MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR PORT COMMISSION MEETING OF THE PORT OF HOODSPORT COMMISSION
May 22, 2019
Call to Order: 9:00am Adjourned: 11:00am
Meeting Held at: Port of Hoodsport 24113 N US Hwy 101 Hoodsport, WA
Roll Call: Commissioner Petz – Commission Chair Commissioner O’ Laughlin – excused absence Commissioner Brazil
Staff Present: K. Wyatt, Port Operations Manager, B. Osborne – Director of Maintenance, S. Lindgren – Maintenance
Public: Mike Purvis-Hood Canal Grocery, Brian Sund – Septic Designer, Karen Booth, local resident
Approval of Agenda: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the agenda as written; Commissioner Petz seconded, unanimously approved.
Minutes: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the Regular Port Commission minutes from April 17, 2019, Commissioner Petz seconded, unanimously approved.
Vouchers: The following Vouchers/Warrants are for approval of payment: May 1of1 in the amount of $5,481.89.
Public Communication: M Purvis said we need to maintain hours of operation when the public restrooms are back up and running. He said if we can’t open, we need to close. He has had numerous complaints from people in town. He said he realizes what a monetary strain on the Port the public restrooms have become, he believes the downtown core benefits from the public restrooms and should be helping the Port with its public restroom facility costs to supply and maintain them or come up with a solution. For the Port of Hoodsport to initially purchase and install the Public restrooms in 2013, the Purvis’ donated valuable land for the septic drain field, septic system and the public restrooms. They also gave up valuable real estate and parking spaces to place portable restrooms which could be generating income for them daily so that the port could build and maintain a public restroom facility in the downtown core area. All the town benefit from the public restrooms but no one has stepped up to help pay for anything except for the Purvis’ who helped with generous land, initial and now ongoing costs. The usage has surpassed what anyone could imagine and has overwhelmed the port with supplies, constant supervision and maintenance. Due to the overwhelming usage, the septic drain field failed last year. The Mason County environmental health department restricted usage of the public restrooms. The port has had to rent portable restrooms to keep up with the ever-increasing public usage. To remedy the situation, the Port will now have to dig an additional septic drain field on Purvis’ land and will need to pump the septic chambers monthly to help maintain the septic drain field in order to alleviate over usage. These are All additional costs that are not normal operational costs or a usual budgeted item. As it is, the port is now spending over half its budget to maintain the public restrooms. M. Purvis said the public restrooms created a traffic zone where people are attracted to the public restroom. The public restroom is very important to State Highway 101 and they truly should be helping with the cost. The port has asked for help from WSDOT who say they have no extra money and are struggling monetarily with their I-5 highway rest stop area restrooms even though our public restroom facility is a tourist rest stop along their highway 101 corridor. M Purvis said there are only two people who are involved in supporting the public restrooms, other businesses bring people into town and offer nothing to help support the public restrooms. He suggested having a public meeting, inviting the locals and business owners. Commissioner Petz said that is a good point and the Port will host a Public meeting in the fall to discuss this issue. He suggested the Port ask the North Mason Chamber of commerce, the tourism board and the business owners in the upcoming public meeting if they can assist with the absorbent rising costs to keep the public restroom open. M Purvis said it is a possibility to raise the Port tax levy to help maintain the restrooms. The Port has not raised the tax levy during this commission in the last 10 years. M. Purvis said in a town meeting in 2008 when public survey was sent out, the #1 desire was to build a public restroom facility. K Booth asked if the post office and visitors center could help with the public restroom needs. B Sund said their septic systems are across the street and it’s been a problem for 40 years. B Sund said years ago, Jim Goodpasture was going to donate land and had a million dollars to do it. They proposed it three times and it failed. M Purvis said someday the town will be forced to put in a septic system to support everyone. B Sund said, unlimited hours to open the public restrooms are a recipe for overloading the system, attracting transients and low life people who use the restrooms for everything, it will cost more money, more work and be open to more failures. We have high strength waste with low volume toilets. The county wanted a treatment tank with gravel and filters that do a great job. If the BOD’s and pollutants are at low levels someone could be using the effluent for watering plants. M Purvis said that beyond the piece of property where the road comes in, there is property owned by the County that could possibly be used for the drain field. The port administrator said she will check with the County to find out if that piece of property could be donated to the Port for the drain field. B Sund said the problem with the system is to discharge treated water you need to have soil, if its hard pan you cannot perk through it. M Purvis asked if we could put a sand filter in, B Sund said you still need a foot of soil to let it filter through the sand. It needs a foot of soil then sand interfaces, it goes through sand, then the sump, then into the ground. You need clean sand to make it work. Silt won’t let water go through sand; too fine of sand plugs up the filter. Coarser sand that is clean is what works best. B Sund said July-August is the ideal time to install an additional septic drain field. M Purvis said what about putting a gravel filtration system behind the current system. How much would it costs to dig and fill it in with pea gravel? B Sund said a treatment tank could always be added. M Purvis said if there’s a BOD of standard level, would it drive it down to 100, what effect could it have? B Sund said by having two drain fields and alternating them it could be way better than before. It would be alternated 1 to 2 times per year. We could see how it piles when we rest it during the dry season, it is way more beneficial. M Purvis said the drain field was contoured wrong. B Sund said it was originally dug way too deep, but we could notch into the hard pan which would help. Commissioner Petz said how could we raise the laterals? B Sund said we would dig over the top or adjacent shallow over the top and leave the soil on top. He said he would talk to Alex about raising a couple up. M Purvis said once the drain field is good, he would like to see the port be conscious of opening the public restrooms in accordance to events like 3-day weekends, Holidays, shrimping days, when there are a lot of boaters, special events, etc. He would like to see the open hours in summer be 8am – 8pm, any earlier is problematic. B Sund said the septic pumper should not pump the septic tank until there is 18 inches of crust, only pump the chamber and pump it after each event and twice as often as normal to keep up with the usage. The crust is where the living organisms are that break down the sewage, it should Only be pumped when necessary. Commissioner Brazil said we need to make a new schedule with the septic pumper to pump around events and ask it the pumper can do it for less since we now need to pump 4-6 time more. Commissioner Petz asked if B Sund could be for hire to oversee the digging and installation of the new drain field. Commissioner Brazil made a motion to hire B Sund to oversee the septic tank clearing and installation of the new septic drain field. Commissioner Petz seconded the motion, it was unanimously approved. Current hours of operation are 8am to 6pm Friday – Monday in accordance with Mason County Environmental health. M Purvis suggested keeping a log of how many gallons cycle through per day possibly on Thursday and Monday evenings. B. Osborne said he currently logs every Tuesday. M Purvis asked if the Port can accept money from businesses or groups of people. The port administrator will check with the Washington Public Ports Assn. to find what the rules are and find out how the Port can share costs if the opportunity arises.
