Commissioners OK marine resource board contract

Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday handled a light agenda in quick fashion.

The commission approved an updated contract with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The agency will provide $34,871 for the county Marine Resources Committee.

Committee chair Carrie Backman said the committee has earmarked a number of uses for the money in 2012-13. These include $20,000 for the director, $500 for advisory council representation, $1,050 for a Cathlamet Waterfront Visioning Conference, $1,828 for the Columbia River Citizen Science Pinniped Project (which will monitor pinniped predation), $1,749 for Phase 2 Dredging Assessment; $3,000 for Marine Education Field Trips; $425 for a fish cleaning station at the Elochoman Slough Marina; $769 for promotional materials and signs; $3,500 for a select area fisheries enhancement study and business plan, $1,200 for a resource council summit and $850 for informational signs at the marina.

The board also went over details of the plan to allow the Cathlamet library to use the River Street Meeting Room while the town hall building is remodeled.

Mayor George Wehrfritz said the town would coordinate the move. Tables and most chairs from the meeting room will be stored in the T Building at the fairgrounds in Skamokawa.

Wehrfritz said the town hopes to have construction start sometime in September and be finished by the end of the year, but it could continue into January.

The county uses the room for its disaster response headquarters, and Emergency Services Director Beau Renfro said he was transferring that site to the town's new fire hall.

Commissioner Blair Brady reported that the county fair board had served over 250 meals at the fair salmon barbecue on Saturday, with 244 paid. Commercial fisherman Art Pedersen had donated the fish, and Brady said the fair would have the remaining 50 filets smoked and sold to generate more funds for the fair.