|
By Buddy Rose
Business to Business
Port of Chehalis commissioners approved the Port budget for 2010 at their regular meeting held Nov. 12. The meeting was preceded by a public hearing on the budget. No one from the public attended, but one letter was received from John Mudge of Chehalis urging the Port to cease spending money on the Curtis Rail Line.
The 2010 budget projects revenues of $3.7 million and expenses of 4.4 million. Revenues and expenses are down compared to 2009, noted Port Executive Director Jim Rothlin, when they were $4.4 million and $5 million respectively.
Rothlin explained that major expenses for 2010 include money to construct an incubator building and a railroad reload facility on Port property to attract new businesses. The Port was unsuccessful in securing U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Business Opportunity Grants for those two construction projects this year, noted Rothlin, but will attempt to secure grants again in 2010. He added that other expenses for 2010 include money to complete the Programmactic Wetlands Mitigation Plan and Port Master Plan.
The Director pointed out that the Port District tax rate assessed to property owners in the district is expected to remain unchanged in 2010, at about $0.34 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. In other business during November, Port officials met with representatives of the Chehalis-Centralia Steam Train Association regarding provisions of next year’s operating agreement on the Curtis Rail Line, which is due to be renewed in March. Regarding a request from the Chehalis Community Renaissance Team to relocate their depot to the Main Street area near Interstate 5, Rothlin said Steam Train representatives indicated they prefer the present site neat the Veteran’s Museum.
Rothlin reported that Port Master Plan negotiations for traffic vesting, zoning and sewer and water use by the Port with county and city officials are ongoing and expected to be completed soon.
Port Operations Director Rick Rouse reported that seeding and container plantings at the Pleasant Valley Wetland Mitigation site are complete. Bare root planting are expected to be done in Feb. said Rouse, which will complete site preparation. The only additional work expected for the site during 2010 is monitoring and maintenance, added Rouse.
Rothlin reported that a new contract has been received from the Community Economic Revitalization Board(CERB) that will cover a portion of the cost to complete the Programmatic Mitigation Plan and additional work at the Pleasant Valley site.
He added that Port officials are scheduled to meet with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives on Dec 2. to discuss the environmental analysis for the wetlands project that has been prepared to secure a permit from the Corps.
Rothlin said he anticipates the Corps of Engineers Regional Gerneral Permit for wetlands mitigation on Port property to be granted by the end of this yeat or shortly thereafter.
The Director also reported that he and other Port staff along with Commissioner Mark Giffey and Carol Ruiz from Gibson and Olson met with county officials to discuss storm water drainage issues along Dillenbaugh and Berwick Creeks in the vicinity of Rush Road. He said the county supplied new topographic information for the area and Gibson and Olson will analyze various options to mitigate flooding issues along Rush Road using the new information.
|
