Public works asks to program surplus-sale proceeds to extend road project; commissioners push for facility planning in Belfair

Public works staff told Mason County commissioners on March 24 that proceeds from recent surplus land sales could be used to extend two concurrent road projects and close a roughly three-mile gap on county roads, a move the department said would reduce mobilization costs and produce a better single construction outcome.

“Currently right now we have an STP project... It goes from Matlock down to Merriam Night School. And then we have another project that is, from Evers Bridge down to our culvert. So there's a gap between there about 3 miles. From Evers Bridge to Mary and I school, we'd like to program this money to actually extend, modify the CRP to extend the project to add that to it,” Public Works staff said, summarizing a proposal to use surplus-sale proceeds and road funds to extend paving and rehabilitation work.

Commissioners discussed the size of the sale proceeds during the meeting; staff said sale receipts available for reprogramming were roughly $1.6 million after recent transactions. One commissioner urged that some of the sale proceeds be held back to buy land for a future North-End shop and storage site rather than spend the full amount on paving, and several commissioners asked public works to hold a workshop on operations and long-term facility planning.

Public works staff also provided an update on culverts, saying they had identified more than 40 fish‑bearing culverts that are corroded, failing or at risk of failure and that the department is prioritizing designs, permits and materials procurement. Staff described a mix of fixes — metal and concrete culverts, box culverts and bridges — and said box culverts or bridges can significantly increase cost and construction lead times because of the need for cranes, deeper foundations and longer fabrication timelines.

“There's quite a few of them. And if we contracted them out it’d be like, you know, if there were $500,000 per piece, that'd be $20,000,000 worth of culvert work,” a department official said while summarizing the scale of the backlog. The department said eight projects were currently designed and permitted and materials orders were being prepared for additional work.

Commissioners expressed interest in preserving a North-End presence after hearing recruitment challenges at the Belfair facility, noting that crews currently commute from central locations and that the county has struggled to recruit staff who live in Belfair. Several commissioners pressed staff to set aside some surplus funds for a future property purchase and directed public works to convene a workshop with commissioners on shop facilities and equipment-storage needs.

(ending) No formal vote was recorded on programming the surplus proceeds at the March 24 briefing; commissioners verbally supported the concept and asked staff to return with a workshop and firmer recommendations.