Port Commissioners Discuss Facilities Plan

DAYTON—The capital facilities plan for 2017, budget review for 2016, a public hearing about surplus property, changes to personnel policies, and election of officers were topics of discussion at last week’s meeting of the Port of Columbia Comissioners.

As part of the capital facilities plan, the commissioners agreed to the purchase of a new HVAC system for Industrial Park Building No. 3. The system will cost about $8,000 and work will be done in the spring of 2017, Port Manager Jennie Dickinson said.

“We have replaced most of the HVAC units in the industrial park in the last nine years. I think this might be the last one,” she said.

Capital projects for Building No. 2, currently under construction at the Blue Mountain Station, include paving the road, extending paving to the front of the building, and installing some sidewalks there.

“We can do this in coordination with [the contractor’s] work, so it is cheaper,” Dickinson told the commissioners.

Dickinson also discussed signage with the commissioners.

“I don’t necessarily want to finish the signs. We don’t have enough money in our capital budget to spend $47,000 on signs,” she said. Dickinson proposed replacing the wood sign, located at Port Way with one that more easily identifies the port office.

Dickinson’s proposal to purchase the $4,500 sign this year, and putting off the purchase of a more expensive sign at the industrial park until next year, was accepted by the commissioners.

Dickinson’s request to purchase a kiosk for the parking lot at the Blue Mountain Station was also approved by the commissioners. The kiosk will provide information about the site, and will cost about $8,000, she said.

The remainder of the signage will be done in 2018.

Dickinson told the commissioners she is watching the roofs at the industrial park for leaks. “We have had some issues. The gaskets on top of the screws get old and dried out,” she said.

“All the gaskets have been replaced on Building No. 2, but there was a leak at the district court,” she said.

Dickinson said she is still waiting to see if Paul Didelius, the commercial director of Frontier Rail, LLC, will give her a solid figure for the rail rehab project. It might be in the 2018 Capital Budget before theport asks for money for the project, she said.

Dickinson said that nothing has been budgeted in the 2017 Capital Facilities Plan for the Lyons Ferry Marina. She said the port will preserve the $20,000 marina budget for any work that might happen due to a new requirement in the planning document that states that electrical on or near the water be certified, which is a maintenance item, she said.

The Port of Columbia County Commissioners adopted the 2017 Capital Facilities Plan, as proposed. Some items in the plan were moved to 2018.

The 2016 year-end budget was reviewed by port officials. Total revenues for 2016 were $744,243.70. Total expenses for 2016 were $703,198.29.

“We were $41,450.41 ahead of budget,” Dickinson said. “We ended up in a much better cash position than budgeted.”

Fred Crowe asked about the county’s budget problems and Dickinson explained, “We have a very stable revenue stream. We only rely on property tax.”

In 2017, the port is working with a projected revenue budget of $749,886.00 excluding special projects, which is six thousand dollars more than in 2016.

The commissioners adopted a resolution, declaring 8,800 sq. ft. of port-owned property adjacent to Seneca Foods, Inc., on Washington Street, as surplus.

The resolution allows Dickinson to proceed with sale negotiations with the buyer, Seneca Foods, Inc. who would like to purchase the property, which is located adjacent to their seed plant.

Personnel policies changing the salary range for the port auditor to a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $25 per hour, establishing the salary for the economic development coordinator at the state-required minimum of $47,476, and no longer paying out sick leave when employees leave employment with the port, were discussed.

There were also language changes made to the personnel policies so that hourly employees will no longer accrue compensatory time, and vacation time will now be considered in days, rather than hours, to which the commissioners agreed.

The commissioners also approved a new policy on credit card use, which aligns the policy with the state’s RCWs.

“There are no changes. We are just adding more information.” said Dickinson. “I think we have met the requirements for the RCW.”

A policy authorizing the new rail operator to receive and review rail applications was also adopted. The rail operator will need to make recommendations to the commissioners for approval or denial of rail applications, with the exception of agriculture leases.

Dickinson explained that railroads require the board’s approval because the right of way can be affected.

With regard to agriculture, Dickinson said, “People are farming outside of their field, but up to the edge of the track. There are a lot of those. There is lots of opportunity to create some revenue by making sure they are paying. This gives some accountability as to who is using the property,” she added.

The commissioners also adopted an increase in the port’s incidental bank account balance to $1,000 and the maximum withdrawal allowed to $250.

New officers for 2017 are: Earle Marvin, Chair, and Fred Crowe, Secretary.