Port 2 commission reviving fair proposal

by Rick Nelson

What's the best way to fund public services such as the county fair, and Johnson Park?

Wahkiakum County Commissioner Mike Backman is leading a group which is discussing a possible vote to increase the county levy to these and other services, and commissioners of Port District No. 2 weighed in at their Tuesday meeting.

None of the port commissioners, Kayrene Gilbertsen, Lori Scott and Brian O'Connor, seemed to support the idea, but they had an idea of their own.

Scott suggested port commissioners could contact Wahkiakum County's board of commissioners to see if they might want to revisit the port's suggestion from earlier this year to sell the county fairgrounds. The port's idea is that it could use fairgrounds facilities to raise funds while allowing the county fair to continue its operations.

"It would be a way to support the fair without raising property taxes," Scott said.

Gilbertsen agreed.

"We should approve Lori attending a commissioners meeting to say we are interested in sharing ideas to make the fair self-sufficient so they don't have to go to the people to ask for a handout," she said.

O'Connor commented that the suggestion hadn't been well received when discussed last winter. Fair association members feared port managed activities would infringe on their use of the facilities, and commissioners on the two boards differed over property ownership and other issues.

In other business, Port Manager Janet Bryan said both Skamokawa Vista and County Line parks have been very busy. Vista's new RV spots have been popular, she said, and the Ride Around Washington bicycle tour will stop at Vista Park on August 2, bringing over 250 cyclists and support staff to the park.