April 7, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
©
Shelton Mason County Journal. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 3 (3 of 22 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
April 7, 2011 |
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader ![]() |
By NATALIE JOHNSON
The Shelton city commis-
sion voted Monday to adopt
a long awaited Water Sys-
tem Plan Update, but de-
clined to vote on ordinances
setting water rates and the
Shelton utility tax.
"We're required or man-
dated to adopt a plan every
six years. This process has
taken a fairly long time,"
said Steve Coins, the city's
community and economic
development director. "We
started this almost two and
a half years ago trying to get
through the array of pro-
cesses to complete this."
The water system plan
should have been adopted in
2010, buthas been delayed
for several reasons. One was
the need to account for the
Lane vs. Seattle court rul-
ing, which determined that
cities had to charge for fire
protection out of their gen-
eral funds, not water rates.
Last year, the city hired
the consultant firm the FCS
Group to do a study on how
best to integrate fire protec-
tion costs into the general
fund, and how to plan for
future infrastructure for the
city's water utility, and pro-
vide for a new water source
in the future.
The city commission ap-
proved the resolution updat-
ing the water plan during
their regular meeting Mon-
day evening, but have yet to
approve the funding sources
for that plan, the ordinance
Journal photo by Natalie Johnson
City staff hope that
increased water rates
will help encourage
conservation,
particularly among
irrigation customers.
updating water rates and
the utility tax.
One ordinance under
review would increase the
city's utility tax in order to
fund fire protection.
The other ordinance
would amend the city's cur-
rent water rates. The new
water rate scale includes
some increases, mostly for
high volume customers,
Goins said in an earlier
meeting.
However, for customers
using less than 900 cubic
feet of water per month,
rates should actually go
down in the coming year, he
said.
"For customers who are
using more than 900 cubic
feet, the rate starts to in-
crease on them," Coins said.
"Part of the objective here
was to encourage conserva-
tion and reward customers
that are conserving water."
Depending on meter size,
water rates should increase
for residential customers
by, on average, less than a
dollar each year until 2013,
according to the proposed
water rate scale. Rates for
commercial, irrigation and
private fire lines should in-
crease in slightly larger in-
crements.
These increases are de-
signed to help pay for the
improvements in infrastruc-
ture called for in the water
plan.
The water rate ordinance
would also create a whole-
sale water rate for custom-
ers on the Port of Shelton's
Johns Prairie Industrial
Park. The city is proposing
charging these customers a
wholesale rate because the
city does not own or main-
tain the pipes on that prop-
erty, or meter the water.
The commissioners plan
to vote on the two ordinanc-
es during their meeting next
Monday evening.
"We've been working
on this for some time now,
there's been ample oppor-
tunities to comment on the
plan," commissioner Dawn
Pannell said. "I think its
time to stop taking in in-
formation on the plan and
move it forward."
By NATALIE JOHNSON be awarded all applicable air quality per-
mits and approvals from all agencies in-
After receiving concerned input fromcluding but not limited to, the~Olympic Re-
members of the public, the city of Shelton gion Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) and the
chose this week to withdraw its March 24 Washington State Department of Ecology
Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (DOE) as applicable."
(MDNS) on the proposed Simpson biomass In the new version of the MDNS, the
facility, beginning of mitigation number four was
The city issued a revised version of the revised to state that the project must be
MDNS on April 5, with a few small chang- awarded all applicable air quality permits
es. before holding any public hearings or is-
First, the new version identifes thesuing any city permits to the project, spe-
mechanism for appealing the decision, cifieally the Shoreline Substantial Devil-
Second, and more substantially, the city opment and Conditional and Special Use
revised mitigation number four in the doc- permits.
ument. The basic findings of the MDNS, that
The original mitigation number four with the outlined mitigation factors the fa-
stated, =Prior to issuance of building per- cility should pose no significant risk to the
mite for the proposal, the applicant shall environment, still stands.
