Local News

Federal economic stimulus money for Wahkiakum County public works will be almost enough to resurface one road, county Commissioners Dan Cothren, Blair Brady and Lisa Marsyla learned Tuesday.
Public Works Director Pete Ringen reported that recent reports from state officials say the county will receive about $200,000 in federal economic stimulus money. Ringen and commissioners had hoped that the funds would cover higher costs for reconstruction of the Puget Island Ferry Ramp or even construct a new ferry. Those were the county's initial top two priorities; the $200,000 would cover the third priority, asphalting West Little Island Road.
At Ringen's request, the board agreed to rearrange the priorities for economic stimulus spending. Ringen said the priority list has to be submitted to state officials, who will administer the funds.
Commissioners said they would contact federal representatives to let them know that the stimulus money would have much less impact than originally desired.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners expressed concern after learning a $500,000 loan from the Cumulative Reserve for Contingent Liabilities would be necessary to meet payroll for the next two months; Health and Human Services Administrator Judy Bright reported impacts of state funding cuts, and the board approved a request to negotiate a new price for a county vehicle sold in auction.

The board approved a resolution for the $500,000 loan from Contingent Liabilities but expressed unhappiness in learning of its need only at the last minute.
Financial managers have often borrowed from reserves to cover payrolls, and the loans have often been repaid by revenue from state managed sales for county trust timber.
This year, the county's major timber sale won't be logged until the summer, so revenue won't come in till September or later, Cothren said.
Commissioners met with other elected officials as the Treasurer's Finance Committee in January, and the loan wasn't discussed in detail then. Another meeting wasn't scheduled till March.
"We have continually asked to be informed on the status of funds," Brady said. "If we have another resolution presented this way in the future, it will be declined."
He added that the officials need to discuss revenue issues and ways of addressing them, including the possibility of issuing interest bearing warrants.
"We need to talk about the whole picture, the whole year," Cothren said.

Bright reported that state cuts to health and human services funding will reduce many of the services which the county now provides. She urged elected officials and citizens to ask legislators to maintain adequate funding for the programs.
In Wahkiakum, she said, the environment health specialist position has been cut to half time. A contract with Washington State University Cooperative Extension for nutrition and physical activity education for children has lost funding, and the department has had to reduce, but not eliminate, services for vulnerable, high-risk children and their mothers.
Further funding cuts could impact immunizations, chronic disease testing and tracking, and services to children with special health care needs.

The board heard a request from Wallace K. Bingham to re-negotiate a price for a vehicle he bought late last year in an auction of surplus county equipment. The vehicle had been damaged in a flood and won't run, but Bingham didn't learn that until after his $1,089 bid had been accepted. He said he had gone to the road shop to inspect the vehicle, and no one present at that time knew of the flood damage. A list of vehicles up for auction was available at the county treasurer's office, and that list noted water damage, but Bingham didn't obtain that list.
Bingham said he wouldn't have bid on the vehicle if he had known it was flood damaged. He suggested dropping the price to $800, which was still above the other bid submitted for the vehicle.
After meeting with Prosecuting Attorney Dan Bigelow in executive session, commissioners passed a motion, noting the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the sale, to drop the price to $800.