CITY BRIEFS

City’s Parks and Recreation Citizen Board opening

The City of Shelton seeks a new member for its Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Board.

The group provides the Shelton City Council with feedback on parks and recreation planning. The committee meets monthly to assist the city in delivering parks and recreation programs to residents and visitors.

Applicants must live in Mason County. The committee has one vacancy. To apply, submit a letter of interest to Parks and Recreation Supervisor Jordanne Krumpols at [email protected] or by mail to 525 West Cota St. by Dec. 29.

Grant helps city pay indigent defense costs

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday evening gave preliminary approval to accepting a grant from the state Office of Public Defense to offset indigent public defense costs in the city’s Municipal Court.

The council can make the acceptance official with a final vote at its Dec. 19 regular meeting.

The city will receive $39,000 in January, and another $39,000 in January 2025.

If approved, the city has agreed to a contract with Sound Defenders to provide the service. According to the city proposal, the state Office of Public Defense requires the grant money to be used for additional attorneys to reduce caseloads, increase compensation, reimburse training costs, attorney coordinators, professional evaluation of attorney performance, public defense representation at preliminary appearance calendars, investigator or expert services, and social worker services to assist public defense attorneys.