Meetings to Consider Attending - Week of June 21

Here are some meetings that I know of or have heard about. If you have others to share please post a comment or send me an email and I'll update the posting.

1. Mason County commissioners will hold briefings Monday, June 21, beginning at 830 am. This week I see they are going to be discussing the 2011 Preliminary Budget.

2. Oakland Bay Clean Water District Board of Supervisors will brief the county commissioners at 230 pm Tuesday, 230 pm in the commissioners chambers.

3. Mason County Board of Health will meet at 330 pm Tuesday in the commissioners chambers.

4. The county commissioners will meet this week on Tuesday, June 22 at 6 pm. Will there be more citizens calling for an advisory ballot on ADAGE?

5. The Port of Shelton commissioners will meet at 2 pm on Tuesday, June 22 for a work session. Will there be more discussion of an advisory ballot issue on ADAGE?

6. PUD 3 commissioners will meet at 10 am on Tuesday, June 22 in the PUD 3 Auditorium.

7. The League of Women Voters Mason County will provide an update on their study of the county budget. This public forum will be held at the PUD 3 auditorium at 7 PM, Tuesday June 22. The study group worked on these questions: where does the money come from? where does it go? what are the issues? Come out to learn more about the county budget.

8. This meeting is not confirmed. I'm told the Port of Shelton commissioners will meet again on Wednesday, June 23, at 3 pm to make a decision on seeking public opinion feedback on the ADAGE issue. I heard of this meeting from an unofficial source. Cannot confirm this meeting or it's purpose on the Port website.

Lot's of meetings to attend this week. Hope to see you at these meetings or around town.

PUD 3 Meeting - June 1

Commissioner Linda Gott and Tom Farmer voted today to increase the overall debt status of the PUD 3 rate payers to the tune of $71 million. Here's how it stacks up: $36 million for the building at John's Prairie, $10.7 million for other capital improvements, $7 million for reserves, $.6 million for issuance fees, $11 million to refinance what we already owe but at a lower interest rate, and another $5.7 million for contingency (Belfair road widening). Our indebtedness today without the support of Commissioner Bruce Jorgenson. In 2012 our annual payment will be $2.8 million rising to $4.5 million by 2040.

Al Brotche asked them to consider an advisory ballot prior to approving the call for bids on the $45 million facility at John's Prairie. As the former Mason County Auditor, Al even offered to help them get the issue on the ballot. But no, Linda and Tom were not going to be swayed with such a small thing as asking what the citizens think about increasing our debt in such an impoverished county.

At today's Board of County Commissioner meeting none other than Tim Sheldon announced that in the US the timber industry had been hit harder by the Great Recession than had the auto industry. Our PUD 3 bills will be going up to cover the cost of an ego trip taken by two PUD 3 commissioners. These bills will arrive before some rate payers recover from the current economic downturn.

When we see Linda and Tom around town, let's be sure to ask them why they refused to allow us to approve or disapprove the increased indebtedness they've placed upon our families. They could easily have allowed us to vote on the John's Prairie Operations Center but chose not to.

Remember what the State Auditor told us when he came to speak to the League of Women Voters Mason County, use shame on the elected officials right up to election day. Shame may not work but our votes will send the ultimate message.

Water Water Everywhere But Not a Drop.....

When I tell my relatives back East that clean water is a finite resource even in Western Washington, I can see the look of disbelief in their eyes. After all what's all that blue on the map around that part of the state I'm living in?

But according to the Squaxin Island Tribe, the amount of water we're withdrawing from the John's Creek Basin is a problem - the streams in this basin are drying up and the salmon cannot return to spawn.

The Tribe petitioned twice to get some action from the state and county. Just last week the Governor denied the Tribe's second petition regarding the John's Creek Basin. In the petition the Tribe asked the Department of Ecology and Mason County to limit exempt wells to domestic in-home use only.

