The Wahkiakum PUD water crew will soon have to stop water flow to Puget Island to replace a faulty valve, General Manager David Tramblie announced at the Tuesday meeting of the utility board of commissioners.

The water crew recently replaced the master meter at the Island end of the highway bridge, and when they tried to open the valve to restore flow, they found the valve was frozen and wouldn't work.

Water continues to flow to the Island through a bypass.

To replace the valve, the crew will have to shut off water flow "for the better part of a day," Tramblie said.

The replacement parts are expected to arrive on Friday, he added, and then the work will be scheduled.

Also at Tuesday's meeting, the commission authorized the manager to assist the Town of Cathlamet utility crew on an interim basis while the town hires a new public works supervisor.

The authorization wasn't quite what Tramblie asked of the board.

"We have operators at the PUD who have certification that would allow them to assist the town crew," he said.

It would be in the best interest of the PUD and the Puget Island Water System to have an arrangement in place allowing PUD personnel to assist the town crew in an emergency, Tramblie said. He recommended the board vote to authorize him to enter an interlocal agreement to set up the process.

Commission President Bob Jungers was unwilling to authorize the manager to enter the agreement on his own. He wanted Tramblie and PUD Attorney Tim Hanigan to prepare a draft for the board to consider at their next meeting, and Commissioner Dennis Reid withdrew his motion to implement Tramblie's request.

Instead the board passed a motion from Gene Healy to give Tramblie authorization to assist the town on an interim basis while the interlocal agreement is prepared for future consideration.

Jungers later commented that he supported the interlocal agreement, "but I don't think it's appropriate for the board to abrogate its responsibility."

The commission voted to reorganize: Reid will be president in 2020; Healy will be vice-president, and Jungers will become secretary.