Commissioners settle with L&I, address many other issues

Wahkiakum County commissioners covered lots of ground at their early meeting Tuesday, ranging from approving a settlement with the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to reporting on lobbying efforts in the state legislative session.

The board approved an agreement to a reduced financial penalty for a citation for improper life preservers on the ferry Oscar B.

Public Works Director Chuck Beyer reported an L&I inspector visited the ferry last October and issued a $9,600 penalty because the deckhand wasn't wearing a highly visible personal flotation device.

The county appealed. The deckhand was wearing a life jacket, but it was under a jacket.

In the settlement of the appeal, the county agreed to buy by April 1 nine highly visible personal flotation devices for skippers, mates and relief deckhands, and the county also agreed to hold training by April 15 in the use and care of the devices. Training will be held in the future for new employees, and the department reduced the fine to $2,100.

Washington State Patrol Sergeant Moon made an annual report to the commission and introduced Trooper Bradley Chicks, who has been patrolling Wahkiakum and Pacific county highways for nine months.

Moon said the patrol had taken reports of 50 collisions in the county during 2015.

"That number is a bit misleading," he said. "It includes car/animal incidents; about one third were car/animal collisions."

Troopers issued 1,507 citations in the county during 2015. The highest numbers were on the straight stretches "where people pick up speed," Moon said. Troopers issued 230 within a half mile each way of the Elochoman River bridge. Another 116 came near Nassa Point, 105 at the east county passing lanes and 103 at the Abe Creek passing lanes.

Commissioners talked about legislative issues.

Commissioners Blair Brady and Dan Cothren expressed concern that the legislature, in order to meet education funding needs, was sweeping reserve funds from other agencies and programs, such as mental health services, and counties are looking at adverse funding impacts.

"They want to pass everything off to someone else and not do their jobs, in my opinion," Brady said.

Commissioner Dan Cothren said he has been pressing legislators to include funding for an exchange of county timber trust land that is encumbered for endangered species habitat so the county can obtain other new trust timberland that would boost county revenue. The Department of Natural Resources hasn't supported the effort, he said, apparently wanting to work on the project in the 2017 session.

Cothren and Commissioner Mike Backman said they have had comments about the process of updating the shoreline master plan for the county and the Town of Cathlamet.

Backman said he had attended a meeting of the commission's Real Property Rights Advisory Board whose members voiced concerns over the plan. The county might have to go to court to avoid some of the problems, he said.

Brady and Cothren said the county would need to update the plan; otherwise the Department of Ecology will write the update which the county will have to implement.

"I know what you're saying," Cothren said, "but we've got to find some common ground . . . People need to understand: You don't do it, they'll do it for you."

Brady announced that he has been elected vice-president of the Washington Association of Counties and is in line to be be president in two years. The association lobbies and advocates for counties with the legislature and other state offices.

Brady has also been elected to the board of directors for the National Association of Counties and will be able to advocate for local needs at the national level.