Public works staff briefed the Cowlitz County commissioners on several routine operations: a call for bids to stockpile winter sand at county shops, a request for qualifications for on-call water-and-sewer engineering services, completion of a water pressure improvement project at Toole and a clerical easement recording to formalize a pre-existing turnaround at the end of Hanson Road.

Commissioner Sean Ruhly, public works, said the county will seek bids for 3,000 tons of 3/8-inch scribe sand, to be stockpiled at four shops with 750 tons apiece, “in preparation for winter.” Ruhly framed the purchase as part of budgeted supplies for the year.

Public works staff also asked the board to post a request for qualifications for an as-needed water-and-sewer engineering contract; the current contract expires at the end of the year. Susan Eugenia (finance/public-works staff) said these professional-service contracts typically run three years with a one-year extension option and are budgeted at roughly $200,000 for multi-year usage.

On the Toole water system improvements, staff said the waterline installation and pump-station construction are complete, and the project awaits power connection from the local public-utility district before testing. The project raises meter pressure to meet Department of Health requirements and will allow some adjacent lots to connect where pressure was previously inadequate. Staff did not provide a specific additional hookup capacity number and said they would follow up if commissioners wanted that information.

Finally, public works explained that a turnaround constructed in the 1980s at the end of Hanson Road was never recorded; the office has worked with current property owners to record the easement and clean up the right-of-way records. Staff described that this is a paperwork correction rather than a new construction project.

No formal votes were recorded on these items during the presentation; staff sought authorization to advertise bids and RFQs and to complete the easement-recording paperwork.