MINUTES FROM THE VIRTUAL REGULAR PORT COMMISSION MEETING OF THE PORT OF HOODSPORT COMMISSION August 12, 2020
Call to Order: 9:00am Adjourned: 11:05am
Meeting Held at: Via Zoom Conference Call
Roll Call: Commissioner Petz – Commission Chair Commissioner Brazil Commissioner Booth
Staff Present: K. Wyatt – Executive Director B. Osborne – Director of Maintenance S.Lindgren – Maintenance – absent
Public: Katherine Yackel – YSS Dive Shop Morgan Rothrock – Hoodsport Hills Disc Golf Course Bill Grondin – Hoodsport Hills Disc Golf
Approval of Agenda: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the agenda as written; Commissioner Booth seconded; unanimously approved.
Minutes: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the regular port commission minutes from July 22, 2020, Commissioner Booth seconded, unanimously approved.
Vouchers: The following Vouchers/Warrants were approved for payment: August 12, 2020 1of1 in the amount of $8,476.01
Public Communication: The Port director introduced K Yackel as one of the owners of the new YSS Dive shop next to the waterfront park. We had a phone conversation regarding the YSS Dive shop entering into a Facility Use Agreement to use the ports waterfront park for staging and entering the canal with their dive students. The port discussed usage at the last port commission meeting and was in favor of the dive shop using the are if they were mindful of families and the public using picnic tables and the grass area. YSS Dive shop agreed to enter a FUA with the Port and will list the Port as additionally insured on their liability insurance with coverage no less than $1,000,000. per occurrence. The Facility Use agreement will be reviewed by the Ports insurance company and attorney as well as the Yackel’s attorney. K. Yackel asked if the Port commission would be interested in the having the dive area around the dock be adopted as a Dive sight? They are involved in ‘Project Aware’, an ocean conservation program whereby the Dive shop adopts a dive site and has conservation classes there. The site is posted online and seen worldwide as an adopted and protected dive site. Divers will be diving around the ports dock; all dive debris is reported and documented. 100 % of the funds from every dive certification for PADI and SIO goes toward conservation. So far they have discovered 5 sunken boats under and around the port dock, there is also a car barge that sunk over 50 years ago at a depth of 60’ and there is a tire reef. Students are taught how to look at dive wrecks, we have seen 3 giant octopus, wolf eels and sea whips at a depth of 60’, they are a type of coral that only grows in the Hood Canal. The minimum age of students is 12 years old. We are the only dive store in Washington state that can dive right outside its shop. Commissioner Brazil said the dive shop provides a great service and are a real asset to our town. Commissioner Booth said she wanted them to be aware of concerns of safety for divers during fishing season between July and November. There are boats moving extremely fast pulling nets, there are people crabbing off the dock as well. She emphasized they need to be extremely careful as most people will not recognize divers under the water around the dock even with a dive flag in the water. K. Yackel said she is a master instructor certified in safety, they emphasize safety and have a shore support person for extra safety. Commisisoner Petz asked what do we have to do to be adopted as a dive site? K Yackel said she will have to register it online and asked if the commission had a specific name, they would like to call it, the commission all agreed the Port of Hoodsport Dive site would be a great name. Commissioner Petz thanked K. Yackel and said what they are doing is remarkably interesting. M. Rothrock was present to talk about expansion of the 9-hole disc golf course, the club wants to move forward with finishing the 9-hole disc golf course and have been struggling with the COVID-19 rules and regulations, they are discussing how to proceed with safety protocols. The port director said COVID-19 signs are posted in several areas at the disc golf course as per statewide prevention guidelines and they can monitor themselves. Commissioner Brazil asked if the new board of trustees had their paperwork together yet and if they have discussed signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Port of Hoodsport and the new board members of the Disc Golf Association. M. Rothrock asked the port director to email the MOU, he could then create a format for online signatures that would work for everyone. M. Rothrock said they are ready to put in the pads which entails coordination of people, concrete forms and a concrete truck delivery. Commissioner Petz said get it scheduled before the weather window disappears. M Rothrock said it will be in early September.
