2011-03-21 Board Meeting Minutes 1
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
LEWIS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
BOARD MEETING MINUTES
March 21, 2011
The Board of County Commissioners for Lewis County, Washington met in regular
session on Monday, March 21, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. COMMISSIONERS RON
AVERILL, P.W. “Bill” Schulte, and F. LEE GROSE were in attendance. Chairman
Averill determined a quorum, called the meeting to order and proceeded with the
flag salute. Commissioner Grose moved to approve the minutes from the 10:00
a.m. meeting held on Monday, March 14, 2011. Commissioner Schulte seconded
the motion.
Motion carried 3-0
NOTICE
Commissioner Schulte made a motion to approve Notice Agenda item one.
Commissioner Grose seconded the motion. Candace Hallom read the item into the
record.
1. Notice of Hearing: Regarding the submission of CDBG Planning Only Grant
Applications. Hearing will be held on April 04, 2011 on or after 10:00 am.
Resolution No. 11-089
Tim Elsea, Director of Public Works, stated a public hearing will be held on April
4, 2011 to review Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications.
Every year the BOCC can approve one CDBG application. At this point we are
advertising for members of the community to bring forth projects that could be
funded through the CDBG process in this funding year. These funds are up to
$35,000.00 for a single community or $50,000.00 for a multi-jurisdiction. The
CDBG provides funding for low to moderate income communities so they can plan
for water systems, sewer systems, and other community improvements.
Chairman Averill stated this notice is to review proposals for a State CDBG. This is
an opportunity for community members to propose projects and offer input on their
proposed activities. This is a competitive process as Lewis County may only submit
one CDBG Planning Grant annually. The public will have an opportunity to ask
questions and submit testimony before the hearing is closed and the Board of
County Commissioners select a project for submission. In addition the proposal must
address one or more of the following program priorities.
• Address public health and safety issues.
• Improve essential services to low and moderate income persons.
• Complete a necessary and specific step within a broader community
development strategy.
• Assist communities in meeting planning requirements that will principally
benefit low and moderate income persons.
• Support local planning to affirmatively further fair housing.
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Motion Carried 3-0
CONSENT
Commissioner Grose made a motion to approve Consent Agenda items two
through six. Commissioner Schulte seconded the motion. Candace Hallom read
the items into the record.
2. Resolution No. 11-090 Approval of payroll and warrants for payment.
Chairman Averill stated this approves 6 Special Warrants (Vader Water System)
and 224 other warrants issued by the Auditor’s Office for a total of $609,660.09.
Also, approves 261 warrants for draws on County Net Pay for a total of $226,493.00.
3. Resolution No. 11-091 Appointing a member to the Public Facilities District,
Board of Director’s.
Chairman Averill stated this approves the appointment of Dan Godat (Winlock) to
the Board of Directors of the Public Facilities District to fill the unexpired term of Bill
Jones (Chehalis) who has resigned. Dan has agreed to fill the remaining term which
will expire on August 13, 2013. The Public Facilities District was created in 2009
and essentially its purpose was to set up for an equestrian center. They saw a
number of proposals over a two year period. They were then given another proposal
for a sports center in Centralia and they have closed on that and are in the process
in building that complex. A lot of the work for the Public Facilities District is
completed but they still have to monitor the construction of the building and other
things after that. The district could move on to new projects after this first one is
done.
4. Resolution No. 11-092 Appointing a representative to the Lewis-Mason-
Thurston Area Agency on Aging (LMTAAA) Advisory Council.
Dannette York, Director of Public Health & Social Services, stated this council is
a governmental agency sponsored by three counties to manage, monitor, plan, fund,
coordinate and advocate for services and programs that serve the elderly and
younger disabled persons. This resolution is to appoint a new member Shara
Nelson (Toledo) to a two year term.
Chairman Averill stated we have six members who sit on this Board for the County
and this appointment will fill that sixth position.
5. Resolution No. 11-093 Approving an inter-agency agreement with Tacoma-
Pierce County Health Department.
Dannette York, Director of Public Health and Social Services, stated
Washington State requires all food workers to obtain approved food safety training
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by the local Health Officer or their designee every 2-3 years. Upon satisfactory
completion of the class and subsequent test, the worker is provided a food worker
card, which must be available for inspection at the food establishment. Currently,
Lewis County contracts with the Washington State University Extension Office to
teach classes at least twice weekly. Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has
developed an interactive class that is accessible online. This will enable food
workers to take both the class and the test at home, and then print their food worker
card. They have allowed other county health departments to use this system for
their residents. This will provide another option for our residents that need to get
there food handlers card. The funding for this contract will come directly from the
purchase of the food worker cards. For each $10 original or renewal food worker
card provided, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will receive $3 and Lewis
County Public Health will receive $7. For each $3 replacement card, Tacoma-Pierce
County will receive $1 and Lewis County will receive $2.