Commissioner Reports: Commissioner Brazil asked it there was a Burn pile at the trail park. B. Osborne said there was a chip pile and there is currently a burn ban. Commissioner Petz asked how much work was remaining on the 9 hole disc golf course. S. Lindgren said it was staked out for placement of the baskets. Commissioner Brazil asked if Morgan Rothrock could attend the next regular port commission meeting. The port administrator said she has invited him to give the port commission an update at the next meeting. Commissioner Brazil said when the family friendly disc golf course is complete, he wants to have a Grand opening. The Port will invite the public, Shelton disc golf organization and the store owners.
Port Maintenance Reports:
Hoodsport Trail Park: B. Osborne is coordinating with the disc golf association on mutual directional trail signs to be placed at trail intersections at the trail park. Signs will be placed on the upper area of the trail park first then the family friendly side. S. Lindgren continues to remove branches and clear debris on the trail. S. Lindgren said all three trash cans are always full at the trail park. B. Osborne said he is looking for another source to dump a load of gravel to top dress the parking area. He will be installing 4×4’s, cable and locks to secure the family friendly disc golf parking area on the south side of State Rt 119.
Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: S. Lindgren pressure washed the dock and is keeping an eye on the fascia board affixed to the outer edge of the dock. Commissioner Petz suggested possibly hinging external laterals. The paddle boat is still laying on top of the dock
Public Restrooms: Currently open to the public intermittently as directed by the septic system specialists and Mason County. B. Osborne said they will be running the wire and setting the surveillance cameras. There will be an app on the maintenance phones to watch the public restrooms, office, shed, parking lot, waterfront park and the dock.
Port parking/maintenance shed: Household trash is regularly being left in trash receptacles at the port restroom, waterfront park area, the Hoodsport trail park and by the Port dumpster. The same people who drive nice cars have been reportedly regular personal garbage dumpers.
Port Operations Manager Report
The Port administrator added 2 portable restrooms to be placed in the parking lot, next to the Public restrooms. A portable restroom was placed at the upper trail park in the parking area for hikers and disc golf players. Two portable restrooms were ordered to be placed across from the Ports waterfront park in the parking area for anticipated high volumes of public use during the weeks of the Fjordin Crossin event and 4th of July vacationers. The Ports dumpster pick up was changed to once per week for the summer season. The Washington State Fish and Wildlife environmental department sent new beach ‘CLOSED TO SHELLFISH HARVEST’ signs. They also left giveaways for people who are attending the Fjordin Crossin event such as pencils, magnets and informational sheets on shellfish identification. The port administrator and Wittenberg CPA are currently working on gathering information for the 2018 Schedule 22 state Audit. Hanging Flower baskets have been ordered through the Chamber of Commerce membership discount program from Toziers Bros. in Shelton. They will be ready for pick on Thursday May 23rd by the Ports maintenance department. The Port of Hoodsport received a ‘Letter of Resignation’ from Port Commissioner John O’ Laughlin effective May 22, 2019. Johns service as a Port commissioner for the Port of Hoodsport dates to 2009, 10 years. The Port commission, contracted employees and those present all acknowledged the extraordinary value John brought to the Port commission. John’s expertise in traffic safety consulting worldwide, his service and experience in the Washington State Patrol, his service in the military all contributed to Johns ability to take action. John was instrumental in many projects and his contribution of his valuable opinion was appreciated and will be missed immensely. A copy of the letter will be attached to these minutes. Harro Schaubur, an artist called and spoke to the ports administrator, he wanted the Port commission to know he painted the Octopus mural on the side of a building in downtown Hoodsport and was planning to paint another theme on the side of the dive shop building adjacent to the Ports waterfront park. He said he was told to call the Port because the Port may be interested in a monetary donation. The Port administrator invited him to attend a regular port commission meeting to talk about his endeavors and directed him to the Chamber of Commerce and possibly the Tourism alliance.
Budget: No financial reports were reviewed
Old Business: As discussed above
New Business: None
Next Meeting: June 12th to be held at the Port of Hoodsport Office
Adjourn: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Petz seconded, unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
2019 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows:
Wednesday’s at 9am
June 12th, June 26th, July 10th, July 24th, August 14th, August 28th, September 11th
________________________ _______________________ _____________________
Commissioner O’ Laughlin Commissioner Petz Commissioner Brazil