The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Wahkiakum Port District 2 commissioners held their first meeting with the new Port Manager Bob Robinson Tuesday night.

Robinson has been at Vista Park two weeks analyzing and putting together a plan and direction for the park’s future.

Commissioner Brian O’ Connor opened the meeting and asked for public comment.

Lower Economic Development Council Executive Director David Goodroe asked to speak about a new, permanent bathroom at the Svensen Park boat ramp on Puget Island. Goodroe said Port 2 commissioners had tentatively agreed to contribute $15,000 to the Svensen Park bathroom project, and said Port 1 would cover any costs above that.

Port Manager Robinson said he was against any permanent bathrooms installed at Svensen Park. The park doesn’t have enough traffic year-round to need permanent restroom facilities.

“Its $15,000, and the port doesn’t, at this point, have the money to help Port 1 build a restroom. A Sani-Can is adequate for a boat launch facility,” Robinson said.

Port Commissioners O'Connor, Kayrene Gilbertsen and Carlton Appelo approved expansion of the use of barcodes in the park’s accounting procedures.

Robinson also said he wanted to change the timing of how the park pays its bills.

“The way we do it now costs us in late fees,” Robinson said, adding that he would like commission approval for the park to pay its bills by the tenth of the month; commissioners agreed.

O’Connor made a motion to approve the warrants request for vendor payments in the amount of $6,444.39. Gilbertsen agreed and the motion passed.

In old business, the discussion turned to the donation of children’s playground equipment at Svensen Park and what to do with the equipment. The commissioners and Robinson agreed the port didn’t need the equipment and said they would donate the equipment to another entity as yet to be determined.

In more old business, Robinson said he’d like to give commissioners an update on the park’s current sand sales agreement and its agreement with the Department of Natural Resources. He also said he’d like, at some point, to go over the park’s site management plan.

“I can put together a planned agreement for the two major purchases of sand,” said Robinson.

Robinson said he thinks that any new sand sales agreement contract with the two (unnamed) trucking companies who buy most of the sand should include provisions to only ship sand from 9 to 5. He wants the companies to also maintain the road leading through the park to the sandpit and the drivers to obey the park’s speed limits.

In addition Robinson told commissioners he is concerned DNR might have something to say about how the current excavation is being done.

“I know,” said OConnor, “you go down there now and you have a hole here and the beach is gone at the west end of the shoreline.”

Robinson said there is no question Vista Park’s original disposal site agreement has been expanded and the site has grown to the east.

“The contract also says ‘No mining’, said Robinson, “that means six-foot lifts which also means the park can’t have any holes in its beach deeper than six feet.”

O’Conner also said he was concerned about kids playing along the shoreline.

Park commissioners also discussed the derelict boats seemingly abandoned at the park's east entrance. They decided to move ahead with trying to auction off boats and trailers. They also determined the park will establish a rate schedule for future storage of trailers and small boats.

In discussion of the hotel and motel tax, Robinson told the commissioners the park can’t exempt long-term guests from the sales tax as it had been doing. In fact any camp trailer staying in the park over 30 days might be subject to a 12.5 percent day-lease tax.

Commissioners also agreed to continue advertising for contractors to sign up for the park’s small-works roster and to update the park's web site.

The commissioners went into executive session for 30 minutes to discuss Robinson’s final employment contract, and other legal matters.

Afterwards commissioners said Robinson had informed them he’d like his position at the park to be part time, 2-3 days weekly. He said he would accept $40 per hour. This way the park could take the rest of the manager’s $30,000 salary and hire a full time office receptionist and a park maintenance person.

Commissioners agreed.