Connecting the Dots

After you've read the below description of what's going on in the county, please consider attending a meeting on Jan 29, 2010 (place and exact time still unknown) when there is going to be an update on ADAGE.


I'm going to describe for you an example of how our public revenue is being spent and the pattern of alliances that I've noted. The stake holders involved include the Port of Shelton, Mason County, PUD 3, City of Shelton, and a new business called ADAGE. But one critical stakeholder is not "showing up" - the public is only marginally represented at key meetings where our elected officials are deciding what to do with public revenue.

At the Jan 6, 2010 legislative planning session, the Mayor and the Commissioners (county, city, port, & PUD 3) gathered to make the case for mostly road project funding. Tim Sheldon sat at the table as a county commissioner and state senator so I had trouble keeping up with which hat he was wearing. Also in attendance were State Representative Fred Finn and staffers for US Senator Murray and US Representative Norm Dicks. In a corner of the room sat two lonely citizens - an under represented stakeholder.

Our local elected officials requested support for funds to build or upgrade roads so that the John's Prairie portion of the Port of Shelton can be developed. The county estimates a cost of around $18 million to fix the current very dangerous intersection of SR3/John's Prairie Road intersection. Big PUD 3 trucks will need access to the new facility via this road. The city requires just under $20 million to upgrade Wallace Kneeland so that big trucks can get into the John's Prairie portion of the Port of Shelton. Neither the state elected officials nor the staffers held out any hope that $$$ would be coming our way in 2010 - not even federal stimulus money.

However, we're still not done with all the stakeholders involved. Let's talk about a business (referred to as ADAGE) that some want to bring to Mason County. Senator/Commissioner Sheldon has been pushing hard for construction of a plant that will turn woody biomass into electricity. Some question whether there is enough woody biomass to keep the plant running. Others question whether this model plant would prove to be economically viable. The site that will work for construction of this model plant is the John's Prairie portion of the Port of Shelton. ADAGE will need heavy-duty roads and also lots of water, as in 60 to 80 acre feet per year or so we were told at the legislative planning meeting. That's why the PUD 3 construction is the first step in making all of these other pieces fit.

The construction of PUD 3 is coming along through the approval process by two of the three PUD 3 commissioners with hardly any opposition or apparent interest of the public. Three county residents have been fighting this for all of us. In this economic downturn why isn't there more involvement of the public when the ultimate debt will be about $45 million and that doesn't include the upgrades to the roads? The PUD 3 customers are going to end up paying big bucks for this construction debt. Is the construction of this facility necessary and essential and is it in our best interest? Or is there another option that wouldn't cost so much?

As private citizens we need to know what is being agreed to amongst these elected officials and what it means to our pocket book. We are the main stakeholders. I urge you to get involved in the city, county, PUD 3, and port business. This is our money. Let's stop passing on debt to our children and grandchildren.