6. Resolution No. 11-094 Cancellation of warrants.
Chairman Averill stated this approves cancellation and reissue of two Auditor Office
warrants which were lost or destroyed for a total of $275.00; and cancels two
warrants which were issued to the wrong vendor for a total of $1,051.09 and will
need to be reissued to the correct vendor.
Motion Carried: 3-0
HEARING
Hearing: Water Connection Fees & Rates for the Vader Water System.
Chairman Averill announced the hearing and asked for a staff report.
Tim Elsea, Director of Public Works, presented a PowerPoint presentation
explaining the Water Connection Fees & Rates. He stated he went to the City of
Vader and had a public meeting on December 5, 2011. During that meeting it was
determined that the community would prefer to pay for the commodity as they used it
which would protect the small water users. As an Engineer these rates were set
with a very small amount of data. We had one year worth of water usage data when
setting these rates. He would have liked to have five to ten years of data to set the
rates but unfortunately that data wasn’t available. There are very few users so the
users there all have to pay for the plant, employees, and the debt cost. Tim then
went over the charges and provided handouts.
Commissioner Grose asked Tim to reiterate the other options.
Tim Elsea stated the City of Vader was looking at permanent boil water and the
other possibility was for Thurston County PUD to take over the water system.
And y Wilson, Vader City Councilman, provided a letter to the BOCC last week
with four questions
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At the base rate of $43.50 per month is that for 1000 gallons?
Will Public Works charge .0065 per gallon at the rate of $6.50 per 1000 gallons?
He would suggest 3000 gallons per month base rate of $43.50 and $6.50 per 1000
gallons in excess of 3,000. This he feel is better for a family people to keep clean
and healthy.
Property owners do not own the water meters, the county does. He stated he
doesn’t understand why we are charging for meter testing charges and service
meter charges.
Tim Elsea stated that the base fee $43.50 covers overhead costs. The charge for
water usage is in addition at .0065 per gallon ($6.50/1000). If each customer has a
minimum usage set in the base rate, then the base rate would need to be increased.
He showed examples and the costs are lower when using the base rate ($43.50) +
.0065 per gallon used. He further stated the meter charges are charges that will not
be used very much. If the customer wants the county to test the meter and that
meter is within normal tolerance then there will be charges. If the meter is not within
normal tolerances then the customer will not be charged and the County will replace
the meter.
Chairman Averill asked if there were any more questions. There were none. He
closed the question and answer portion of the hearing and opened the formal
hearing.
Tim Elsea asked that his previous comments be adopted into the record.
Don Idings, Vader, stated since the 19th century Vader has not put a dime in the
water system and now we are in the 21st century and the County has the water.
Baby steps are being made every day. He stated “hats off to everybody in the
County for the hard work they have done”. He stated he has no problem with the
water rates because somebody has to pay for it.
Chairman Averill read an email submitted by Leanne Horton.
Commissioner Grose stated the County has devoted substantial resources in
putting together this plan for receivership. It has been a painful process but in his
opinion we have done a very thorough job of exploring possibilities of what could be
done.
Chairman Averill stated he echo’s what Commissioner Grose stated. The problem
in Vader is one that has been developing for a long time. He sympathizes with the
letter from Mrs. Horton who is having difficult economic times and he knows the City
of Vader sympathized with that for a number of years but unfortunately the problem
with utilities is they are supposed to pay their way. If you don’t pay your way and
neglect the system the system goes bad. Eventually you are faced with a problem
of a system that doesn’t work and has to be replaced which is ultimately more
expensive than doing maintenance as you go along. There were some very difficult
decisions that had to be made here. This is a difficult task that we have taken on as
a County in order to help the City of Vader through this process. He thanked the
county staff for their effort.
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Chairman Averill asked if there were any other statements for public testimony.
There were none. He closed the hearing and asked for a motion.
Commissioner Schulte made a motion to approve Resolution 11-095.
Commissioner Grose seconded. Candace Hallom read the item into the record.
Resolution No. 11-095 Establishing Water Connection Fees and Rates for the
Vader Water System.
Motion Carried 3-0
There being no further business, the Commissioners’ public meeting adjourned at
11:07 am on March 21, 2011. The next public meeting will be held Monday, March
28, 2011, at 10:00 a.m.
Please note that minutes from the Board of County Commissioners’ meetings are not
verbatim. A recording of the meeting may be purchased at the Commissioners’ office.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
LEWIS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
ATTEST: Ron Averill, Chairman
Clerk of the Board P.W. Schulte, Commissioner
Lewis County Commissioners
F. Lee Grose, Commissioner