MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR PORT COMMISSION MEETING
OF THE PORT OF HOODSPORT COMMISSION
November 9, 2016
Call to Order:
9:20am
Adjourned: 10:20am
Meeting Held at: Hoodsport Port Commission Office 24113 N US Hwy 101 #A Hoodsport, WA
Roll Call: Commissioner O’ Laughlin – Commission Chair
Commissioner Brazil
Commissioner Petz
Staff Present: K. Wyatt, Port Operations Manager
B. Osborne, Maintenance Director
Public: Ken Sides – Kimber Construction
Bill Heil – Hood Canal Electric
Approval of Agenda:
Commissioner Petz made a motion to approve the November 9, 2016 meeting agenda, Commissioner Brazil seconded, unanimously approved.
Minutes:
Commissioner Petz made a motion to approve the Regular Port Commission minutes of October 12, 2016; Commissioner Brazil seconded, unanimously approved.
Vouchers:
Commissioner Petz motioned to approve the following Vouchers for payment
November 1of1 totaling $5,195.61; Commissioner Brazil seconded, unanimously approved.
Public Communication:
Ken Sides with Kimber Construction was asked to take a look at the dock after high waves hit the dock during stormy weather on the 15th of October leaving some of the finger floats dangerously unstable to the Public. Upon inspection he determined slips that are joined together were moving separately in a fifty foot span during high wave action which pulled the fingers away from the main dock causing bolts toward the left wing to snap loosening the finger dock and 4×4 railings. He said after looking at the video, it was clear that the far ends of the finger piers take the brunt of the wave action and ideally the finger piers should be hinged separately so they move & float independently to relieve the stress. The 4 x 4 railings pulled out of the dock because the bolts fell out due to the stress and will need to be replaced with big stainless steel lag screws. In order to have the dock withstand weather and waves he would need to design a way to hinge the finger piers to the main dock and said that fisheries would require a permit. Commissioner Petz asked Ken to do a temporary repair to prevent immediate hazards to the public and submit a design for a permanent fix. Ken said he would have to take the docks apart and rebuild them into smaller floating docks while in the water and that the far ends take the brunt of the wave action and definitely need to be hinged. Commissioner O’ Laughlin asked Ken to go ahead with temporary repairs to make sure the dock was safe for the Public to use and asked K. Wyatt to contact the insurance company to find out what they would recommend the Port do and report storm damage. The fisherman should be finished with the chum season at the end of November which will be an ideal time for the immediate repairs.Bill Heil with Hood Canal Electric was awarded the bid to install the Blink EV Car Charging Station from PUD#1. Bill picked up the charging station unit and took it to Dave Collins at Hood Canal Telecommunications who is the expert on how to best connect the modem to the wall mount charging station on the side of the public restroom building. Bill said they looked at the unit and decided they needed to talk to the Port Commission regarding their mutual concerns with the Blink wall mount unit and its installation. He and Dave concluded that the unit is made for installation in a private garage and is designed only to top off a charge for 30-40 miles. Bill showed the commission the long, expensive car charging cord and said it would be a great target for theft and would be expected to last 30 days before someone cut it off for resale or repurpose. Bill showed the commission the thin plastic casing and the two small screws for mounting. He said it immediately raises concerns for theft or destruction of the unit itself. He also stated the unit is not sealed and open to salt water intrusion that could lead to rust and corrosion since it is less than 200 feet from the salt water. They would have to fabricate a metal shroud to protect it from theft and use some sort of sealant to protect it from the salt water. The discussion lead to the Commission knowing people with electric cars, stating they all carry their own charging cords. The Commission felt the best solution would be a charger with an outlet type wall mount car charging station without a cord, which is commercial grade, could withstand the local elements and would actually charge a car instead of topping it off. The Port commission thanked Bill for his conscientious opinion. Given the information from Bill, the Port commission decided that the Blink car charger was not viable, knowing it had all of the above challenges, they determined it best to return the Blink unit to PUD#1 without moving forward with all of the cost involved to install an inferior product that could be setting itself up for failure and causing the Port to have challenges. The Port commission fully supports having an EV Car Charging station in Hoodsport and appreciates the opportunity that PUD#1 offered. The Port commission will be looking into other options that better fit the criteria and suitability; and hope to work with PUD#1 at that time.