House capital budget recognizes
Mason County projects
By ARLA SIIEPIIARD ing at Coulter Creek Park. Keates sub-
mitted two other grant proposals, under
Senior advocacy group Faith in Action WWRP, for the project, but both of those
may be closer to building a senior center grants were listed as only alternates.
in North Mason, thanks to a $1,360,000 "We " originally submitted [to both
proposal to fund the project through the WWRP and ALEA], hoping we could get
House capital budget, either one to match with the other," he
The state House of Representatives said. "Everything I'm hearing says that
released its capital budget proposal Mon- the legislature is not going to fund ALEA
day, allocating a quarter of the budget to this year, but use it for the operating bud-
renovation and preservation of the state's get."
assets, including $57.3 million for natural The Port of Allyn requested two grants
resource agencies and $245 million for to purchase property north of the Allyn
K-12 public schools. Waterfront Park, but the grants were cut
In Mason County, a handful of projects under the Governor's supplemental bud-
were given priority funding status, in- get and now the WWRP portion has reap-
eluding the Faith in Action senior center peared in the House as a priority.
project in Belfair. "We still need to find matching funds,"
"We're excited," said Faith in Action said Port Executive Director Bonnie
Executive Director Patti Kleist, who sub- Knight of the project, which has an esti-
mitted the proposal directly to the capital ~aated total cost of $600,000. "It's an on-
budget committee with the aid of Repre- going process. We've been in and out and
sentative Fred Finn and other well-placed back in."
House members. "This actually makes it The House also set forth a few Mason
very realistic that we could have a senior County projects slated for loan and bond
center in North Mason in the next three assistance, including $2,000,000 in Pub-
years." lic Works Assistance loans for the Belfair
The non-profit already has $300,000Water District's State Route 3 waterline
saved for the project and will need to raise replacement project, $1,500,000 in bonds
an additional $1 million if the capital bud- for the Department of Ecology to set up a
get is approved in both Houses and signed septic repair loan program and $472,000
into law by Governor Chris Gregoire. in Public Works loans to Mason County
Other Mason County projects priori-Public Utility District 1 (PUD 1) for an
tized to receive grant funding include the intertie proposal in Union.
Port of Allyn Waterfront Park expansion, "We still don't know if it's going to sur-
which received a proposed $291,000 in vive the budget," s~id PUD 1 Director of
Washington Wildlife and Recreation Pro- Water Operations Jocelyne Gray. "The
gram (WWRP) funds; the Mason CountyPublic Works fund has been raided in the
Recreation Area (MCRA) infield renova- last two years for the ger~eral fund."
tion at $275,500 in WWRP funds; andThe PUD 1 project would get rid offthe
the Coulter Creek Park acquisition for district's last wooden reservoir at Hood
the North Bay trail project, which was Canal A in Union near Dalby Road and
allocated $450,000 in Aquatic Lands En- connect the system to Hood Canal B down
hancement Account (ALEA) funds. State Route 106 to Orre Nobles Road.
John Keates, program manager at Ma-Gray suspects that the reservoir at
son County Parks and Trails, is optimistic Hood Canal A is responsible for high to-
that WWRP funds for the infield park ren- tal coliform levels tested each month; the
ovation will go through, but anticipates project would also install meters in the
that the ALEA grant for the North Bay Hood Canal B system.
trail project will not be funded. For more information on the House pro-
The infield park renovation would posed capital budget, visit http=//leap.leg.
i~6iidvate two of [he Jn~elds at MCRA on wa.gov]leap]buclge{Jde~aJl]2011Pnc] ] 1 ~p.
Johns Prairie in Shelton by replacing asp.
the dirt clay infield mix with synthetic For more information on the North Ma-
dirt and improving access for the dis- son Senior Center project, attend a com-
abled, munity meeting at 6:30 p.m., April 20 at
The No~h Bay trail project aims to cre- the North Mason Methodist Church in
ate a walking path along North Bay, start- Belfair.
0.2." "Taking care of Mom and Dad
is becoming a full-time job. With
everything else I have to do, it's more
than I can handle now. But Dad made
me promise not to put him in the
nursing home. Can Alpine Way help?"
Did you know that in addition to producing award-
winning display ads the Journal advertising staff can
help you plan a campaign that will help you grow your
business and reach new customers?
We
have the experience and expertise to partner with
you in the success of your work and goals.
Call us at 360-426-4412
Shelton-Mason County
We are invited into thousands of homes each week.
Yes, Alpine Way can
help, and for less than the
cost of the nursing home!
Your parents will have nurses
and assistants available
when needed. You will also
be pleased to see everything
from a beautician and a
chef to laundry services and
security on-site.
If you'd like to free yourself up so that the time you spend with
Mom and Dad can be quality time, come and tour Alpine
Way. We'd love to treat you to lunch, show you our lovely
apartments, and answer all your questions.
Call Kathy Burbidge at
(360) 426-2600
for a free lunch and tour
900 West Alpine Way
Shelton, WA 98584
RETIREMENT APARTMENTS,
ASSISTED LIVING AND
ALZHEIMER'S SPECIAL CARE
www.enc0recommunities.c0m
Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, April 7, 2011 2 Page A-3