Citizens critique proposed solid waste ordinance

Citizens attended a second town hall meeting to discuss the draft of the Solid Waste Nuisance Ordinance on Tuesday night in the Wahkiakum County Courthouse in Cathlamet.

“We had two meetings from last year and overwhelmingly, people wanted something done,” Commissioner Dan Cothren said. “We formed a group with Lori Scott, Chuck Hendrickson, Gene Healy and Environmental Health Specialist Leonard Taylor. It was a diverse group and nobody agreed wholeheartedly all the time. We hashed this thing out for quite a few months to come up with a plan. A lot of work went into it.”

Commissioner Blair Brady assured the crowd that the ordinance be on the ballot and that he would vote as his constituents wished, regardless of how he may personally feel.

“We’ll be mirroring what the people want,” Commissioner Mike Backman agreed.

More than one attendee was concerned the the ordinance could be open to interpretation, dependent solely on the interpretation of the person who was appointed to carry it out. If a new person stepped in, would they interpret the ordinance differently?

A majority in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting in Cathlamet meeting seemed to be against adopting an ordinance.

“We really don’t need certain rights taken away from us,” Puget Island resident Terrie Eaton said. “Our property is our property.”

“It’s a layer of bureaucracy we don’t need,” Puget Island resident Gilbert Vik added. “If you are a good neighbor, I don’t know what on earth business you have of trying to coerce your neighbor into doing something he doesn’t want to do.”

Puget Island resident Howard Brawn had some words as well.

“All in all, I think the proposed ordinance seems to invite and sanctify an honest persecution of three groups of people,” Brawn said. “One, people who like to work on cars, boats and machinery. Two, people who like to accumulate stuff to develop their property and three, people who have run short of money. I’ve been a member of all three of these groups. I would suggest that you go back to the drawing board and find something that is both less ambitious and less intrusive.”

Their neighbors responded.

“I really wish that people understood that this ordinance actually does more to protect your property rights instead of taking away your property rights,” Westend resident and panel member Lori Scott said.

“You can’t have a dog fight on your farm,” Boone Mora said passionately. “You can’t have a meth lab on your farm. There are thousands of constraints that you cannot do, and we are benefitted everyone of us by those thousands of laws. You don’t have the rights you like to think you have and you don’t need them. The people that put this together did a marvelous job.”

“I was raised in trash,” he added. “I was raised in junk. When I graduated from high school, I did not have the academic preparation to go on to a higher education, I did not have the money to go on to a higher education, I did not have the culture to go on to a higher education and associate with people. I can tell you this is what trash does to you.”

Others had more specific questions and concerns with the draft.

“They talk about the rights of the adjacent property owners in Section 1,” Puget Island resident Karen Fleming said, “but in Procedures, it says that any citizen can make a complaint. So if my neighbors are okay with me and mine and I’m okay with they and theirs why should anyone else object to it?”

Puget Island resident Lore Twiet wondered, “Who is to determine what is aesthetic and what isn’t?” and Lorraine McNally had a similar concern.

“I think this is too invasive of people’s rights,” McNally said. “What you guys think is junk I use as art.”

“There are isolated situations in this county that need to be dealt with but I think they could be better dealt with on a one to one basis rather than passing an ordinance,” said Ben Elkington who owns Lower Columbia Recycling.

The panel will consider the input they have received at the recent town hall meetings when they gather again to look at the draft next week.

The draft for the Solid Waste Nuisance Ordinance can be viewed on the Wahkiakum County website, http://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us.