Technology, Olympia on county agenda

Wahkiakum County commissioners handled on Tuesday a variety of business ranging from technology to the legislature.

Commissioners approved a recommendation from the county computer technology committee to contract for social media archiving service.

The county already archives email, said Emergency Services Director Beau Refro; this new service will take care of Facebook, Twitter and similar communication.

"Washington has very specific legislation," Renfro said. "It's not adequate just to erase."

Cost of the service is $200 per month with a $500 set up fee.

Commissioners also approved an ammendment with their state 911 contract fund. Joannie Bjorge, sheriff's office chief civil deputy, said the amendment allows the department to shift funds around in the budget, which will benefit the county.

The board also approved an amendment in the contract for homeless program funding.

Mental Health Director Chris Holmes said the amendment allows the county to receive $7,000 in incentive funding which will offset a $10,000 reduction in county funding for the program.

Sergeant Brad Moon of the Washington State Patrol presented an annual report to the commission.

The patrol's focus goes into areas with problems such as collisions, Moon said. In 2014, the patrol responded to 48 collisions on SR 4. The figures include vehicle/animal collisions, he said.

Five of the collisions were in the area near the Cowlitz County Line; five were near Nassa Point; five were on the Elochoman flat; seven were on KM Mountain, and five were in the Deep River area.

Troopers contacted 1,514 drivers in 2014, Moon said. Of those, 401 occurred on the Elochoman flat and 137 near the Cowlitz line.

County and city government is facing an uphill battle in the legislature for adequate funding, commented Commissioner Blair Brady, the co-chair of the Washington State Association of Counties legislative steering committee.

"The legislature appears to be abandoning counties," he said. The trend has been for the legislature to shift funding from local government to the state, he said, "and they don't realize we're part of the state budget."

The legislative committee is working with King County’s media to take the counties’ case to the legislators in that area.

“They’re looking at making their budget and leaving us destitute,” Brady said. “It’s getting ugly and very frustrating.”