Small Town News

Commissioners talk shop in North Mason

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The Mason County Board of Commissioners held a scheduled special workshop meeting in Belfair Tuesday evening to hear updates on two ongoing North Mason improvement projects -- the Belfair bypass and the Belfair sewer project.

As Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) project manager T.J. Nedrow reiterated findings from the March 17 WSDOT town hall meeting regarding the bypass, frustrations arose once again over the much talked about alternate route.

"I'm sick of studies," said community member Herb Gerhardt. "We're just blowing money left and right."

WSDOT project managers Nedrow and John Donahue, as well as Mason County utilities director Emmett Dobey, each attempted to reassure the public that the current environmental study -- which is being funded by $750,000 that Representative Fred Finn pushed for in the House transportation budget this year -- was only an update on previous work done by Mason County, not an entirely new study.

"There was a lag and so more work needed to be done to update it," Dobey said. "If everything stopped again ... then you'd have to start over and continue the process again, but that's not what the plan is this time, it's to finish the work and to continue finding additional [funding] to finish the project."

Next month, a panel of experts will study the comments gathered through the public outreach process, Nedrow said.

The panel will include members of the Kitsap and Mason County public works departments, a private engineering consultant, traffic flow experts and community member Ken VanBus-kirk. The panel will present its findings to the Washington State Legislature by June 30.

"I encourage you all to come to me with suggestions or comments, but you all know how I feel about this project," said VanBus-kirk, a vocal advocate for the bypass' progress.

An update on the Belfair sewer project went over much more smoothly, as Mason County construction manager Tom Moore highlighted the project's accomplishments and setbacks.

Construction work has shifted away from SR 3 and into the neighborhoods, where "some of the things have gone better than expected and some not so well," Moore said.

The crews have encountered poor topsoil and unexpected utilities, like water lines and fiber-optic networks, delaying progress in some areas.

Furthermore, accumulating more work for the crews creates unforeseen additional costs, which "adds up really fast," Moore said.

Dobey, however, was quick to note that the costs will all be negotiated with the construction firms.

"So far on the project we've only had one change order," he said, for $200,000.

By the next commissioners meeting in North Mason this August, Dobey and Moore expect to have a better idea of how much money has been spent on the project, what the status is on certain grants, and what that will all mean for ratepayers.

So far, the cost of connection is expected to be around $3,000, with an $85 to $90 monthly fee, Moore said.

Commissioner Ross Gallagher closed the meeting after a few public comments. He was the only one in attendance; both Commissioners Tim Sheldon and Lynda Ring Erickson had prior engagements.



Copyright 2010 Shelton-Mason County Journal, Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 Shelton-Mason County Journal Shelton, Washington. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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