2025 OCTOBER Port of Hoodsport Port Commission Meeting Minutes

MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR PORT COMMISSION MEETING FOR THE PORT OF HOODSPORT

October 8, 2025 Call to Order:   9:06am                                                   Adjourned: 10:10am

Hybrid Meeting Held at:   24113 North Highway 101, Suite B Hoodsport, WA 98548 Virtual Zoom Conference Meeting Room ID#406-238-9936  

Roll Call:   Commissioner Kincannon–Chairwoman / 2^nd Trustee, Commissioner Morris – 2^nd Chairman / Trustee Commissioner – unappointed

Staff Present:                    K. Wyatt, Executive Director, S. Lindgren – Maintenance Facility Supervisor

Approval of Agenda:       Commissioner Kincannon motioned to approve October 8, 2025, agenda, as written, Commissioner Morris seconded; all in favor.

Public speakers:                            Al & Annette Worth –  Hikers at the Hoodsport Trail Park

Minutes: Commissioner Kincannon motioned to approve the Regular port commission meeting minutes from September 8, 2025, Commissioner Morris seconded, unanimously approved.

Vouchers: Commissioner Kincannon motioned to approve 2025 Vouchers: September 1of1 in the amount of $20,760.02 and Q3 commission payroll in the amount of $1,503.71 Commissioner Morris seconded, unanimously approved.

Public Communication:   

My name is Al Worth, this is my wife Annette, and we daily use the Hoodsport Trail Park to hike the upper and lower park trails.  I am a volunteer EMT with the Hoodsport Fire Department and head trainer for CERT and Fire Wise.  We recruit folks at Lake Cushman and raise awareness as to parks.  We are noticing a pattern of a little damage to the trails where people are making shortcuts on the south end trails which create erosion and noticed the bathroom needs to be cleaned.  We want to know what we can do to help with awareness and to educate the community about damaging trails, we would like to possibly recruit volunteers.  Commissioner Kincannon said our budget is very small, we have no employees, everyone is contracted.  We have a volunteer program called Hoodsport Trail Team Volunteer Group; we have done numerous events, posted on our website, posted flyers, published newspaper ads and collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce to bring people together to volunteer with no luck.  People in the community say they want to get involved but when we schedule dates for volunteer work parties, no one shows up.  Our community is transient and it’s hard for people to commit.  We all have regular jobs and are contracted; any help you can give us on spreading the work is much appreciated.  S Lindgren, our maintenance supervisor, works very hard to keep up with all of the Port’s properties, he is greatly appreciated.  Al said we have a meeting tonight between 5pm – 7pm at the fire station, we do have snowbirds and limited community commitment, we have more people who volunteer from Colony Surf than Lake Cushman.  Commissioner Kincannon said we are happy to post your flyers on the Port’s website to help with your volunteer efforts.  Commissioner Morris said the way this port is set up, each commissioner is responsible for different areas of Port properties.  Currently, we do not have an appointed commissioner who will be responsible for the trail park, we have a vacancy and will appoint a commissioner by November 12^th who will be the liaison to work with volunteers at the Hoodsport Trail Park.  We are interested in a community run public volunteer group that will help us maintain trails which will help us with our small budget. Quite a few disc golf members want to volunteer, in the spring we can talk about what our needs are to get people to apply hands on.  With your park ranger background how can we get a sign to be effective, maybe we can get your insight on that. We just signed up with the Mason County Conservation group who will be doing a survey on invasive species at the disc golf park, my hope is that they can help us build a network of volunteers. We would like to table this conversation until the new commissioner is on board since the trail park will be within her scope as port commissioner in position #1.  A Worth said in the park system, we had compliance with education on what damages park trails.  Commissioner Kincannon said we appreciate your coming to our port meeting when we get the new commissioner who is assigned to the trail park, we can get together again, we are glad you are enjoying the trail park.

