June 14, 2007 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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;0 I
I
A family tradition
Sean Brehmeyer gives a lift to Gage Bane moments be-
fore graduation ceremonies begin at Mary M. Knight
School in Matlock. Sean's graduation ends his fam-
fly's 74-year winning streak. A member of the Breh-
aeyer clan has attended every year at MMK since
1933. There's more about the graduation of eight se-
niors there on page 20.
Unemployment
| tdown in Mason
pltP )loyment in Mason Coun-
i84 a bit in May, according
State labor economists.
The Washington State Depart-
o# of Employment Security re-
that approximately 23,900
, Ple here had jobs last month
d approximately 1,280 were un-
I IF'aPloyed.
| State officials report that the
IEi°°th"de t°
l l00reak ground
I ballfleld
A groundbreaking ceremony at
| new baseball field at South-
|¢le School will be held there on
r |turday, June 16. , ,,
The Southside Booster Club wiiJ
ld a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2
ta., with an assortment of baked
ds including cookies, pies,
|'es and brownies. The ground-
|'king event will be at 11 a.m.
|, The baseball field will be con-
|Icted over the summer and
|:ileduled to be ready when school
-7t| s in the fall:
jobless rate was 5.2 percent last
month, which is down from both
the 5.5 percent rate in April and
the 5.7 percent rate in May of last
year.
In the state as a whole the job-
less rate inched up to 4.6 percent
in May from April's rate of 4.4 per-
cent, but the rate remains at his-
toric lows. Washington employers
added 6,400 nonlhrm jobs, and of-
ficials said the uptick in the unem-
ployment rate primarily reflects
more people looking ibr work last
month.
There were increases in employ-
ment for most industry sectors in
May compared to the two previous
months. The largest job gains in
May were in professional and busi-
ness services, with 1,900 new jobs;
construction, up 1,200; wholesale
trade, up 800; and education and
health services, up 800 new jobs.
Among major industry sectors, the
largest decline was reported in in-
formation, down 400.
Since May of last year, 59,300
net new jobs were created in Wash-
ington, and last month 3.2 million
people were reported to be em-
(Please turn to page 9.)
SPOONER FARMS
is back in
SHELTON!
STRAWBERRIES
HERE NOW!
For more information call Olympia
456-4554
Builders group says fees
would affect affordability
A public meeting Monday
night about proposed school im-
pact fees brought out more than
20 people in Shelton.
Currently, school districts in
Mason County are seeking to
have Mason County and the City
of Shelton adopt ordinances es-
tablishing impact fees on new
homes to help pay a portion of
school costs.
Developers would be charged
such fees on a one-time basis to
help increase capacity in schools
to offset the effects of residential
growth. Proposed impact fees by
district per single-family unit
include: Shelton, $3,553; North
Mason, $2,528; Grapeview,
$2,384; Pioneer, $2,369; Hood
Canal, $2,122; and Southside,
$730.
Joan Zook, superintendent of
the Shelton School District, ex-
plained there are two funding
scenarios - impact fees or miti-
gation fees.
IMPACT FEES, which would
be incorporated into ordinances
by the county and city and col-
lected by those jurisdictions for
the school districts, would enable
districts to buy portable class-
rooms and have them installed
by the time additional students
arrive. Growth helps pay for
growth, under that scenario, she
said.
Mitigation fees would affect de-
velopments of five or more units
in most areas and 10 or more in
the Shelton School District and
would be negotiated between
developers and a school district.
Unlike impact fees, no money
would be available for hous-
ing new students when needed.
School districts would have to
rely on bond measures and there
would be a three- to five-year lag
between when a bond measure
is approved by voters and when
new classrooms are completed.
Under the mitigation scenario,
current homeowners would pay
for most of the cost of growth.
Will Stakelin of the Olympia
Master Builders said while the
organization supports schools
and education, it is concerned
about the fhirness of impact fees.
The responsibility for funding
education really lies upon the
state, he added.
Ultimately, the cost of impact
fees will be passed on to the ho-
meowner and will increase the
cost of housing, Stakelin said.
The building industry feels im-
pact fees are a regressive tax.
The fees won't slow growth, but
some people won't be able to af-
ford houses as a result, he said.
MONEY COLLECTED from
impact fees does not go into a
school district's general fund,
Zook said. It would be used to
build new classrooms.
There were other comments
from attendees and, aler two
hours, the consensus of city and
county staff members was there
needs to be more diah)gue and
public meetings.
Allyn rules now in place
It's been about five years in the
making, but the Mason County
Zoning Code for the Allyn Urban
Growth Area, or UGA, has final-
ly passed muster.
