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arljuana:
Thursday, Oct. 27,
2016
- Shelton-Mason County
Journal - Page A-19
continued from page A-1 nesses by Mason County PUD 3.
"Like any process, some people
this year. Total sales for 2016 have are going to come out of it feeling
topped the $13 million mark, already like they've been hurt," Adkins said.
surpassing last year's total of $9 rail- "They're going to end up feeling like
lion. they've been rolled over the rock, and
So with the potential for more jobs they're not going to have a good experi-
created in the local market and the ence. And that happens with no matter
boon via tax dollars to the bank ac- what you're building and where, and
count of a county that's admittedly this isn't any different.
searching for additional revenue sourc- "Some people have been anxious
es, would-be cannabis business owners and they wanted very badly to get their
might be under the assumption Mason business going. They had these visions
County could be willifig to proverbi- for great projects and they realized
ally bend over backwards to meet their that when they came to the door we
needs. But that's not the case, said Ma- didn't have a set of answers for them."
son County building inspector Trish Fuhr said Toucan Farms and simi-
Woolett. lar businesses are being put under the
"We treat them exactly the same as microscope by the county.
any other business that comes in here," "Are we being unfairly scrutinized?
Woolett said. "It makes no difference to There's no question," he said. "The
us what kind of business they're in." question is by how much and to what
Many seeking to enter the industry extent we can prove it."
in Mason County back up Woolett's as- According to PUD 3 public informa-
sertion. Included in that group is Chad tion and government relations manag-
Dobson, a partner in Newday Grow-er Joel Myer, the public utility had no
ery, a producer/processor companychoice but to install a separate rate cat-
that hopes to be fully operational in its egory for marijuana businesses. That's
Shelton warehouse in November. partially due to the fact that PUD 3 ob-
Mason County wasn't the first choice tains the majority of the power it sells
for Dobson and his partners, who at to customers from federally operated
first hoped to set up shop in Thurston facilities.
County. But after multiple difficul- "The PUD is obligated to serve the
ties in dealing with Thurston County, new businesses with cost-based en-
Newday Growery sought out greenerergy, appropriately classified for the
pastures, and found them in Masontype of service they need without af-.
County. fecting other classes of customers,"
"I don't have a negative word to Myer wrote in an email to the Journal.
say about dealing with the planning "The Bonneville Power Administra-
permitting people in Mason County," tion says it won't interfere with the
Dobson said. "They worked with usretail relationship between utilities
with virtually everything we wanted and their customers involving federal
to do and helped us in getting every- power used for cannabis-related busi-
thing approved thus far. It was quite nesses .... By contrast, the Bureau of
refreshing, having just separated from Reclamation has refused to allow fed-
Thurston County. Every time we went eral irrigation water to be used for
back to them to try and meet their re- marijuana cultivation. Establishing a
quests, it seemed like they were mak- separate rate class for cannabis-relat-
ing it even more difficult for us. We ed business allows the PUD to quickly
finally just started looking elsewhere respond to any regulatory and policy
when it became apparent that working changes."
with Thurston County was seeming to While experiences like Fuhr de-
be more difficult every time we went to scribes have been the exception to the
them." rule, Dobson and his partners at New-
But Steven Fuhr tells a different sto- day Growery are the kind of people Ad-
ry. Fuhr, managing member of Toucan kins and Woolett have come to expect
Farms in Shelton, a producer of flowers to walk in the door at the county's corn-
and processor of rosin, infused choco- munity development offices.
lates and medicated salves, according "As an overarching majority, they're
to its website, has grown discouraged good people and they're just trying to
with Mason County while attemptingget a new business going," Woolett
to establish a producer/processor busi- said.
ness. Adkins, too, has been surprised by
And Fuhr, a Massachusetts native, the potential cannabis entrepreneurs
isn't one to keep quiet about his frus- she's dealt with.
trations. "They're super smart," she said. "You
"I'm reaching a point where I don't might think 'Oh no, marijuana, what's
know whether I care if I get quoted or going to come through that door?'" she
not, because I've pissed everybody else said. "But these are some really savvy
offalready," Fuhr said. "I'm one of those business people. It's been impressive."
people who asks why, and people don't Dobson thinks the key to making
like it when people ask why. Like, why the permit process in Mason County a
did it take them six months to approve fluid one is keeping things as simple as
a permit for me that they approved in possible.
