Port Commission Minutes

MINUTES FROM THE VIRTUAL REGULAR PORT COMMISSION MEETING

                     OF THE PORT OF HOODSPORT PORT COMMISSION                  

November 11, 2020

Call to Order:   9:35am    Immediately after the Budget Hearing                                               Adjourned:  10:05am

Meeting Held at:              Via Zoom Conference Call 

Roll Call:                            Commissioner Brazil – Chair

                                                Commissioner Booth

Staff Present:                    K. Wyatt, Administrative Director

                                                B. Osborne – Director of Maintenance

                                                S. Lindgren – Maintenance

Public:                                 Mike & Geri Purvis – Hood Canal Grocery

                                              Lori Kincannon – Hoodsport resident

                                              Jann Goodpastor – Hoodsport resident

Heidi McCutchen – Mason Chamber of Commerce

                                              Lisa Perry

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 October 21, 2020, Commissioner Booth seconded, unanimously approved.

Vouchers:  There were no vouchers to approve

Public Communication:   M Purvis said that Port needs to take the highest levy every year as part of the budget.  K Wyatt said the port did take the highest levy this year which was 1.4% or $1,471.00.  H McCutchen said she reiterates support for the public restrooms. Commissioner Booth asked H. McCutchen what kind of funds can the Chamber contribute to help with the public restroom situation, isn’t there districts that contribute money to the Chamber for tourism? H McCutchen said the funds awarded the Chamber are specific to the visitors’ information and services. Commissioner Booth said wouldn’t services include public restrooms, doesn’t that approach doesn’t help with the cause.  H McCutchen said I am not willing to contribute funds to the public restroom. People pay membership dues. J Morris is a board member of the Chamber, she came to me to help with the public restroom situation in Hoodsport. I don’t often do things like this but the survey results reflect the community at large want the public restrooms.  Commissioner Brazil said, we will explore the LID. Commissioner Booth said in addition, isn’t that a great entrée to help Hoodsport find money for the public restrooms. H McCutchen said, if movement is made we will help with getting the word out. Again, I am not willing to pledge money from the Chamber. I will continue to show up at meetings until you find a solution.  Commissioner Brazil asked if anyone else had something they would like to say.  Lori Kincannon said I am here to learn and listen.  J Goodpastor said I am an interested resident here. 

Commissioner Reports    Commissioner Booth said she was in communication with Marine Floats on the dock repair, they said the invoice was two times the amount of what they thought because when they opened up the boards on the dock, it revealed much more damage.  We need to be looking at the next several years of dock repair.  The movement from the wind and water really beats the dock and mechanism holding it together.  YSS Dive shop filmed the port dock and floats which were encrusted with crustaceans and starfish.  You couldn’t see much because it was so cloudy in the water, it was like walking through an aquarium with no reference as to which portion of the dock we were looking at.  I forwarded the video to Marine Floats to look at.  M Purvis said I would like to see the video, this could be an opportunity to have the dive shop scrape off the pilings.  We have had several people move to town with great talents.  Maybe we can find someone who does grant writing and other talents on things we can’t do.  H McCutchen said I could put together a list of wants on expertise of people who volunteer their time for our community, I will put something together on our website.

Port Maintenance Reports:  

Hoodsport Trail Park & Disc Golf Park:  B Osborne said there is not much activity on the course lately. There has not been people dumping trash or abusing the permanent portable restroom. M Purvis said if people hit the garbage can, I am happy. No one approached us to volunteer to help with the bridges.  There have been of lot of mountain bicycling on the trails, mostly families.  What is the Ports position on the bicycling?  Commissioner Brazil said I guess its alright as long as there is no complaints. Commissioner Booth said as long as they are not off road motorcycles which can be dangerous to hikers. 

Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: B Osborne said the ladders are on the dock, the irrigation system and water lines are winterized.  The hanging baskets are down so the Kiwanis can put up the candy canes on the poles.  B Osborne said the Fire Chief called, they are still going through a transition of combining two fire departments and after it is complete in January 2021, he will call back so we can create a scheduled inspection and testing of the fire lines on the dock.

Public Restrooms: Currently closed to the public both as directed by Mason County because of a failed drain field and due to the COVID 19 pandemic for health and safety of the public and personnel. An ADA and 2 Portable restrooms with hand washing stations are available for the publics use. Portable restrooms are serviced Monday and Fridays in winter months. They are serviced additionally when needed. Maintenance personnel monitors garbage and supplies additional toilet paper as needed.

Port parking/Office building/Maintenance shed: B. Osborne and S. Lindgren have Security App’s on their phones to monitor live stream surveillance cameras overlooking the public restrooms, office building, shed, parking lot, waterfront park and the dock.

