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Page A-2 Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, July 23, 2020
Home rule charter organizers seek signatures
If appro ved, measure
allow for
changes for
Rudnick
adam@masoncounty.com
Organizers behind an effort that
could potentially change the county’s
form of government are collecting sig-
natures to get a measure on this fall’s
ballot.
A lecal group, including former
Mason County Auditor Karen Herr,
aim to collect about 2,500 signatures
in order to put Home Rule Charter to
voters in the Nov. 3 general election.
If approved by voters, the measure
would allow for 15 Mason County resi—
dents, known as freeholders, to study
and potentially write a new charter.
That document would be used “as the
guiding principles for local govern-
ment operations. It offers opportuni-
ties to customize local government
not readily available under the com-
mission form of control,” according a
petition.
If voters approve Home Rule Char-
ter, the group of freeholders could
increase the number of county com-
missioner positions, provide initiative
and referendum power to residents, or
create positions that would delegate
some of commissioners’ executive au-
thority. For example, the county could
create a Mason County executive posi-
tion that works between commission—
ers and department heads, Herr said
in an interview with the Shelton-Ma-
son County Journal.
Home. rule supporters will be col-
lecting signatures until July 31, Herr
said. The deadline to submit signa-
tures for verification is Aug. 3.
“The July 31 date is to make sure
we have time over that weekend to
compile and organize signatures be-
fore submitting them the next Mon-
day,” Herr said.
Organizers will be at the Shelton
and Belfair post offices this week col-
lecting signatures. Herr said she es-
timates that organizers had collected
about 2,000 signatures as of Friday.
Mason County Auditor Paddy Mc-
Guire said home rule supporters need
to collect 1,950 valid signatures, which
is equal to 10% of people who voted in
the last general election, three months
before the Nov. 3 general election.
“Should the petition qualify, in No—
vember we would ask voters whether
they want to start the process of draft-
ing a new charter and also elected 15
freeholders (representatives to draft
the charter),” McGuire said.
If they manage to collect the re-
quired number of signatures, Herr
said the county would likely open
up a special filing period for county
residents to file for the freeholder po-
sitions, but that would be up to Mc-
Guire. .
“They have to be pretty quick be-
cause they are already starting to
build the ballot,” Herr said.
The top five vote-getters in each of
the county’s three commissioner dis-
.tricts would be elected to an unpaid
board to create a new charter. Resi—
dents must be registered voters for at
least five years in order to file for the
nonpartisan position. Their term in
office begins the day after officials cer-
tify the election, and ends the follow-
ing November'election, or upon sub-
mission of a draft charter for a public
vote, whichever comes first.
There’s no timeline for when a new
charter would have to go to a vote,
Herr said, but any charter would be
subject to a regular review. A com-
mittee in Clark County, one of seven
charter counties in Washington, re-
views the county’s charter every five
years, Herr said.
The charter could expand the num-
ber of county commissioners to as
many as nine, increasing the number
of elected officials that have a voice in
the county’s decision-making process.
Herr said the charter could also al-
low residents to file initiatives or ref-
erendums at the county level, which is
currently allowed at the city and state
level.
“When I was county auditor, people
wanted to put initiatives on the bal-
lot,” she said. “Most people really ap-
prove of having that ability.”
If approved by voters, Mason Coun-
ty would join King, Clallam, What-
com, Snohomish, Pierce, San Juan
and Clark counties as having a home
rule charter form of government.
Counties that have attempted to
pass home rule charters but have
failed include Kitsap, Island, Thur-
ston, Cowlitz, Ferry, Skamania, Spo—
kane, Yakima, Asotin, Jefferson, Lew-
is and Skagit.
The charter petition is available
at my.lwv.org/Washington/mason-
county.
Grump appeal raises questions about intentions
Efiéébéila'ereda
isabe/Ia@masoncounty. com
A developer might have had intentions to mine
property in a residential zone in North Mason even
after allegedly withdrawing applications following a
public comment period on the State Environmental
Policy Act proposal two years ago.
Just what Grump Ventures owner Russell Scott
did on the 66.5-acre property, located across from
the Port of Allyn boat launch on Northeast North
Shore Road, was among the topics of conversation
July 16 during a virtual appeal hearing.
With County Hearing Examiner Phil Olbrecht,
county employees, ' attorneys and dozens of North
Mason County residents watching on Zoom, the first
hearing for Scott’s appeal of the county’s decision to
rescind a county SM-6 form lasted nearly 10 hours.
The form permitted a surface mine in the residential
zone.
“My understanding is that (Grump Ventures)
withdrew the reclamation permit to (the Depart-
ment of Natural Resources) before mining in April
2019,” said Kell Rowen, Mason County planning
manager, during the hearing.
According to a memo from Mason County Planner
Michael MacSems to the Hood Canal Gravel Mine
Opposition Association, Scott withdrew his applica-
tions in July 2018, but in April 2019, Peninsula Top—
soil began excavating the site without a county, state
or Department of Natural Resources (DNR) permit.
“Our position in conjunction with our evidence,
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clearly establishes (that there was) insignificant or
illegal activity,” County Prosecutor Tim Whitehead
said. “The activity was illegal, in violation of Mason
County code, state law, DNR a cease and desist
letter was issued by (the Department of) Ecology on
April 22 (2019).”
Mason County issued a letter to Grump Ventures
in January rescinding Grump Ventures’ SM-6 form
after two years of inactivity on the property. County
code stipulates that after two years of inactivity,
nonconforming use expires.
Grump Ventures appealed that decision.
During the hearing, Scott’s attorney Clara Park
said that though Grump Ventures was not actively
mining the property, there was intent to mine.
“We have been working on this since we got the
SM—6 signed,” said Jack Johnson,. owner of Penin-
sula Topsoil and permitting aide for the Scott pit,
during the hearing.
Johnson added that Grump Ventures has an ac-
tive DNR reclamation permit application.
The question is whether intent is enough to'con-
stitute use.
During the hearing, Park and Whitehead each
called witnesses to provide testimony about the
property’s use. However, the intervenors — a group
of North Shore Road homeowners -— and their at-
torney, David Bricklin, provided additional context
about the site’s history and commented on whether
the SM-6 permit was legitimately issued in the first
.place.
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Glen, as a witness for the intervenors.
Glen used aerial photography of the site from the
19505 to explain that he could not identify any evi-
dence of mining on the parcels surrounding the 1.87
acre gravel borrow that the county included in the
SM-6.
“Usually (I) can tell from aerial photography
that there was ground disturbance in some fashion,”
Glen said. “Looking for patterns of trees, looking at
individual trees the trees are the same, the drive
ways are the same. There’s a lot of things I could
hang my hat on.”
Glen identified timber activities, but testified that
“there is no evidence that anything (related to ex-
cavating materials) has happened in the 64 acres
above the pit.”
Olbrecht said, of Glen’s testimony, that the inter—
venors and the county may “have a stronger case (for
abandonment of mining activities) if it was never
mined in the past it’s marginal relevance, but it’s
relevance.” '
The intervenors, Dale and Barbara Brown, Brian
and Wendy Comfort, Patrick Yates, Linda Hebish,
Earl Iddings, Joel and Angie Kramer, Michael
Kovar, Pat McCullough and William Anspach filed
a class-action lawsuit against the county June in
US. District Court. ‘
The North Shore Road residents allege that
Mason County Commissioner Randy Neather-
lin and David Windom, Mason County director of
see GRUMP, page A—29
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