Commissioners hear budget and drainage requests

Wahkiakum County commissioners handled a variety of business when they met Tuesday, including several requests from department heads for budget amendments.

Commissioners said they would hold a workshop next week to discuss the requests and how they could be funded and act on the requests at their August 6 meeting.

Sheriff Mark Howie asked the board to authorize him to replace a pickup used as a patrol vehicle with another pickup.

The vehicle in question came to the county through a seizure, and it hasn't been in use long enough to build up funds to replace it. Undersheriff Steve Marshal has idendified a potential new pickup available on the state bid list; it would cost the county $14,000-$15,000 over what has accumulated in the replacement fund, he said.

Howie also informed the board that the state legislature has cut the state funding that supported the deputy sheriff who specialized in drug law enforcement. The department needs to maintain that position, Howie said, and that will be a $41,000 expense.

Howie also asked the board to replace the speed watch trailer, which has a radar and digital screen to alert drivers to their speed. The trailer is worn out, Howie said, and people continue to request its presence to help keep traffic moving safely, he said.

Clerk Kay Holland asked the board to fund an 89.5 hour-per-month part-time employee for the rest of the year for her department. She said she, her deputy and limited part-time clerk are barely keeping up with required work. They're unable to take on extra tasks or use accumulated vacation, she said.

Commission Chair Blair Brady indicated he would support the request.

"I asked Kay to submit this," he told colleagues Dan Cothren and Mike Backman. "Kay has done a great job in her department. It's almost like she's being punished for it."

In other business, John Doumit asked the board to take action to open plugged drainage in the lower reach of Nelson Creek. Beaver dams have plugged the creek, he said, and that has backed up water that is turning parts of the farm he owns with a brother into a swamp. The water also is drowning a rare patch of tidewater spruce, and it comes close to covering Risk Road at every high tide.

"It costs us every year," Doumit said. "It's time to do something."

Commissioners said they are aware of the situation and are trying to work with state agencies and the Columbia Land Trust, which owns the land where the beaver dams are located.

Public Works Director Pete Ringen showed Doumit an engineer's graph of elevations in the area; the mouth of the creek is actually higher than the area where the creek goes under Risk Road.

"I can't make water run up hill," he said. He added that the county road crew used to keep the channel clear and flowing, but contemporary environmental laws don't allow that.

Commissioner Dan Cothren said he would attend a meeting today (Thursday) with state and federal wildlife officials, and he would raise the matter with them.

"This (situation) is a passion of mine," he said. "Timber companies have improved habitat upstream, but the fish can't get there. This whole thing (not being able to tear out beaver dams) is so bogus. This isn't 200 years ago. We're not going to go back to that."