In addition to her denial, the Governor directed Ecology to do the following:

1. Ensure the Port of Shelton complies with its existing water rights.
2. Secure funding for the groundwater study with basin governments (I assume this is the port, city and county) if the Environmental Protection Agency grant is unsuccessful. Ecology has applied for this grant.
3. Inform the public about the flow-related problems in Johns Creek, how current uses are likely reducing stream flows and that future exempt well uses may add to the problem and could be curtailed.
4. Develop and implement a strategy to protect Johns Creek flows. Specifically directed to reopen communications with the county on implementing stream flow protection measures.
5. Meet with the Tribe to inform Ecology’s instream flow rulemaking priorities.

Ecology is probably only sweating the first one. There's the challenge: getting the Port of Shelton to shut down that non-permitted well that's drawing 40 plus acre feet of water each year. The Port has a permitted well that gives them around 1.5 acre feet of water per year. I've heard from a reliable and knowledgeable source there's a water leak somewhere on Port property that no one can find. To this I'm thinking it's time to get that 'devining' rod out. Or maybe the Port could find an intuitive to find that leak. Hey, I'm just a simple person - not a water leak detective.

Let's keep an eye on this one. What will the Port do to live with it's existing water rights? What will the county do to help Department of Ecology make the Governor's directives a reality? How will Sam Sevier and the Mason County Water Conservancy Board help the Governor with her plan to make nice about water in the John's Creek Basin? And where, oh where will the City of Shelton get water to send up to the PUD 3 Palace, MCRA ball fields and ADAGE incinerator?

With all of the water issues in this county, I may have to rename this blog Mason County Water Watch.

Break in the Action

Even bloggers need a break sometimes. I've been on the East Coast for the last few days away from the internet. But I'll be back April 28 and ready to get back in the game.

I do hope that any of you who attend the Port of Shelton or county meetings will share with me what happens today, April 27. The Port meets at 2 pm at 21 Sanderson Way. The county has a couple of public meetings: the Board of Health at 300 pm and then the Board of County Commissioners meet at 6 pm.

Then tomorrow Wednesday there's the joint meeting of the port, city, county and PUD 3 at 10 am in the PUD3 auditorium.

Please, do let me know how these meetings go. I do want to know whether there is any discussion by any citizen or elected official of ADAGE at any of these meetings.

ADAGE: Road Improvement Funding

For background see my January 13, 2010 blog posting, "Connecting the Dots".

At the legislative planning meeting (Jan 6, 2010) Norm Dicks and Patty Murray's staff representatives were clear that federal road money to connect State Route 3 (at John's Prairie Road) and Highway 101 would be difficult to get funded. The city estimated $20 million for Wallace Kneeland improvements while the county's estimate to get SR3/John's Prairie Road intersection fixed was estimated at $18 million. State legislators Tim Sheldon and Fred Finn were at this meeting also but did not give hope that the state will fund these essential road improvements.

So where is this bundle of money coming from to fix these roads prior to ADAGE construction being approved? Or will our elected officials simply add additional diesel heavy trucks to the hazardous conditions that already exist?

ADAGE: More Questions Than Answers

Yesterday I attended the two ADAGE sponsored meetings and the meeting of the Concerned Citizens of Mason County (CCMC), a group opposed to this new facility. The first ADAGE sponsored meeting was quite well attended but the evening meeting was less so. I estimate that between 65 to 70 attended the CCMC meeting. Media coverage, so far as I could see, was limited to KMAS covering only the evening meeting held by ADAGE. Fred Finn and Tim Sheldon were at the ADAGE meetings.

Here's what I understand after all those hours of asking questions and listening.

1. Air Quality: This appeared to be the big issue for most folks. I heard people say they don't think it's going to be a problem and I heard others who were quite concerned. Next week CCMC plans as a group to visit Olympic Regional Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to voice their concerns. More than a ton of woody bio mass will be burned every minute 24 hours per day and about 100 heavy trucks will bring fuel into this facility seven days a week. Do we want to have the MCRA ball fields up there adjacent to this facility? Not sure it makes sense to have a sports field adjacent to this facility.

