Commissioners separate Public Works, building departments

Wahkiakum County commissioners on Tuesday took steps to separate the county’s Public Works and building departments.

Public Works has long included County Road, Solid Waste, the building and permit section and other departments.

Commissioners Dan Cothren and George Trott said they were making the move to realign responsibilities, relieve Public Works Director Pete Ringen of some of his responsibilities and the time demands they create, and to align department functions more closely with the duties of Permit Coordinator Chuck Beyer, as defined in the contract with the county’s union employees.

In other business, the board rescheduled a workshop on budgets and finances, including the Wahkiakum Family Health Clinic, from Tuesday afternoon to this morning (Thursday), 8:30 a.m.

The workshop was rescheduled at the request of Commissioner Tom Doumit, who wanted to watch the state Supreme Court hearing of the appeal of a Wahkiakum Superior Court decision upholding student athlete drug testing in the Wahkiakum School District.

That hearing was held Tuesday; justices will issue a decision sometime later this year.

In separating the building section from the Public Works Department, commissioners said they were making no criticism of Ringen.

“We value you, Pete,” Cothren told Ringen. “We’re thinking we can free some time for you.”

Beyer, who has worked under Ringen as manager of the permit and building section, will be the department head for the new Building and Planning Department, the commissioners said.

He will take over Ringen’s duties as county fire marshal, and he will assume responsibility for maintenance and operation of county buildings. Ringen will be responsible for new building projects.

Trott said the issue of Beyer’s job description came to the front in recent negotiations with the county employee’s union.

The county and union approved a new two-year contract several weeks ago. Employees receive a 2 percent cost of living raise for 2007 and a raise based on the Portland cost of living index in 2008, with a minimum raise of 1.75 percent and a maximum of 3 percent.

And in still other business Tuesday:

—The board approved a 17-unit short plat for Wallace and Ruth Kaste on east Little Island.

—The board discussed with Beyer the need to update the county shortplat ordinance. Beyer will review a draft and present it to the commissioners for consideration later this year.