Port Directors Report

A Facility Use Agreement between the Port of Hoodsport and YSS Dive Shop has been reviewed by the port’s attorney and will be sent back to YSS for their input when Exhibit ‘A’ is finished to attach, B Osborne is drawing a map to attach to the Facility Use Agreement as Exhibit ‘A’. 

Governor Inslee extended the OPMA guidelines and is changing dates as the COVID Crisis develops, 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:                  October financial statements were reviewed

Old Business:        As discussed above        New Business:       None

Next Meeting:          December 9, 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 10:05 a.m.

2020 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows:

Wednesday’s at 9am December 9^th, January 13^th, 2021

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

October 21, 2020                                                       Call to Order:   9:15am                                                    Adjourned:  10:25am

Meeting Held at:              Via Zoom Conference Call

Roll Call:                            Commissioner Brazil – Chair               Commissioner Booth

Staff Present:                    K. Wyatt, Port Director       BOsborne – Director of Maintenance        SLindgren – Maintenance

Public:                                  Jan Morris – Hardware Distillery   Lori Kincannon – Hoodsport resident  Heidi McCutchen – Mason Chamber of Commerce  Morgan Rothrock – Mason County Disc Golf Assn.

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 October 7, 2020, Commissioner Booth seconded, unanimously approved.

Vouchers:  Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the Vouchers 2of2 October 21, 2020 for $514.85, Commission Payroll for $2,309.86, Voucher 3of3 October 28, 2020 for $7,192.71Commissioner Booth seconded, unanimously approved.

Public Communication:   M Rothrock started writing a press release but was wondering who the audience will be. Commissioner Brazil said we want to gain exposure by attracting people from other areas as well as Mason County. We want people to be introduced to the course describing it in detail with the course rating. M Rothrock said he will clean up the current version of the write up and include some of the reviews from the disc golf website chatroom and should have a rough draft within a week. In looking at the online chats on the disc golf course review, the course was set to ‘live’ a couple of weeks ago, then updated with the proper T type and hole type.  The current rating is 3.88 which is a 4-star rating, really good for a 9hole course.  Getting the concrete T pads in was big because people look for concrete T pads when they are searching for a course to play on their APP.  M. Rothrock said Hoodsport Hills disc golf course will be one of the courses campers will use as an activity in their rotation of things to do while in the Hoodsport area.  It would be nice to see the pro shop and/or outfitters shop have disc golf ‘kit rental’ with a bulletin board showing where the disc golf course is and a layout of the course.  I am going to reach out to Shannon for design ideas for a master map of the course, T signs to place at the T pads and a large sign for the parking lot, all aesthetically matching.  Commissioner Brazil said B Grondin, the course warden has ideas on nighttime disc golf tourneys with glow sticks to light up the baskets and glow in the dark discs.  M Rothrock said there are battery operated lights that can be reused and would be perfect to light up the baskets.  J Morris said she was attending to find out about the public restrooms.  H McCutchen said she spoke to Commissioner Brazil regarding the public restroom issues, went over the survey and wrote an article about the public restrooms through the Chambers online website where people who took the survey said they want the public restrooms and they are a high priority.  The Chamber will do what they can to help find a solution.  H McCutchen said she can send references on a septic designer. J Morris asked if the port is working to find another septic designer, she said she’s used Arrow who were expensive and took a long time but did a great job.  Commissioner Brazil said, first the land for the drain field must be determined. The port director said M Purvis will be present at the next regular port commission meeting, he is the landowner who can offer suggestions.  J Morris said why can’t we use part of the County land and part of the Purvis land?  Commissioner Booth explained that the County property had a perc test and the soil was not adequate, also the adjacent homeowners were not in favor of using the County land because the drain field would be within a 100’ setback of an existing well and finally they did not want a community drain field near their properties.  B Osborne said we dug test holes and the septic designer said the soil did not perc, it was not good, there were too many rocks and not enough soil, and it would require an expensive treatment, that is the reason why our current septic drain field failed. Commissioner Brazil said once a property is identified, a septic designer has to be hired, a perc test has to be done,  there is a septic design fee, county permitting and depending on the type of the drain field and treatment, someone will have a large sum of money to correct the situation.  Designing and installing a drain field would bust the ports budget.  The port has other issues to pay attention to as well, the port’s dock needs repair after every winter, we just do not have the money in this port districts small budget.  Commissioner Brazil said he met with a reporter from the Shelton Journal newspaper who got a call from a concerned person.  We had a nice conversation and now the reporter knows what the public restroom issues are.  He was very helpful and suggested there may be some way to find COVID money to help with servicing and maintaining the restrooms.  Commissioner Brazil asked H. McCutchen if the Chamber has money to help with the drain field or servicing and maintaining the public restrooms. H McCutchen said, no, we don’t, we are only interested in helping you find grants.  Commissioner Brazil said the first step is to find the land to install the drain field, then to talk to a septic designer, then find an organization to surplus the restrooms to who can build a drain field, take it over and run it.  H McCutchen asked the port director for figures of what it cost to run the public restrooms since they were installed.  The port director said those figures will not reflect what the current costs are to operate the public restrooms because the number of users in the last few years have far exceeded the number of users from 2013.  The public restroom septic tank will now have to be pumped periodically even if there is an alternate drain field because the overwhelming number of users far exceeds the capacity of the design of the septic system and drain field.  Pumping the septic tanks once per month and before and after every major holiday will become normal so the septic system does not fail.  J Morris said she may have to wait until September to have the Fjordin Crossin event next year because of COVID.  We are going into the second wave; I am hoping for a vaccine to create herd immunity.  Last year I obtained permission from the school and had transportation, we will just have to wait to see what happens.  H McCutchen said how do we replace Commissioner Petz?  The port director said we put an ad in paper for interested parties to who live within the port district to submit a resume for the port commission to review.  The commission has 90 days from when Commissioner Petz resigned on October 6^th to fill his position and serve out his remaining term until 2023.