30 days for 90 percent of other cases?" "I think the more questions you ask,
Fuhr laments what he's been the more you create issues that weren't
through during the permitting process, already there," Dobson said. "We didn't
what he feels has been unfair scrutiniz- want to open up a whole new can of
ing of his company's personal property worms; we just want to get the license,
taxes and even the separate rate that's so we're doing it all by the book and not
been established for marijuana busi- creating further complications."
"Some people have been anxious and they
wanted very badly to get their business going,
They had these visions for great projects and
they realized that when they came to the door
we didn't have a set of answers for them,"
Barbara Adkfns, planning manager, Mason County
MPD FAQS
On July 19, 2016 the Meson County Board
of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted to
put to voters on the November 2016 ballot
whether or not they want to create the Met-
ropoliten Park District for the management,
control, improvement, maintenance, and
acquisition of parks and recreational facilities
in Mason County. The County curren
funds Porks primarily out of Property and
Sales Tax Revenues (REET) to the tune of
around $549,2%00 a year. This poles in
comparison to the number of Parks Capitol
Projects cited in the ParEs Master Plan
adopted by the BOCC in late 2015.
HOW:This vote would adopt o property tax levy of $0.20
per every $I,000 in assessed value. This works out to
$20.00 o year on o house assessed at $100,000 a year. This
would generate approximately $1,200,000.00 annually for
the parEs system county-wide
WHERE:The Metropolitan Parks DislTict would encompass
all pork facilities outside of the City limits of Shelton but within
the rest of Mason County.
WHAT: Funds raised by the Metropolitan Pork DislTJct can
go toward parEs and recreational expenditures. Examples of
this would include; playground equipment, walking paths,
dog-pork, or more. The decision w'dlbe up to the MetTopoliton
Park. District Board should the district be created.
WHO:The Park District Board of Commissioners.However,
the funds raised can only be spent on porks (Chapter 35.61
RCW).
Whet is a Metropolitan Pwk District (MID)?
A MPD is e senior property taxing district with special taxing
authority for the management, control, improvement,
maintenance, and acquisition of porks, pathways, boulevards,
recreational facilities, programs, and services.
How would MID revenue lie collected?
The MPD tax would be o component of prope owners'
annual Mason County properly tex assessment administered
by Mason County.
Who would pay this tax?
Pr@erty owners within the boundaries of Mason County,
excluding those parcels within the City of Sbelton, would pay
this tax.
WueM rids tax expire?
The tax would not expire
Who would govern the Ibsen County MID?
The MPD would be governed by the Mason County
Metropolitan Park District Board consisting of S At-Large
Elected Commissioners.
H the MPD passes, todd the fvnds be .r l for
other Mason County needs?
No, by state law, MPD funds could only be utilized for porks
and recreation-related facilities, programs, and services.
How would the MID revenue be spent?
MPD funds would be spent on porks development and
maintenance as ooltined in the Porks Master Plan, Capitol
Improvement Plan, and overall budget approved by the MPD
Commissioners.
Who determines wht the MID revenue would be
spent on?
The MPD Commission, in its role as the Mason County
MetTopolitan Park, District Board, would approve the MPD
budget.
Who would provide oversight on hew MID
revenue is spent?
Oversight would be provided by the Pork Board comprised of
county residents.
What would happen if the MID measure fds?
Should the measure fail, there would be limited additional
funding for park operations and maintenance, capitol, and
development.
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