That's not to say it didn't pass
without a final touchup or two -
and there are still plans for more
revisions - but during a public
hearing on Tuesday the Mason
County Commission voted unan-
imously to authorize the zoning
plan.
"We are happy to at least get
this adopted," said Jeff Carey,
president of the Allyn Commu-
nity Association and secretary
of the Allyn Urban Growth Area
Planning Committee of the asso-
ciation. "At least the foundation
now is laid for things for later."
Several people spoke at the
hearing, mostly in favor of ap-
proving the zoning code, though
some suggested additional
changes. Rob Drexler, president
of the Mason County Association
of Realtors read a letter listing
the association's recommenda-
tions for Allyn development reg-
ulations.
WORK ON ALLYN'S UGA
began in February 1997 with the
commissioners adopting a com-
pleted comprehensive plan last
November. Work on the zoning
component started in 2003 and
an interim plan was adopted in
July 2004.
Some of the areas still need-
ing to be addressed include the
sign ordinance and streetscap-
ing and landscaping regulations.
The county provided some stan-
dard regulations for these com-
ponents, but they really didn't fit
Allyn's specifications, explained
Carey.
Other matters still with room
for improvement deal with views,
particularly in the eastern third
of the UGA, and parking in the
business core, Carey added. One
additional change the commis-
(Please turn to page 9.)
FULL SERVICE
AUTO REPAIR
Specializing in
brakes, exhaust
and custom work
FREE ESTIMATES
& FLUID CHECKS
"Quality and Trust
That's Hometowne
Service"
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO
KEEP YOUR FUTURE ON TRACK.
Now is the time to schedule your free portfolio rcvi('& r. (i:all .r visit h.lav.
lemls Byrd www.edwardJones.com
Mmber
SIPC
FInancla Advisor
1717 Olympic Hwy. N.
Sbelton3NA 98584
360-432-896S
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE CLASS OF 2007
Past memories
Present moments
Future accomplishments
• Come in, we will gladly check and clean your jewelry for FREE.
1 st & Railroad, Suite 108
* Free Gift Wrapping
Monday-Friday 10:00-5:30
/n-Store Professional Jewelry Repair
426-5811
* One year Interest Y'EE
w/Pcquired Minimum Purt:ltace O.A.('.
Saturday 10:00-2:00
Thursday, June 14, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 3
I
;0 I
I
A family tradition
Sean Brehmeyer gives a lift to Gage Bane moments be-
fore graduation ceremonies begin at Mary M. Knight
School in Matlock. Sean's graduation ends his fam-
fly's 74-year winning streak. A member of the Breh-
aeyer clan has attended every year at MMK since
1933. There's more about the graduation of eight se-
niors there on page 20.
Unemployment
| tdown in Mason
pltP )loyment in Mason Coun-
i84 a bit in May, according
State labor economists.
The Washington State Depart-
o# of Employment Security re-
that approximately 23,900
, Ple here had jobs last month
d approximately 1,280 were un-
I IF'aPloyed.
| State officials report that the
IEi°°th"de t°
l l00reak ground
I ballfleld
A groundbreaking ceremony at
| new baseball field at South-
|¢le School will be held there on
r |turday, June 16. , ,,
The Southside Booster Club wiiJ
ld a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 2
ta., with an assortment of baked
ds including cookies, pies,
|'es and brownies. The ground-
|'king event will be at 11 a.m.
|, The baseball field will be con-
|Icted over the summer and
|:ileduled to be ready when school
-7t| s in the fall:
jobless rate was 5.2 percent last
month, which is down from both
the 5.5 percent rate in April and
the 5.7 percent rate in May of last
year.
In the state as a whole the job-
less rate inched up to 4.6 percent
in May from April's rate of 4.4 per-
cent, but the rate remains at his-
toric lows. Washington employers
added 6,400 nonlhrm jobs, and of-
ficials said the uptick in the unem-
ployment rate primarily reflects
more people looking ibr work last
month.
There were increases in employ-
ment for most industry sectors in
May compared to the two previous
months. The largest job gains in
May were in professional and busi-
ness services, with 1,900 new jobs;
construction, up 1,200; wholesale
trade, up 800; and education and
health services, up 800 new jobs.
Among major industry sectors, the
largest decline was reported in in-
formation, down 400.
Since May of last year, 59,300
net new jobs were created in Wash-
ington, and last month 3.2 million
people were reported to be em-
(Please turn to page 9.)
SPOONER FARMS
is back in
SHELTON!
STRAWBERRIES
HERE NOW!
For more information call Olympia
456-4554
Builders group says fees
would affect affordability
A public meeting Monday
night about proposed school im-
pact fees brought out more than
20 people in Shelton.
