2/28/12 BOCC MEETING REPORT

IT'S A DIRTY JOB BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Tom Davis Mason County Progressive

The regularly scheduled meeting of Mason County Commissioners on 2/28/12 included some agenda items that put a twist in the drawers of a few folks.

Out of the nine action agenda items, five were removed for separate votes. Four of those items had to do with pay grade raises for key department heads, and one was to set a hearing for a Belfair UGA issue.

Item 8.5 was a request by Vicki Kirkpatrick, Director of Public Health, for a pay raise to go along with the additional duties that came with her new title, Director of Public Health and Human Services. In a memo to the Commissioners, Ms. Kirkpatrick laid out her reasoning for a pay increase from $83,101/yr. to $92,928/yr.

But apparently Ms. Kirkpatrick was unaware that hiding in the budgetary bushes lurked a pack of fiscal conservatives just waiting to pounce. And when they were through, there was left neither hide nor hair enough of the Director to make even a decent soup. And it was after, and only after the feeding frenzy subsided, that Commissioners voted to table the matter for 30 days, or until it started raining money, whichever comes first.

Item 8.6 also involved a salary increase, this time for Tom Moore, interim Director of Utilities and Waste Management (i.e. the Belfair Sewer Project). Mr. Moore’s current salary was not stated, but the request was for an increase to 7,019/Mo. ($84,228/Yr.). Unlike the previous bloodbath, the Commissioners snarled and swatted at each other, but in the end, voted to approve the increase.

(NOTE: Taken separately, items 8.5 & 8.6 are very different in that one requires a higher pay grade to compensate additional duties and one doesn’t. However, taken together, a more cynical public perception may conclude that the County would rather flush its money down the sewer than invest in Public Health.)

Item 8.7 was approval to upgrade the jail clerk’s position to that of Financial Assistant, as per the Mason County Civil Service Commission decision of Feb. 1, 2012. Here too a pay raise went along with the promotion, but the relevant numbers were never revealed. Disposition: Approved.

Item 8.8 was to set a public hearing on March 13th to consider amendments to Sec. 17.03.030 of the Mason County Code relating to mandatory connections to sewer for new developments within the Belfair UGA. Why this was removed for a separate vote is still a mystery, but it came and went with all the approval of a new bride.

Item 8.9 was to approve Brian Matthews to the position of interim Director of Public Works, and a salary raise to $7,555/Mo ($90,660/Yr.). Brian will replace the irreplaceable Charlie Butros – who is retiring at the end of the month -- till such time as a clone can be found.

(As a side note, early on in the proceedings, a citizen stepped forward to offer a letter of commendation to Mr. Matthews for placing a road sign to alert drivers that a deaf person lived on the block. The citizen went on to say that since the sign went up the deaf person hadn’t been hit by a vehicle “not even one time”. Hey, Brian, there’s a stupid person who lives on my block, how about a sign?)

Among all these promotions and pay raises, Commissioner Sheldon reminded us that our County Prosecutor, Mike Dorcy, now makes $148,500 per year, as much as a judge. It wasn’t clear if Mr. Sheldon was proposing we lower the Prosecutor’s salary or raise the judges’, but that sucking sound we all heard didn’t come from me.

PS:
The March 6th BOCC meeting was cancelled (item: 8.1).
In its stead will be an informal
Community Get-Together
with
Commissioner Steve Bloomfield.
Time:
9:00 AM
Place:
County Administration Building #1
Commissioners' Meeting Chambers

Graphic: lansner.ocregister.com