Commissioners act on varied business

Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business when they met Tuesday.

Commissioners agreed to hold a workshop with the Wahkiakum County Fair Board on March 19 to discuss employment of the fair manager.

The fair manager position has been funded with Wahkiakum County Interlocal Cooperative funds, working through WSU Cooperative Extension, but that arrangement ended this week.

Commissioners and other parties are considering if there's another arrangement that would allow flexibility in the manager's monthly hours.

“I am waiting to hear a solution to the situation from the county commissioners before anymore hours are worked,” Fair Manager Becky Ledtke said Wednesday. “I hope this can be resolved very soon, so we can stay current on paperwork, planned events and matters that need attention everyday.”

In response to a question from Grays River resident Al George, commissioners said they urge people to report sightings of elk with hoof rot disease to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists.

WDFW has announced biologists are going to study elk with hoof rot in Cowlitz and Pacific counties (see separate story in this issue).

George and commissioners agreed Wahkiakum sightings should be reported, too. They noted that the study resulted from Wahkiakum Commissioner Dan Cothren asking the department to look into the situation.

"It's huge here," Cothren said.

The board discussed whether or not to call for bids for janitorial services. Current contractor ABM Janitorial is willing to continue at the same price for another year, said Public Works Director Pete Ringen.

"I don't have strong feelings one way or another," he said. "If we go to bid, there may be someone interested in providing the service; we just don't know.

"Last time, we found ABM was the only firm interested, and their price went up, and we could run into that as well."

Commissioners agreed they wanted to continue the present contract another year.

"Let it go another year," said Commissioner Dan Cothren. "The economy might change, and there would be more parties interested."

Ringen will ask the prosecuting attorney's office to prepare a contract extension for action at the board's March 5 meeting.

Commissioners agreed to pick a name March 19 for the new county ferry that will be built to replace the Wahkiakum.

A committee consisting of board Clerk Marsha LaFarge, ferry skipper Dan Eaton, and Puget Island resident Ora Lorraine Bauer have reviewed nominated names and selected a group of four finalists.