Port 2 board plans appointment, park work

Commissioners of Port District No. 2 of Wahkiakum County hope to fill a vacancy on their board of commissioners and start construction of a boat ramp project on Puget Island in the next few weeks.

Commissioners Kayrene Gilbertsen and Carlton Appelo have been the only commission members since Kyle Gribskov retired and didn't run for re-election.

At the board's July meeting, Gilbertsen and Appelo said they had an agreement from Skamokawa resident Greg Parke to fill the spot and they passed a motion to appoint him. However Parke didn't attend the August meeting on Tuesday when he could have sworn his oath of office.

In other business, Manager Steve McClain reported that final steps are being taken for start of the Svensen Park Boat Ramp on Puget Island this fall.

McClain also reported that he and Port Attorney Tim Hanigan are continuing to negotiate with the state Department of Natural Resources a lease for sale of dredge spoil sand.

The agency claims jurisdiction over the sand, which dredges pump on park property as part of shipping channel maintenance and construction. The port sells the sand to local residents and pays a royalty to the DNR.

McClain said the agency is under pressure from auditors to have a paper trail for every sale. McClain said the port doesn't have manpower to write a ticket every time a load is hauled away, as the lease would mandate. Instead, the port has arranged with haulers to keep a log for billing purposes.

McClain also reported that the lease would raise the royalty from 68 cents per cubic yard to 71 cents, retroactive to January 1, 2008. In the past, McClain said, the agency notified the port of royalty increases by certified letter before the rates went into effect so that the port could work the figures into the coming year's budget and adjust rates.

The agency also wants a month's royalties paid by the 14th of the succeeding month but as the port commission meets on the third Tuesday of the month, it is impossible for commissioners to approve a voucher in time to meet the deadline.