Commissioners Report

The Wahkiakum County PUD Commissioners met on Tuesday, Feb. 25, for their regularly scheduled meeting. Jamie Samms was appointed to the Johnson Park Board unanimously. The Fairgrounds Horse Arena Footing Project had a change to be made to the contract; the soil depth in the horse arena did not meet the minimum requirements. An additional $9,960 plus tax was added to the contract for the additional soil, which will be covered by the initial grant. Public Work Director Chuck Beyer presented the commissioners with quotes on rock and asphalt products from Naselle Rock & Asphalt, Burns Construction, and Lakeside Industries; all quotes were approved unanimously. Wahkiakum Count’s Title VI Non-Discrimination Policy Statement was up for annual review. The commissioners approved the policy for submission to WSDOT, which is required for the county to continue to receive federal funding for Public Works.

Members of the County Heritage Group and Friends of Julia Butler Hansen, which Washington State just incorporated, came to discuss their vision for the future of the Johnson House. They discussed the idea of a cultural heritage campus, which would include the Johnson House, the Julia Butler Hansen House, and the museum. Ronn Wright explained, “We’ve got a group of people that would like to see that happen… we want to get together and work on making the Johnson House a part of this whole Heritage Project idea.”

It was pointed out that there are many repairs needing to be done, including a dilapidated roof, issues with the property, and the County’s plans for a new driveway for the police station. The Commissioners voiced their concerns and support and made it clear that the county can’t be responsible for funding:“if the county doesn’t have to fund any of these repairs.” Lee Tischer said, “Personally, I’d like to see it move forward.” Skeptical, Dan Cothren said, “This is a big task. Who’s going to be putting the money out to do this?”

The meeting adjourned with the agreement that Members of the County Heritage Group and Friends of Julia Butler Hansen would return to the Commissioners in a month with a plan and a timeline for their projects on the Johnson House.