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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
October 13, 2011     Shelton Mason County Journal
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October 13, 2011
 
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Thursday, October 13, 2011 -- Week 41 -- The Voice of Mason County since 1886 --- PUblished in Shelton, Washington -- $1 County approves contract without union support Journal photo by Natalie Johnson Debbie Soares, left, and Paige Hansen listen as Mason County Commissioners approve a contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union without union approval. By NATALIE JOHNSON think at some point you have to have employees were compensated $825 an agreement to work from. There has per month for health care costs. Dur- Despite not coming to an agree-to be a means for an employer to run ing contract negotiations, union mem- ment with the American Federation its business." bers asked the county to increase that of State, County and Municipal Em- According to the Revised Code ofreimbursement to $875. The county's ployees (AFSCME) union, the Mason Washington (RCW) 41.56, an employ- medical insurance package costs em- County Commission approved a col- er has the right to "unilaterally imple- ployees $1,041 per month. lective bargaining agreement with the ment" the most recent version of the Non-union employees get $825 per union on Tuesday. contract after it has been in negotia- month for healthcare expenses. "We're incredibly lucky to have jobs tions for more than a year. This partic- "I believe that previous contracts in this economy. Having a job does not ular contract has been in negotiations were signed and previous employees mean that you can be mistreated," since 2009, Jackson said. were given the same things that we union member Paige Hansen said.Despite the legality of the decision, were asking for," Soares said. While several union members ex-some AFSCME union members feel Two unions, one for Mason County pressed their frustration with the corn- jilted. Sheriffs Office employees and another mission's decision during Tuesday's "I don't feel respected," Hansenfor county corrections officers, both meeting, Karen Jackson, the county's said. "We're asking to be treated fairly, receive medical insurance reimburse- human resources director, said the we're looking for parity." ments of $875 per month. county is well within its rights to ap- According to recently elected AF- In the contract approved by the prove the contract without union sup- SCME union president Debbie Soares, county commission Tuesday, AFSCME port. the main dispute in the contract re- members were given $855 per month "We decided to move forward pur- lates to health care compensation. suant to state law 41.56," she said. "I In the previous AFSCME contract,See Union on page A-7 Tahuya man guilty of attempted murder By KEVAN MOORE A Mason County jury has convicted a Tahuya man of attempted murder. Tahuya resident Daniel R: Halverson, 52, was found guilty this past Friday of first-degree attempted mur- der and first-degree assault. The verdict came after a lengthy trial and three days of deliberations. The lead juror in the case was dismissed Friday morning for looking up legal terms online and the alternate juror was called in before the unanimous verdict was reached a few hours later. Halverson faces 16 to 21 years in prison at his sen- tencing on Oct. 24. Halverson was arrested in September of last year af- ter his Cheyenne Hill Drive neighbor was shot three See Murder on page A'7 County sends cease and desist letter to marijuana dispensaries By ARLA SHEPHARD Mason County medical marijuana dispensaries will have to halt operations, ac- cording to cease and desist letters that the county sent to three different business- es. MariMeds and The House of Bella Donna in Belfair and Hood Canal Patient- 2Patient Co-op in Hood- sport received cease and desist letters this week from the county's Department of Community Develop- ment, signed by department See Marijuana on page A-7 IlllU!!l!!ll!!l!l!l!nlt2 Two separate fires occured in Shelton this week, including this one, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, in the Madison Street. For complete stories on both fires, turn to page A-5. Journal photo by Natalie Johnson 1500 block of City discusses second permit dispute in last month By NATALIE JOHNSON has to meet code requirements for structures," Mayo said. The City of Shelton build- On May 27, ~he city permitted ing department has been busy the business on the condition that defending itself at city commis- city building officials approved of sion meetings in the last several the tents, or "membrane struc- weeks, after several allegations of tures," as city codes refer to them. harassment and unfair treatment However in June, building offi- have surfaced, cials realized that the tents were During the city commission in place, but they had no record meeting Monday, building official of approving them. On July 13, Kelly Mayo gave a short presenta- Mayo said, the owner of Jay's tion on the state of a permit for Farmstand, Lee Dixon, submitted awning or tent structures out- plans for outdoor structures, but side Jay's Farmstand in Shelton, those plans were "lacking." which the city repeatedly referred "There was additional informa- to incorrectly as Jay's Fruit Stand tion required to permit the struc- during the meeting, ture," Mayo said. "To this date we While the business has been in don't have any i~formation back operation in Shelton since May, on that." for some time the city has said the However, a structural engineer structures do not comply with its hired by Dixon disagreed. permit. The argument specifically Steve Goins, the city's commu- deals with the tents in front of the nity and economic development market, which cover outdoor food director said that the structures displays, simply don't meet design criteria "Anything outside the buiding in the city's codes. On Sept. 19, the city issued a and cause damage to property or stop work order to Jay's Farm- even hurt someone. stand. The order states that the However several supporters of business had to either remove the Jay's Farmstand and Dixon ac- structures or get them permitted cused the city of dragging out the within 10 days, Mayo said. process, and discouraging a suc- Much of the confusion, said city cessful local business. fire marshal Mike Patti, stems "We want to create a busi- from the fact that the city doesn't ness friendly community. I think know whether the structures are we need to work thorugh this," considered temporary or perma, said Dick Taylor, a former city nent. : commissmner and candidate If the structures are up for i80 for the Port of Shelton commis- days or less, they are deemed sion. "Structures like this have temporary and regulated by the been used throughout the state of fire code only, but if they're up for Washington." more than 180 days, they are reg- In fact, Jay's Farmstand loca- ulated by the city's building code. tions in Thurston and Grays Har- "The biggest question that bor Counties use the same out- needs to be asked at this point is, door tents and haven't faCed such are they temporary or permanent scrutiny by city building officials. structures," Patti said. "They do "I don't know why Shel- need to meet a minimum require- ton would be better than ment for fire, life and safety." Grays Harbor, they don't face City officials expressed a con- that harassement there," said cern that in inclement weather, the structures would blow away See Permit on page A-7