Commission Briefs

Electronic home monitoring contract approved

Mason County commissioners approved a contract for electronic home monitoring services for Mason County Juvenile Court Services at its March 15 meeting.

According to the information packet, Juvenile Court Services receives grants to provide staff support and create alternate programming instead of detention. The court received additional money and decided to add electronic home monitoring as another option that can be used instead of detention.

The contract is between Mason County Juvenile Probation and the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Public hearing set for Johns Prairie Road property

A public hearing to surplus county-owned property on Johns Prairie Road has been set for April 12 by the county commissioners.

According to the information packet, Mark Kamin has asked about purchasing the county’s 0.20-acre triangular shaped parcel off of Johns Prairie Road. Kamin Properties owns two adjacent parcels and the county has no use for the property due to its size and shape. The county purchased the property in 1990 for $1,742.24.

The planning department said the land is not developable for commercial development based on the size and its fair market value is $3,000 to $5,000. The 2022 county assessor’s market value for the property is $3,690. According to Mason County code, an appraisal from a state-licensed appraiser is not necessary if the land is valued under $100,000. For property less than $100,000 an appraisal can be provided by the county assessor.

Consolidated homeless grant approved

Mason County added more money to the consolidated homeless grant contract with Crossroads Housing.

According to the information packet, the state Department of Commerce distributed unallocated money to the consolidated homeless grant standard funds category. Mason County was given $86,628.

Crossroads Housing is the recipient of the money to operate the centralized rapid rehousing program to help with rental assistance programs. The county contract with Crossroads Housing increased to $3,430,749 with the additional money.

Health Department amends COVID contract with state

Mason County added five statements of work to its contract with the state Department of Health.

According to the information packet, the first addition is $1,137,881 in carry-forward funding for COVID-19 testing, investigation and contact tracing to limit spread. Another addition includes $65,595 carry forward money for COVID-19 epidemiology, laboratory and health information systems.

A statement of work has been added for emergency preparedness, which provides $34,459 in ongoing money for public health emergency preparedness.

Statements of work have been added for overdose data to action and office of immunization and neither have a dollar amount yet.

Notification of final costs of county construction

Mason County commissioners approved a “notification of final costs” of county road construction projects in 2021.

According to the information packet, the county is required to advertise in the county newspaper of construction projects performed by the county costing more than $10,000 before projects begin and after projects are completed.

Projects completed in 2021 include Homer Adams Road for $463,746.86, Highland Road for $357,932.74, Boyer Road for $11,207.22 and Snider Road for $33,264.21.

The total for all of the projects was $741,049.62.

County renews DNR lease agreement

Commissioners approved a 20-year lease agreement with the Department of Natural Resources.

According to the information packet, the county entered into a 20-year agreement in 2002 that permitted the county to construct and operate an irrigation system applying approximately 300,000 gallons of Class A reclaimed water per day from North Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant onto 50.33 acres of leased DNR forest land.

Rent for this year is $9,267.27 with a 3% annual increase each year and will be paid for out of the U&W Management North Bay WWTP fund.

Eells Hill landfill closure monitoring project approved

County commissioners approved a Eells Hill landfill closure monitoring project at the March 15 meeting.

According to the information packet, a closure report was completed for the Mason County landfill in 2016 and submitted to environmental health and the state Department of Ecology.

Ecology required quarterly groundwater monitoring, landfill gas monitoring and another settlement survey of the landfill.

Quarterly monitoring finished in 2020 and the results were analyzed and made into a final report that was submitted to DOE. Public Works received comments from the final report from Mason County Environmental Health and decided to enter into an agreement with Parametrix on an on-call basis to address comments and provide post-closure activity support.

The maximum payout to Parametrix will not exceed $7,602 and be paid out of the Landfill Closure fund.