Port Meeting Covers Draft Budget, Leases

DAYTON—Port Manager Jennie Dickinson presented a 2017 budget draft proposal to the commissioners for discussion at last week’s Port meeting on Oct 11. An updated copy of the proposed budget will be available for the commissioners’ consideration at the Nov. 9 meeting, which will be a public hearing on the budget, Dickinson said.

Dickinson highlighted several items on the revenue side of the proposal, showing a “very modest” one-percent tax levy increase, an additional increase for a new land lease at the Blue Mountain Station – an increase to better reflect the cost of utilities at the Blue Mountain Station – and a slight increase in ADO funding, for a proposed revenue total for 2017, of $754,367.

Adding miscellaneous grants and loans gives a projected revenue total of $1,024,367, according to Dickinson.

Highlighted expenses for 2017 are: an 8% increase in salary for the economic development coordinator, plus a 2% increase for other employees, slight increases for cost of living and travel, and a significant increase for some marina planning, for a projected total expense for 2017 of $916,026.

Dickinson told the commissioners she would like to work on increasing reserves to fund future projects. Reserves for 2017 are projected at $108,341, Dickinson said.

Keeping salaries current with prevailing wages in Columbia County was also debated at the meeting. The Port of Columbia has lost three employees to Columbia County, Dickinson said.

“Over the years we need to be able to match the county,” Commissioner Earle Warren said about wages.

“My concern is we won’t be able to do what we want to do, going forward, with programs, because of payroll,” Dickinson said, after some discussion.

The commissioners approved two leases. One was for a three year lease with TEMA, Inc., the trucking and equipment sales company, which is located in the Industrial Park.

The other lease is between Tucannon Development, LLC and the Port, which is a forty-five year raw land lease. Dickinson said Tucannon Development, LLC has a building permit, and as soon as the firm finishes a some work in Walla Walla, they will begin on the new building at The Blue Mountain Station.

Dickinson said the commissioners have another month until the lease with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Lyons Ferry Marina needs to be approved, and that there is nothing to do but review it and ask questions, for now.

She said she has recently met with the Corps, and that the Lyons Ferry Road is nearly complete.

“It looks very nice. But there are some big issues with the signs. The problem is the Corps did not notify us before making a deal with the county on that”, Dickinson said.

The marina operators had to move the KOA sign at their expense. The Corps signs were being moved at county expense, and there are problems with the green signs on the highway, she added.

The DOT said they did not put the signs up, and that they are illegal, and don’t meet their advertising control plan, said Dickinson.

Now the Corps and DOT are in a tug of war because the signs are on Corps property. The Corps says they are a sovereign federal agency and can move the signs if they want, she said.

“My recommendation is to put something up that the DOT would approve. I think maybe the Corp will accept that possibility, but they are going to make the county pay for them,” Dickinson told the commissioners.

Dickinson also reported on the recent Port audit. “Other than a few exit items, they found nothing in the audit that is going in the report,” Dickinson said.