Be leaders, not laggards!
Comments Presented to Mason County Commissioners
Submitted to Shelton Blog by Scott Grout Mason County Progressive
August 8th, 2012
Commissioners,
My comments today highlight an old recurring issue with water quality and County oversight. Much of what I’m about to say also reflects the thoughts of Bill Allen, a citizen and community activist, who was unable to be here this morning.
Mr. Allen and I were in part responsible for calling attention to the impact of the sport fishery and the out of compliance use of the Hunter farm property on the Skokomish River back in 2009. The same cycle of improper enforcement and oversight is being repeated again that will and is right NOW resulting in fecal contamination and pollution in the river.
We ask the Commissioners, particularly Mr. Sheldon, how many years has this illegal fishing camp been allowed to operate? How many more times will businesses, like mine, suffer losses due to closures because the County has not been proactive. How many more people like Bill Allen will suffer life debilitating infections because the County won’t, for whatever reason, get on top of a predictable cycle and control it?
The fact is the County does not follow through on its own guidelines. Instead, it takes a complaint with the Department of Ecology and the State Department of Health to affect timely action. Why must these agencies do the County’s work?
We have a similar example concerning the sensitive area around the Robin Hood Village. The Commissioners, again in 2009, passed a resolution prohibiting new “park model trailers” to be placed on the waterfront. The owner ignored the mandate; allowed legal confusion to compromise effective action; and the result was the Department of Ecology again had to intervene. The County was ineffective in its ability to either solve this problem or develop an effective land use policy.
Here again, the State has to do the work the County should be doing!
The key here is strategic leadership, Mr. Sheldon. These events are on your watch, in your district! Any management guideline would empower your agency staff to do what it takes to provide consistent, impartial, and fair follow through. It simply is not happening, and has not been happening, and we’re not exaggerating here!
Folks, we are well in the 21st century and we need to behave like it. There will be more people and environmental impacts as we move forward. Let’s end the “us and them” mentality that pervades Mason County operations. Let’s end the nepotism. Turn fear into forward movement! Partner and promote solutions! Love this beautiful County before we lose it! Be leaders and not laggards!
Scott Grout
Gold Coast Oyster LLC
Photo by John Cox
Yeah Scott Grout!
ReplyDeleteI had already read the papers you and Bill Allen put together about this bad behavior, which is all but permitted by our County Commissioners because some wealthy landowners are special... and hey, the sports fishermen spend a lot of dollars locally, so we look the other way when they come here and literally crap in our backyard.
It has to stop.
Roslynne Reed has to replace Tim Sheldon at the Board of County Commissioners.
If blog readers agree Tim has got to go, it's time to talk to your neighbors and friends and be sure they know that we have an alternative to re-electing Commissioner/Senator Sheldon.
Thank you for the kind comments Katherine. We've discovered more, since we were thrown off the Hunter property. It turns out WDFW is paying Hunter to allow free access to land. It is a violation of the lease for Hunter to not provide the parking, the proper sanitation, keep the cattle out of the river, and then collect money and restrict who can go in there. More to follow
ReplyDelete