Port Commission Minutes

MINUTES FROM THE EMERGENCY PORT COMMISSION MEETING OF THE PORT OF HOODSPORT COMMISSION TO DISCUSS THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

 March 20, 2020                                                                            Call to Order:   3:00pm                                                    Adjourned:  3:30pm

Meeting Held at:              via telephone conference meeting

Roll Call:                           Commissioner Petz – Commission Chair, Commissioner Brazil , Commissioner Booth

 Staff Present:                    K. Wyatt, Executive Director

The Port of Hoodsport commission unanimously approved Resolution 2020-01 declaring an emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic via telephone conference on 3.20.2020.

Resolution 2020-01, was put in place and approved in a special meeting on a Friday, the resolution is in line with the Washington Public Port Associations suggestion and similar declarations from Washington Port agencies.  A timeline of events leading up to the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Inslee’s mandates, public health safety guidelines by the Federal, State and local governments were taken into consideration and the following protocol was inspired.

The Resolution 2020-01 positions the Port of Hoodsport to respond to the COVID-19 virus-related needs without following statutory requirements. It also may allow access to state and federal grant resources if needed, said Port Executive Director.

The resolution establishes the executive director as the head of the Port’s response to approve necessary and routine actions, and allows the Port to waive competitive bidding requirements in order to address needs, employ temporary workers in the event of a federal, state, local government and agency emergency situation or in a situation such as government commandeering.

It also can exempt meeting notice requirements and locations, though all three commissioners say said they couldn’t imagine exercising that option.

The meeting was convened with the three commissioners and Executive Director via teleconference to be in compliance with mandatory social distancing requirements.  A notice was posted on the Port of Hoodsport’s office window inviting the public to attend the special meeting at the port office as long as social distancing guidelines were practiced while the director communicated with the commission via telephone.  No one from the public was present.

Next Meeting:

The Port commission cancelled the March regular port commission meetings, will reevaluate future meeting dates and explore options to convene for meetings other than physically. The Port of Hoodsport commission will continue to comply with federal, state, and County mandates and guidelines as the COVID-19 outbreak unfolds.

ADJOURN:

Commissioner Brazil made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Booth seconded, it was unanimously approved, the special meeting was adjourned at 3:30 p.m.  Commissioner Petz                  Commissioner Brazil                Commissioner Booth

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

February 5, 2020                                                Call to Order:   9:00am                                                    Adjourned:  10:30am

Meeting Held at:    Port of Hoodsport 24113 N US Hwy 101 Hoodsport, WA

Roll Call:                           Commissioner Petz – Commission Chair   Commissioner Brazil   Commissioner Booth – via teleconference

Staff Present:                    K. Wyatt, Port Operations Manager    B. Osborne – Director of Maintenance    S. Lindgren – Maintenance

Public:                                  Forest McCullough – NW Tree         Jan Morris – Hardware Distillery, Fjordin Crossin

Approval of Agenda:  Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the agenda as   written; Commissioner Booth seconded; it was unanimously approved.

Minutes: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the regular port commission minutes from January 8, 2020, Commissioner Booth seconded, they were unanimously approved.

Vouchers:   The following Vouchers/Warrants were for approved for payment: Commissioner Brazil made a motion to approve the Voucher for February 5, 2020 1 of 1 in the amount of $7,534.13 and a Sweep of the general fund account in the amount of $1,535.59 which will be taken out by the Mason County Treasurer’s office on February 14^th for the Ports associated costs in the 2019 general election. Total amount paid in invoices including the sweep is $9,069.72