Currently, school districts in
Mason County are seeking to
have Mason County and the City
of Shelton adopt ordinances es-
tablishing impact fees on new
homes to help pay a portion of
school costs.
Developers would be charged
such fees on a one-time basis to
help increase capacity in schools
to offset the effects of residential
growth. Proposed impact fees by
district per single-family unit
include: Shelton, $3,553; North
Mason, $2,528; Grapeview,
$2,384; Pioneer, $2,369; Hood
Canal, $2,122; and Southside,
$730.
Joan Zook, superintendent of
the Shelton School District, ex-
plained there are two funding
scenarios - impact fees or miti-
gation fees.
IMPACT FEES, which would
be incorporated into ordinances
by the county and city and col-
lected by those jurisdictions for
the school districts, would enable
districts to buy portable class-
rooms and have them installed
by the time additional students
arrive. Growth helps pay for
growth, under that scenario, she
said.
Mitigation fees would affect de-
velopments of five or more units
in most areas and 10 or more in
the Shelton School District and
would be negotiated between
developers and a school district.
Unlike impact fees, no money
would be available for hous-
ing new students when needed.
School districts would have to
rely on bond measures and there
would be a three- to five-year lag
between when a bond measure
is approved by voters and when
new classrooms are completed.
Under the mitigation scenario,
current homeowners would pay
for most of the cost of growth.
Will Stakelin of the Olympia
Master Builders said while the
organization supports schools
and education, it is concerned
about the fhirness of impact fees.
The responsibility for funding
education really lies upon the
state, he added.
Ultimately, the cost of impact
fees will be passed on to the ho-
meowner and will increase the
cost of housing, Stakelin said.
The building industry feels im-
pact fees are a regressive tax.
The fees won't slow growth, but
some people won't be able to af-
ford houses as a result, he said.
MONEY COLLECTED from
impact fees does not go into a
school district's general fund,
Zook said. It would be used to
build new classrooms.
There were other comments
from attendees and, aler two
hours, the consensus of city and
county staff members was there
needs to be more diah)gue and
public meetings.
Allyn rules now in place
It's been about five years in the
making, but the Mason County
Zoning Code for the Allyn Urban
Growth Area, or UGA, has final-
ly passed muster.
That's not to say it didn't pass
without a final touchup or two -
and there are still plans for more
revisions - but during a public
hearing on Tuesday the Mason
County Commission voted unan-
imously to authorize the zoning
plan.
"We are happy to at least get
this adopted," said Jeff Carey,
president of the Allyn Commu-
nity Association and secretary
of the Allyn Urban Growth Area
Planning Committee of the asso-
ciation. "At least the foundation
now is laid for things for later."
Several people spoke at the
hearing, mostly in favor of ap-
proving the zoning code, though
some suggested additional
changes. Rob Drexler, president
of the Mason County Association
of Realtors read a letter listing
the association's recommenda-
tions for Allyn development reg-
ulations.
WORK ON ALLYN'S UGA
began in February 1997 with the
commissioners adopting a com-
pleted comprehensive plan last
November. Work on the zoning
component started in 2003 and
an interim plan was adopted in
July 2004.
Some of the areas still need-
ing to be addressed include the
sign ordinance and streetscap-
ing and landscaping regulations.
The county provided some stan-
dard regulations for these com-
ponents, but they really didn't fit
Allyn's specifications, explained
Carey.
Other matters still with room
for improvement deal with views,
particularly in the eastern third
of the UGA, and parking in the
business core, Carey added. One
additional change the commis-
(Please turn to page 9.)
FULL SERVICE
AUTO REPAIR
Specializing in
brakes, exhaust
and custom work
FREE ESTIMATES
& FLUID CHECKS
"Quality and Trust
That's Hometowne
Service"
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT TO
KEEP YOUR FUTURE ON TRACK.
Now is the time to schedule your free portfolio rcvi('& r. (i:all .r visit h.lav.
lemls Byrd www.edwardJones.com
Mmber
SIPC
FInancla Advisor
1717 Olympic Hwy. N.
Sbelton3NA 98584
360-432-896S
CONGRATULATIONS
TO THE CLASS OF 2007
Past memories
Present moments
Future accomplishments
• Come in, we will gladly check and clean your jewelry for FREE.
1 st & Railroad, Suite 108
* Free Gift Wrapping
Monday-Friday 10:00-5:30
/n-Store Professional Jewelry Repair
426-5811
* One year Interest Y'EE
w/Pcquired Minimum Purt:ltace O.A.('.
Saturday 10:00-2:00
Thursday, June 14, 2007 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page 3