everyone at the police department. We are asking that anyone who has to come in to the police department for interviews, out 'of their health concerns and ours, to wear a mask. It is a tough time for all.” f V “Our deputies have been trained for years to use universal precau- tions,” said Mason County Sheriff Casey Salisbury. “Just like other organizations working directly with the public, we have a heightened V awareness due to the current circum- stances.” Both the sheriff and the police chief say that Gov. Jay Inslee’s decree for people to stay home unless they are involved in an “essential service,” going shopping and other essential duties, has not affected their enforce- ment. “It appears most people are doing their best to be compliant with the current ‘shelter in place’ rules/re- quest/mandate,” Salisbury said. “We are not stopping cars just to verify why people are traveling.” As for the Shelton Police Depart- ment, “We are not using it as an en- forcement tool, but more of an educa- tion moment,” Moody said. 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