Commissioners handle varied business

The Wahkiakum County Commissioners met July 3 to field questions and concerns from residents and handle county business.

Puget Island resident Nicki Seiler presented a letter signed by several of her neighbors regarding 6-8 parcels in the Pancake Point flood zone. The parcels were not included by Wahkiakum County in the list of recommended sites to receive dredge spoils under the permit currently in process. The letter was a formalized request to commissioners that efforts include these parcels.

Commissioners approved a $4,672.18 maintenance renewal contract with Konica Minolta for software used by the commissioners’ office, the sheriff’s office, and the building and planning department.

“I hate ‘em,” Blair Brady said. “They pick your pockets. They charge you exorbitant fees. It’s a service I truly believe that the state should be providing the counties on a uniform basis throughout the state. But there is too much money in it for somebody.”

Commissioners approved Wahkiakum County Treasurer Tammy Peterson’s request to distribute the PUD privilege tax from the state based on 2017 revenues collected by local PUD. The total amount received was $47,187.90. $5,776.76 will go to to the Town of Cathlamet and the rest will go to the county’s current expense fund.

Commissioners agreed to provide specimen signatures to continue a contract with Human Services Council which provides medical transportation as well as a signature to amend a prevention contract with the Health Care Authority.

“We get this as a two year contract,” Chris Holmes said of the prevention contract. “They always make us an overall award but then they don’t give us money until the second year of the contract.”

Brady said that he had been visiting courthouses throughout the state, explaining why the State Association of Counties is proceeding with a litigation strategy to pursue the State of Washington in respect to their treatment of counties. Brady is currently the president of the association.

“There are RCWs that require the state to not expand programs or add new programs to counties without paying for it,” he said. “They’ve been disregarding this law. We are going to try to get the courts to force them to pay their bills. All 39 counties have agreed to proceed with this.”

“Nobody likes to use tax dollars suing another state agency but we’ve been forced into this position,” he added. “They are picking everyone here’s pockets and denying us the ability to provide services that citizens may want or need, by continually passing costs down to us with our diminishing revenues.”