Public Communication:  Jan M. loves the new solar powered crosswalk and blinking lights that were installed at the corner of Schoolhouse Hill Rd. and Highway 101 by WSDOT. She says it works to bring attention to people crossing the highway.  B. Osborne said WSDOT replaced the crosswalk sign on the highway in front of the Ports marina with a breakaway sign. Jan wants to have a pedestrian refuge so people can get out of the rain on the West side of the crosswalk by the library where it is currently dirt.  Commissioner Booth suggested having a local artist create and donate a metal sculpture that could be a part of the refuge.  She said WSDOT probably has a pool of architects who could draw up a plan.  Jan said she was going to talk to Commissioner Sharon Trask to find out if there may be money the County can donate toward the refuge.  Jan is working on two ‘Oysters on the Beach’ events in collaboration with Cindy Sund for April 11^th and 25^th between 3-5pm.  Cindy will give history of generations of her family living on the Hood Canal and how to find and identify oysters on the beach.  The Kiwanis will be donating cups and providing 5-gallon bottled water jugs.  There is a maximum capacity of 16 people per event.  Jan is also working on future art shows at the local library.  Forest McCullough with NW Tree service spoke to a local forester who walked with him to identify over 100 hazard trees that need to be taken down in the Hoodsport Trail Park.  F. McCullough said the trees will be cut and left on the ground as they are not good for anything, not even pulp.  He said paperwork can be done with Department of Natural Resources to keep the paper trail going with a timeline as an ongoing part of the harvest from 2011, the last SEPA that was done with the 2011 harvest should still be good however there are no permits needed to fall hazard trees.  He will do an evaluation and let the port commission know what the cost and timeframe will be.  The Hoodsport Trail park will be closed during the falling of hazard trees. F. McCullough suggested the port commission hire a forester to submit a Forest Practice Application with DNR for the future forest management plan since it will be an ongoing issue because the Fir and Alder Trees that are over 90 years old will continue to get root rot.  There should be a 15-year harvest plan so the port can capitalize on the timber that is harvested instead of just falling them as hazard trees once they are infected with root rot and before they are completely rotten.

Commissioner Reports:  None

Port Maintenance Reports:

Hoodsport Trail Park & Disc Golf Park:  The trail park will be closed during inclement weather. S. Lindgren has been cleaning up fallen debris in the parking areas as needed. B Grondin, Hoodsport Hills course warden is opening and closing the chain barrier for disc golfers.

Hoodsport Marina, Dock & Waterfront Park: B. Osborne is having the lawn mower serviced.

Public Restrooms: Currently open to the public intermittently as directed by Mason County and the septic specialist.  Readings on the septic tank gallon age is monitored as required.  De Icer is spread on the asphalt in front of the public restrooms as needed.

Port parking/Office building/Maintenance shed: B. Osborne and S. Lindgren both have App’s on their phones and are monitoring the live stream surveillance cameras that oversee the public restrooms, office, shed, parking lot, waterfront park and the dock.

Port Operations Manager Report

The Port administrator and port commission discussed what information will be inserted into a presentation format regarding the history of the port and public restrooms from inception of the suggestion by public request to the present state of the public restrooms septic drain field.  This information will eventually be put into a formal request to Washington State Department of Transportation in hopes that they will adopt the public restrooms as an official state managed highway public restroom.  There is a great need for the public restrooms in Hoodsport along highway 101 corridor for the general public’s use and it is a fact that it brings tourism to boost the small businesses local economy in Hoodsport. The County commissioner and Mason county public works are working on deeding a county owned property as a solution for an alternative drain field that will support the current public restrooms septic system.  The direction of the public restrooms and a public hearing will be held once the port is certain of all the available options. The 80-acre Hoodsport Trail Park was deeded to the Port of Hoodsport in 2009 to manage, the Port has become a steward of the trail park and disc golf course enhancing the presence as a public recreational property.  The port is obligated to write a biennial report as to the progress and state of the trail park.  The report will be due in April 2020.

Budget:                  January financial statement was not available.

Old Business:           As discussed above

New Business:         None

Next Meeting:          March 11, 2020 to be held at the Port of Hoodsport Office

Adjourn:                    Commissioner Brazil made a motion to adjourn the Regular Port Commission meeting, Commissioner Booth seconded, it was unanimously approved, meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.