Port District 2 works on business

The Port District No. 2 board of commissioners had a light agenda they met July 20.

Commissioners Brian O’Connor and Kayrene Gilbertsen--Commissioner Carlton Appelo was absent--approved and signed off on last month’s minutes, then opened the floor to public comment.

Lower Economic Development Council Executive Director David Goodroe asked commissioners to view some of the advertisements he’d placed in different publications showing Vista Park.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen this one,” said Goodroe, holding up Sky magazine from Delta Airlines. "This magazine reaches about 2 million people annually.”

He said he had placed ads in publications throughout Washington and Oregon.

Commissioner O’Connor questioned the value of Vista Park’s membership in the Columbia River Estuary Task Force (CREST). “It is costing us $750 a year,” said O’Connor "and I wonder if it is benefiting us?”

Commissioners also approved a settlement contract with West Side Water Works. The board approved a one-time arrears payment to the water department for $6,000.

“This settles the claim?” O’Connor asked attorney Jennifer Hanigan.

“Yes,” Hanigan said, "but you’ll still need all four of the water board executives to sign the release."

The park fell into arrears after the previous park manager connected the park to West Side Water Works and then fell behind on the account.

The board heard a report on the small dredge cooperative Port 2 was supposedly a part of. O’Connor said the port was never a part of the dredge co-op.

“There was supposed to be all these different ports involved in buying the dredge,” said O’Connor, “but it was a myth.”

“There is a dredge,” said Port 2 Manager Bob Robinson. “I saw an agreement that authorized the previous manager to negotiate in the formation of the dredge co-op but there was nothing else.”

Robinson said he followed up and called the Port of Willapa in Tokeland. The port said they had purchased the dredge, but by the time it all came together. the other ports were no longer interested.

Robinson reported that contractor Greg Prestegard had finished re-roofing all the park’s outbuildings and restrooms. He said the company had done an outstanding job.

“They even worked in the rain, and those roofs are steep,” said Robinson.

O’Connor moved to pay the park’s outstanding vouchers for the month. Total park expenditures to $23,848. Gilbertson seconded and it passed.

The discussion turned to advertising and bringing more people into Wahkiakum County to use the park.

Gilbertson suggested approaching other business in the area to form an ad co-op with dues that would go to develop advertising in local and regional publications.

Under new business, Robinson reported that the power installation to Svensen Park on Puget Island should be done this week. He also gave an update on repairs to the park’s well.

“Everything except the pump still works,” said Robinson. “The plan is to replicate what was there in terms of the system and we’re hoping to be on line by the end of the year.”

Robinson also reported that the park had several leases they needed to monitor. He said the telephone company had a small room on the parks property they hadn’t paid for in a couple of years. He said Skamokawa Sewer was in arrears of $9,000 and the sewer company had yet to respond to a request for payment.

“We’re not charging any interest but we do need to get these cleaned up,” said Robinson.

He also reported that he had contacted the Port of Portland about the long-term usage of the park’s dredge spoils site and the re-issuance of a contract allowing the Port to use the park’s waterfront as a base to work from when dumping dredge spoils in the area.

“The Port of Portland are very good guys; all our concern is an equitable exchange over the use of our waterfront,” said Robinson.

Robinson also reported that park management had to develop a Svensen launch maintenance program. He said the float system at the launch site collects a lot of debris.

“There was a plan that showed pilings at the launch site,” said Gilbertsen.

“We need a boom-stick we can anchor to the piling and tie it off to the shore,” said Robinson. He said the log would work to deflect any debris coming down on the Svensen Park dock.

“Neighbors in the area are constantly pushing debris away from the dock so there’s already a maintenance requirement out there," said Robinson.