Commissioner Reports: Commissioner Booth and the port director had a Zoom conference with Commissioner K. Shutty and K. Leaf from the Economic Development Council to talk about further funding to defray costs associated with the public restrooms as far as pumping septic tanks, maintaining and supplying them. They also discussed how they might help with matching funds for a grant to replace the ports dock. Commissioner Shutty suggested tapping into the Lodging tax however it is not guaranteed year to year. Commissioner Booth said, in looking at the City of Shelton website on the L-Tax, it said the L-Tax decreased this year due to COVID-19, people are not staying in hotels and they have cut their staff by 50%. We missed the cut off date for next year’s RCO grants in the boating infrastructure category. We need to discuss ports funds regarding having enough money to match a percentage of grant money. One of the things the Port needs to do is update the ‘Master Plan’. The port director will email a copy of the ports ‘Master Plan’ to each commissioner for review and input. The port director asked the commission to review the Public restroom budget scenarios which breaks down costs and percentage of the ports budget for each scenario 1) pump the septic tanks on an as needed basis as suggested in past meetings would cost 55% of the ports annual budget 2) rent portable restrooms in lieu of pumping would cost 15% of the ports annual budget 3) replacing the drain field, normal hours, pumping during high season would cost 65% of the ports reserve and 36% of the ports annual budget. Commissioner Petz said the Port’s budget cannot sustain the pumping scenario even if the constituents were polled with a survey on whether they wanted to continue with the public restrooms. Without guaranteed consistent additional funding, the ports budget cant sustain the cost. Commissioner Brazil said if the port provided portable restrooms it would only cost 15% of the ports budget. Commissioner Petz said if we are getting out of the restroom business, we do not need to supply portable restrooms. Commissioner Brazil said during shrimping and in the summer months, it may be beneficial to put a couple of portable restrooms on port property by the ports shed so people using the dock can use them. Commissioner Booth said we need to figure out what dock repairs need to be done. Once we know, can the port afford a 25% match, still a qualifier is that no more than 10% of the match can come from Government sources and hopefully we have the 15% in our reserves.
Port Maintenance Reports:
Hoodsport Trail Park & Disc Golf Park: B. Osborne said other than the normal maintenance there is nothing more to report. He will help B. Grondin get the forms made to pour concrete for the pads and find out the price on concrete.
Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: B. Osborne said one flotation came out from under the middle slip on the dock. Both ladders have been broken off the dock, if someone fell in the water, they would have a hard time climbing out. Commissioner Brazil made a motion to purchase two aluminum ladders to be replaced, Commissioners Booth and Petz agreed, it was unanimous. B. Osborne said he would check with Marine Floats for recommendations and get a price for the port administrator.
Public Restrooms: Currently closed to the public for health and safety of the public and personnel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Portable restrooms with hand washing stations are available for the publics use provided by the Port and the Purvis’. The company who services the portable restrooms are cleaning them Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. The director is calling with extra service to the portable restrooms when needed. The Port personnel are checking garbage and supplying additional toilet paper daily.
Port parking/Office building/Maintenance shed: B. Osborne and S. Lindgren have Security App’s on their phones and are monitoring the live stream surveillance cameras that oversee the public restrooms, office building, shed, parking lot, waterfront park and the dock.
Port Directors Report The port director spoke to the director of the Port of Shelton to find out about polling the public, she said it was awfully expensive to mail surveys and they opted to have two public meetings instead. The port director said at this point with COVID-19, we could only send out a survey or an online survey to the port’s taxpayers. The port director will call Mason county to obtain a list of taxpayers in the ports district. The port director will send a Facility Use agreement to the port’s insurance company and attorney for review before obtaining signatures from YSS Dive shop. The port is writing an adapting, evolving policy to meet evolving port policy requirements as per the Governors guidelines around ports and COVID-19. Governor Inslee extended the OPMA guideline to August 1,2020, Mason County opened the county up to Phase III which allows people to gather in groups of 50 or less, wear face masks, and social distance six feet away. Due to the most recent Governors mandate, COVID-19 health and safety compliance signs are posted on all port properties for the public’s information and on the office window. The Port of Hoodsport port commission continues using the ‘Zoom’ virtual chat room venue for regular port commission meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the public can request an invite to attend the meetings. Meeting dates are posted on the port’s website, on Mason TV, in the WPPA newsletter and posted on the port office window. Currently, the public may email the port for an invitation to attend the regular port commission meeting. The request must be received by 4pm the day prior to the scheduled meeting.
Budget: The July financial statements were reviewed Old Business: As discussed above New Business: None
Next Meeting: August 26, 2020 to be held via internet in a ZOOM chatroom venue
Adjourn: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Booth seconded, it was unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 11:05 a.m.
2020 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows: Wednesday’s at 9am August 26
Commissioner Petz Commissioner Brazil Commissioner Booth