Commissioner Reports:

Commissioner Kincannon said we were asked by WA Public Ports Association (WPPA) if we were interested in making the opening remarks at the upcoming Environmental Seminar being held at the Alderbrook Resort on September 25^th and 26^th.  We agreed and presented the opening remarks, everyone said they liked the opening, they were very nice, and we made a few contacts.  Commissioner Morris said I spoke to people from Grays Harbor port who have a 114-page WPPA summary of how Port Management Agreement (PMA)’s work, they will send a hard copy, the main thing is to figure out the PMA. I chatted with Travis from the Port of Allyn, they have a PMA, he’s going to send a hard copy.  I will be chatting with Emily, the Port’s lobbyist after this meeting, the WPPA wants us to pursue at PMA rather than the lease agreement.  Commissioner Kincannon said can Emily put in the request to DNR for the port to switch over to a PMA.  Commissioner Morris said, ultimately it will be me and hopefully the lobbyist can soften the request.  I enjoyed the WPPA seminar, everyone said they liked our opening and hearing about the Port of Hoodsport.  Travis said he spoke to older port commissioners who said Mason County Ports used to get together to discuss how to pursue economic mandates, so ports don’t all run into feeling lost in the woods all the time.  The Director said Mason County ports used to have ‘All Ports’ meetings annually and usually in the evening with a meal venue, each Port hosting at different times to discuss various topics.  Commissioner Kincannon said we could get together to do a small ports workshop with specific topics in mind to discuss what others have experienced in a few hours to hear each other’s experiences that may help all of us move forward.  The cost and logistics can be a challenge unless we have a Zoom call meeting with maybe smaller ports like Allyn and DeWatto, keeping it small and having specific projects to work on.  Maybe we can get together with people to sit down and work on sections of the PMA together.  Commissioner Moris said last December the Christmas tree lighting ceremony was spearheaded by Rachel Hanson, she’s pretty busy this year.  Mollie from Market Fresh Grocery wants to do a Holiday demo on the same day as we are thinking about having the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the waterfront park on Saturday December 13^th.  

Port Maintenance Reports:

Hoodsport Trail Park & Disc Golf Park: S Lindgren said there’s been lots of people in the trail park, someone’s been doing brodies in all three parking lots, we are widening the trail at the trail park.  The only reason there is a trail by the cliff that is eroding is because the disc golf association used it as a trail when they were building the course on the 60 acres side of the park. In the winter water naturally flows through the main trail. The dog walkers let their dogs go everywhere and then they follow their dogs creating short cut trails.  Commissioner Morris said we probably need to talk to people who have experience with trail maintenance in the spring.  Commissioner Kincannon said let’s table the trail park until we get the new commissioner then go from there.  S. Lindgren can show her where the main trails are. S Lindgren said the bathroom at the Southend of the park has been pressure-washed, it smells bad and needs to have the pit pumped, we need to replace the locked toilet paper holder. People are throwing stuff down the toilet, it’s been a mess to pump because debris gets stuck in the hose, so we have to manually pull it out and put the debris into bags to dispose. Commissioner Kincannon said if the restroom is open, it needs to be clean, let’s call a septic company to pump the toilet.  Commissioner Morris asked if people mess with the portable restrooms, S Lindgren said, no.  The price of lumber has gone up so the tree company will finish up the hazard trees in the next few months.

Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: S Lindgren said the oil response spill kit is ready to deploy, it has a special dolly and is stored in the container shed.  The Life ring was installed in the fire hose box on the pier.  Some of the planks were loose and have been tightened down. We took out the flowers and turned off the irrigation, I will be turning off the water soon.  The blackberries have been cleaned out.  It seems the wild roses were poisoned so I will be taking them out. 

Portable Restrooms: The Port of Hoodsport and Hood Canal Market Fresh share the cost of renting portable restrooms for public use.  In the summer season, May–October, restrooms are serviced 3 times per week.  In winter, October – April rentals are serviced twice per week. The Ports maintenance department monitors them for trash and additional toilet paper as needed in between services. 

Port parking/Office building/Maintenance shed: The container shed is pressure washed and ready for painting.

Port Directors Report: 

The director said I have been trying to contact the Sheriff’s offices, and specifically left messages for the Sheriff’s assistant and Sheriff Rose, I have not heard back.  Commissioner Kincannon is going to talk to Jen Bly who is the only candidate running for Port Commissioner Position 1, she will be elected on November 4^th.  I recommend appointing her for the interim short term time period prior to her 6-year long term elected position starting date of January 2026.  Commissioner Kincannon asked Commissioner Morris if he has spoken to Jan Goodpastor to accept the interim position in the event Jen is unable to be appointed in November.  He said, yes, she is willing to step in if needed.  The director said we are moving through a state audit for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 and have provided requested information, hopefully they are satisfied and we are almost finished with the audit.  

Budget:     Financial statements for September 2025 were reviewed

Old Business:  As discussed above        New Business:    As discussed above.

Next Meeting:    November 12,2025

Adjourn:          Commissioner Kincannon made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Morris seconded, it was unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 10:31am

2025 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows: 

November 12^th, December 10^th

Commissioner Kincannon         Commissioner Morris