Commissioner Reports  No Commission reports

Port Maintenance Reports:

Hoodsport Trail Park & Disc Golf Park:  B Osborne said the course is functional, people are playing it.

Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: B Osborne said there was not a leak, someone opened the valve to the water pipe on the dock, he will put a lock on it.  Commissioner Brazil asked if the fire department drained down the pipe.  B Osborne said he didn’t think they charged the water line this year.  Commissioner Brazil said the fire chiefs have changed and will probably need to be reminded that they should charge the fire line in the spring and drain it down in the fall, they should do a pressure check in the spring, B. Osborne will you remind them that should put it on their annual calendar.  B. Osborne said yes, he would go ahead and open the valve to drain it down.  Commissioner Booth asked B. Osborne if the ladders have been installed on the dock, he said, not yet, it won’t take long to do it.

Public Restrooms: Currently closed to the public both as directed by Mason County because of a failed drain field and due to the COVID 19 pandemic for health and safety of the public and personnel. An ADA and 2 Portable restrooms with hand washing stations are available for the publics use. Portable restrooms are serviced Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. They are serviced additionally when needed. Maintenance personnel monitors garbage and supplies additional toilet paper as needed. J Morris said she was surprised that in the survey done by the chamber of commerce more people thought the restrooms were more important than the businesses.  Commissioner Brazil said, yes, the same results as 13 years ago, but no one wants to jump up to fund the drain field and maintain the restrooms.

Port parking/Office building/Maintenance shed: B. Osborne and S. Lindgren have Security App’s on their phones to monitor live stream surveillance cameras overlooking the public restrooms, office building, shed, parking lot, waterfront park and the dock.

Port Directors Report

A Facility Use Agreement between the Port of Hoodsport and YSS Dive Shop has been reviewed by the port’s attorney.  B Osborne is drawing a map to attach to the Facility Use Agreement as Exhibit ‘A’.  J Morris asked if she needed another Facility Use Agreement with the Dive shop to hold her Fjordin Crossin event.  The port director said the Facility Use Agreements are between Vendors and the Port of Hoodsport.  She suggested that J Morris speak to YSS Dive Shop as a courtesy to let them know when J Morris will have her annual event and the areas she plans to use.  A preliminary budget was reviewed showing year to date costs, the Auditors office requests the Final budget for 2021 be submitted by November 30^th.  The port of Hoodsport will review a Preliminary 2021 budget for approval on November 11^th at 9am.   The long-term management forest practice application submitted to DNR was approved for the first step in the Hoodsport Trail Park forest management plan. Interested parties have had the opportunity to comment and review the resources and agreed the proposal is sound. The second step which is to thin occasionally is submit with maps to DNR for review and approval.  Commissioner Brazil will need to sign the authorization allowing DNR to enter the property to review the proposal, inspect harvest operations and monitor compliance.

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:                       No financial statements to review    Old Business:        As discussed above        New Business:       None

Next Meeting:          November 11, 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 10:20 a.m.

2020 Regular Port Commission Meetings are scheduled as follows:  Wednesday’s at 9am November 11^th, December 9^th, January 13^th 2020 Budget Hearing meeting November 11th

Commissioner Brazil                Commissioner Booth