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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 12, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 12, 2020
 
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By Kirk Boxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com While the Port of Allyn’s Board of Commissioners unanimously passed both the proposed budget for 2021 and a 1% levy increase, a difference of opinion led one of the three commissioners to vote “no” on the adoption of an updated public records policy for the port. District 1 Commissioner Judy Scott noted that the actual levy amount from the previous year was $292,222.42, and that thepopulation of the Port of Allyn’s district is less than 10,000, before all three commissioners authorized an increase in the regu- lar property tax levy to be collected in the 2021 tax year. _ As part of the authorization,,the dollar amount of the increase over the actual levy amount from the previous year shall be $2,922.25, which is an increase of 1% from the previous year, which Scott Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020 Shelton-Mason County Journal - Page A-29 pointed out is a standard annual adjustment to keep pace with inflation. Scott said the increase is exclusive of additional revenue resulting from new construction improve- ments to property, newly constructed wind turbines, solar, biomass and geothermal facilities, and any in,- crease in the value of state-assessed property, ‘any annexation that has occurred and refunds made. Port Executive Director Lary Coppola said the port could collect a regular levy of upto $301,000 and a refund levy of $825.59 in 2021, which Cop— pola explained was more than the county had unof- ficially certified. “If there’s more new construction during the year, what I was told to do was just make it high- er, because we could always collect more,” Coppola said. “But if we put the certified number there, and there’s more tax revenue from new construction than we’re entitled to, we’re only allowed to collect that lower number.” _ Port of Allyn approves 2021 bUdget New construction'is expected in the district, with' developments in progress in Allyn, with more slat- ed, and additional development in Belfair. “This is a protection for the port,” Coppola said. District 2 Commissioner Ted Jackson voted against the proposed update to the port’s public re- cords policy. He differed with what he saw as the stifling formality of the updated policy’s require- ments, arguing that one shouldn’t need to fill out forms to file public records requests with the port, and that as a commissioner, he was entitled to this information without having to do so. While Jackson believed Coppola was the source of this specific update, Coppola ascribed the proposed changes to the strong recommendations of Steve Di- Julio, who serves as attorney for the port. Coppola added that, according to DiJulio, a verbal request by Jackson -—- or anyone else — would most certainly qualify as a public records request, whether official forms were filed or not. By Kirk Baxleitner kbox/eitner@masoncounty. com With recent investments such as Harbor Custom Development’s $3.91 million purchase-and-sale agreement for 48 acres of 145 undeveloped lots in Belfair, Mason County Flaming Man- ager Kell Rowen sees now as an espe- cially opportune time for the county to seek community comment on an envi- ronmentalimpact statement to review the Belfair Urban Growth Area. ‘ ’ “In addition to the county’s grant to extend the sewer system, a new freight corridor or bypass is planned,” Rowen said. “These investments will contribute to rapid growth in Belfair, so we want to know how you think Belfair should grow. We’re refreshing the 2004 Belfair Plan, and creating a planned action environmental impact statement and ordinance, to guide growth in ways that reflect the com- munity’s vision for the future.” The proposal addresses the nearly 4-square-mile Belfair growth area, bounded by the northeastern border separating Mason and Kitsap coun-- ties. The EIS is set to review the con- ditions within both the UGA and the rural lands bordering the UGA. Because Mason County has deter- mined that this proposal is likely to have a significant adverse effect on the environment, an EIS is required under state law and will include dis- cussions of the following: I The natural environment, from earth and water resources to plants and animals. I Land use and cultural resources. I Aesthetics. I Public services such as police, fire, parks and schools. I And utilities, among them water, wastewater, stormwater and power. Rowen noted that several agencies, affected tribes and members of the public are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS, on subjects ranging from alternatives, mitigation mea- sures and probable significant adverse effects to licenses or other approvals that might be required. Rowen directed the public to the project website at www.co.mason. wa.us/community-services/belfair—eis for basic information about the proj- ect, including the project’s timeline, ongoing public notices and future doc- ument publication. For the project’s online “story map,” go to belfair.berk- maps.com for an interactive, map- based webpage to learn more about the Belfair UGA. You can also explore COunty seeks comments on Belfair Urban Grthh Area maps of the changes being considered and leave comments about specific 10- cations in the UGA. People can provide comments at surveymonkey.com/r/BelfairUGA or by participating in an online commu- nity workshop at 6 p.m. on Nov. 19. Log onto zoom.us/j/98319565704 or call 253-215-8782 to join by phone. You can also provide written com— ments by 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 to Rowen at planning@co.mason.wa.us or by mail: Kell Rowen, Planning Manager Mason County Community Ser- vices 615 W. Alder St. Shelton, WA 98584 For questions about how to. par- ticipate, or to appeal the determina- tion of significance, contact Rowen at krowen@co.mason.wa.us or 360-427- 9670, ext..286.