City Briefs

Museum director gives update to council

From October through December, 1,352 people visited the Mason County Historical Museum in downtown Shelton, 1,187 of them local residents.

That’s the word from Executive Director Liz Arbaugh, who gave a report on the museum’s fourth quarter of 2023 on Feb. 20 at the Shelton City Council meeting. Many visitors came to see the exhibit of 24 photos by Shelton native Dennis Meurer of the town and residents in the 1960s, she said. The photos were selected from thousands of Meurer’s photo negatives, and the museum probably will showcase more Meurer photos in the coming years, she said.

The museum has 3,549 followers on Facebook, Arbaugh said.

City considers new truck for stormwater

The Shelton City Council on Tuesday can give final approval to spending up to $50,000 to buy a new midsize SUV for the storm department to replace a 2009 Ford Escape that has engine and transmission problems.

The City Council unanimously gave preliminary approval to the purchase at its Feb. 20 meeting.

The city wants to buy a 2024 Ford Maverick for about $35,000, said Public Works Director Jay Harris. According to the city report, the city needs the vehicle to perform stormwater operations functions, including times of inclement weather to ensure the proper functioning of the storm system.

The current vehicle is “at end of life, literally,” Harris told the council. “It makes it around town, barely.”

McDowell might join city advisory committee

Kathy McDowell, a former member of the Shelton City Commission and Shelton City Council, could become the newest member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Citizen Advisory Committee.

The Shelton City Council on Feb. 20 gave preliminary approval to McDowell’s appointment. The council can make it official with a second vote at Tuesday’s meeting.

The committee’s responsibilities include advising the council on future parks and recreational resources, making recommendations on park use and regulations, serving as a liaison to the community, and assisting in comprehensive planning. McDowell was the only applicant for the open board position.

Four artists showcased at Civic Center gallery

An exhibit opens March 5 in the Shelton Civic Center’s Rotating Art Gallery.

The Shelton City Council on Feb. 20 approved the Shelton Arts Commission’s recommendations to showcase works by four artists: digital photography by Elizabeth Jacobsen, oil paintings by Joanna Dour and Lance Griffiths, and colored-pencil works by Renee Matter.

The works will be on display through May 31.

Eleven companies bid for schools safety project

The Shelton City Council on Feb. 20 voted unanimously to award a $669,891 contract to Barcott Construction LLC to construct the Safe Routes to School Project.

Barcott offered the lowest responsible bid of the 11 companies who offered to do the job, said Aaron Nix, the city’s capital projects manager. The crosswalk improvements next to Evergreen Elementary School and Shelton High School will include red flashing beacons, radar speed feedback signs and upgrades to signs.