2. Water Use and Capacity: I was told the ADAGE facility will use 80 gallons per minute. At the Jan 29 joint meeting of the city, county, port, and PUD3 this issue of water capacity came up. Here's an excerpt from my Jan 31 blog posting about this meeting. "...Dave O'Leary said the City has water rights but doesn't know whether the capacity is there or not...." Prior to the approval of ADAGE construction we need to have straight answers on where this water is coming from and what this means to the county's water table outside John's Prairie Basin. How does this water usage compare to other operations in the area? Are we near the tipping point on water levels for the county?

3. Waste Water: Those 80 gallons of water per minute end up as 20 to 30 gallons per minute of waste water at 140 degrees temperature. ADAGE will cool this to 100 degrees and then it will go into the City of Shelton sewer system. Will this waste water be damaging to our shellfish industry? Who's paying for the sewer lines from John's Prairie Industrial Park to the City sewer system?

4. Traffic: When I interviewed Reed Will, President of ADAGE Mason LLC, he was not aware of the road issue specifically the hazardous SR3/John's Prairie intersection. He agreed to see first hand the roads in and out of the proposed site. What's the plan at the state and county levels regarding the need for improved roads for truck traffic that will bring 600,000 tons of bio mass into this facility and then carry out the ash? And what about the maintenance of these roads? How many heavy trucks are on our roads now and how does this compare to the traffic that we already realize?

5. Tax Revenue & Cost to Taxpayer: I asked Mr Will how much taxes and permit fees they anticipate paying the county, city, port, and PUD3. He said that he'd get back to me on this. His company's fact sheet says they will generate $2 to $3 Million the first year. Now we need to understand better how this breaks down. Is it one time permit fees or what? Which municipality gets what? When the city, port and PUD3 made their water agreement did the city agree to taxing ADAGE at a lesser rate? How much is ADAGE getting from the federal government to build this facility and what are their deadlines? What will be the real cost to the tax payer. Do the benefits to the tax payer out weigh the costs?

6. Employment Opportunities: ADAGE claims in their fact sheet that during 2.5 years of construction we will see more than 750 jobs and post construction will be about 200 jobs: 24 are direct full time jobs operating the plant and about 100 are the truck drivers who'll bring in the woody bio mass. Can a third party verify these estimates? I understand there is a similar facility in Lockerbie, Scotland. What has been this community's experience? How many jobs have they seen?

7. Forest Degradation: What is the impact to our forests when we remove the slash? Are nutrients lost? Will ADAGE begin burning trees (round wood) if there isn't enough woody bio mass in a 50 mile radius of the facility?

8. Cost of Electricity: Some have noted that the projected cost of power would be too high for a local utility. I believe this is the whole point of building this facility.

That pretty much sums up what I understand. I have more questions than answers and look forward to receiving your comments on what you understand. Sorry this is so long. My husband says you definitely won't read this one.

Secret Meetings and Echo Chambers

"Secrecy is largely antithetical to well-run public institutions - not because those institutions are run by people with nefarious aims but because working in an echo chamber never produces the best results." News Tribune, Feb 2, 2010.

I read this and thought about the Interlocal Water Agreement among the port, city and PUD3. As mentioned previously in this blog, the staffs of the three entities developed this water agreement behind closed doors. Port Commissioner Hupp allowed that this agreement could never have been done had it not been done in secret meetings by their staffs. I wonder if there were any echoes in those meetings. At the joint meeting on Friday, Jan 29, I was sure hearing the same language being used by the commissioners of the port, city and PUD3 as they congratulated themselves on a job well done.

Now we read this week that the city approved the water agreement on Monday, Feb 1. The following day the port and PUD3 approved the agreement. The echoes have reverberated throughout the community. It is agreed upon by all parties.

As the News Tribune article referenced above went on to say, rarely is good public policy fashioned behind closed doors. What our elected officials are overlooking is that the public voice can be used to their advantage. But only when it is allowed to be heard in open meetings. While the city, port and PUD3 spent several weeks developing this water agreement secretly, once this agreement was shared with the public, it took the port, city and PUD3 just a week to approve the document.

The public still holds the ultimate opportunity to have our voice heard. Let's be sure our voice is heard on election day. Who knows maybe our voices will echo throughout this county.