Commissioner Reports:
Commissioner Brazil spoke to the Lake Cushman Security about holes in the Hoodsport Trail Park outhouse window and the Mutt Mitt station; the security officer spoke to the mother of some kids that Commissioner Brazil saw with pellet guns and told her there is absolutely no shooting in the park. She told the security that it would not happen again. Commissioner O’ Laughlin spoke to the president elect Parker Booth at the Kiwanis meeting about helping the Port with hanging flower baskets along the waterfront park in Hoodsport as a means to offset costs to keep Hoodsport looking beautiful during the tourism season. Parker said the penitentiary has a green house and they will start flowers from seeds if they are given the correct sized pots to grow them in. B. Osborne will buy the 5 gallon buckets and give them to Parker at their December meeting. $1800.00 was spent by the Port in 2016 for all of the Ports flowers that were in hanging baskets and in the aggregate planters along the waterfront. Commissioner O’ Laughlin spoke to WSDOT regarding speed radar feedback signs that were placed along State Route 106 from Union to Belfair and asked why they couldn’t put them along Hwy 101 going through Hoodsport. Commissioner O’ Laughlin also spoke to Steve Kim at WSDOT and asked about WSDOT helping the Port with supplies for the Public restrooms in Hoodsport especially since they have Rest Areas all over Washington state highways every 40 miles on the I5 corridor. Steve Kim said they would try to find a source that handles Rest Area funding. Commissioner O’ Laughlin spoke to Diane Zoren who is in charge of tourism funding, she said the funds are allocated for 2017 but the Port can put in a request for tourism money in March to apply for funds in 2018 to offset the public car charging station. The total budget for the tourism grant money is $300,000.00; it is applied for every three years. Money goes to Oregon to advertise tourism in Mason County and the Chamber receives money to run the Visitors center. Commissioner O’ Laughlin spoke about the Belfair waste water treatment facility and said Mason County puts equal amounts of money from another fund to keep the Belfair waste water facility afloat, now they want more money.
Port Maintenance Reports:
Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: B. Osborne left the plants in the planters since there has been no frost. He said the moles are invading the lawn area. The grass will be mowed one last time before winter. B. Osborne took the pressure washer in to be repaired. The Kiwanis will be putting up the Candy Canes on the power poles in front of the waterfront park by December. B. Osborne brought a form for the Port to fill out for the request to the Kiwanis to help with the beautification project in the spring of 2017.Public Restrooms: The electronic door locking system will be repaired as soon as the steel plates are powder coated.Hoodsport Trail Park: B. Osborne and C. Treadwell will put up the barrier at the Upper parking area installing posts, chain and reflective tape with a closed sign. The Park will remain open except in inclement weather. Commissioner O’ Laughlin said to make sure there is enough room for anyone who needed to pull off of the road.
Port Operations Manager Report:
K. Wyatt will communicate with Kristin Masteller at PUD#1 the situation regarding the EV Car Charging station and will keep Kristin updated. K. Wyatt said there is a state statute regarding carrying firearms in Washington state parks that says you can carry a firearm in a state park but can only discharge it if your life is threatened. K. Wyatt said the budget for 2017 is balanced but would like to discuss ways in which the Port can subsidize ongoing costs for the Public restroom, the public dock, Electric Vehicle Car Charging station and the disc golf course at the Hoodsport trail park. She and the Commission will be looking into different grants for tourism. The Port commission was sent a letter from the County Commission to ask their opinion regarding a request for $450,000.00 per year for 2017-2019 from the Mason County Rural County Sales & Use Tax Fund which was submitted by Jerry Hauth, Mason County Public Works Director in regards to the Belfair waste water treatment and reclamation facility. The Port Commission sent an email in response stating they do not support the expenditure of these funds without further details on the projected costs of the project with the projected number of customers it will have to pay for it. K. Wyatt contacted Charlotte Claybrook,the transportation programs manager for WSDOT regarding the Traffic Safety grant application that was submitted in May 2016 requesting funds for two vehicle speed radar feedback signs and rapid flashing crosswalk beacons to be installed on Hwy 101 in downtown Hoodsport. Charlotte responded by saying they are still working on the grant review process and expected to submit a prioritized list of projects to the state legislature in December 2016 and will post the results on their website. The award letter for projects will go out in June 2017.
Budget: The Port of Hoodsport reviewed the October Financial Statement.
Old Business: As discussed above
New Business: None
Next Meet: Regular Port Commission meeting to follow Wednesday December 14, 2016 at 9:00am
Adjourn: Commissioner Petz made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Brazil seconded, unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 10:20am
2016 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows: Wednesday’s at 9a.m.December 14,
2017 January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12
________________________ _______________________ _____________________
Commissioner O’ Laughlin Commissioner Petz Commissioner Brazil