Mason County commissioners approve 15-item action agenda including equipment purchases, MOA with WSU, and road project RFQs

The Mason County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an action agenda of 15 items covering routine warrants and claims, several public-works procurements and project authorizations, a memorandum of agreement with Washington State University Extension and a $200,000 one-time use of treatment sales tax for a mental health pilot.

The action consolidated items 8.1 through 8.15 and passed on a voice vote after a motion to approve the agenda as presented.

The approved items included routine financial approvals for warrants and direct deposit funds and specific contract and procurement authorizations. The board approved extending the warranty for the jail body-scanning machine (Linev Systems US, Inc.), upgrades to jail technology through Corrections Technology Group (CTG), and an archival upgrade for jail security video storage to retain 60 days of footage to comply with Washington state retention rules. The board approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Washington State University Extension (Appendix A) for $99,836 in 2025 and authorized public-works procurements and consultant RFQs for multiple County Road Project (CRP) undertakings.

Commissioners also approved setting hearings with the hearing examiner to consider two separate road vacations (road vacation numbers 421 and 423) to be heard Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at 1 p.m. via Zoom. The board authorized the purchase of a paint striping truck through the BuyBoard contract (Mark Wright Lines Equipment Co., Inc.) for an estimated $410,626 and for the county engineer to sign the purchase agreement. The board approved authorization for the county engineer to request qualifications (RFQ) and enter into consultant contracts for several road improvement projects including CRP 2060 (Matlock Bridal Road Safety Improvement Project), CRP 2061 (Coquallum Road Improvement Project), CRP 2062 (Blevins Road Evergreen Estates Water Extension Project) and CRP 2063 (Maples Road/Grama Road conversion project).

The board approved a one-time use of $200,000 of treatment sales tax (TST) funds from the available balance to contract with United We Care for a mental health support and professional intervention pilot program and authorized the Public Health and Human Services Director to sign that contract. The board approved setting the chief deputy prosecuting attorney's salary at 85% of the level set for the superior court judge by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. Additional administrative resolutions were amended, including updating designations for the county's ADA coordinator and risk-manager claims receipt authority.

Commissioners praised the county's public-works staff and WSU Extension during discussion, noting partnerships and the perceived value of the WSU work in the county. No member requested any item be pulled for separate discussion prior to the vote.

Votes at a glance

- Items 8.1–8.15 (action agenda bundle): Motion to approve action agenda as presented; outcome: approved (voice vote). Yes: 3; No: 0; Abstain: 0. Specific items summarized below: - 8.1 Approval of warrants and clearing funds (warrants numbers provided in packet; amounts read aloud). Outcome: approved. - 8.2 Extend warranty with Linev Systems US Inc. for jail body scanner; estimated $15,500. Outcome: approved. - 8.3 Corrections Technology Group (CTG) upgrade/repair work for the jail; estimated $66,504. Outcome: approved. - 8.4 Upgrade jail security video storage to retain 60 days of video to comply with Washington state retention rules; estimated $20,160 through CTG. Outcome: approved. - 8.5 2025 MOA Appendix A between WSU Extension and Mason County for $99,836. Outcome: approved. - 8.6 Resolution setting hearing date for road vacation No. 421 (Feb. 26, 2025, 1 p.m., Zoom). Outcome: approved. - 8.7 Procurement to purchase paint striping truck from Mark Wright Lines Equipment Co. via BuyBoard; estimated $410,626; county engineer authorized to sign purchase agreement. Outcome: approved. - 8.8 Resolution setting chief deputy prosecuting attorney salary at 85% of the superior court judge scale (Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials referenced). Outcome: approved. - 8.9 One-time use of $200,000 in treatment sales tax funding for United We Care mental health pilot program; Public Health Director authorized to sign contract. Outcome: approved. - 8.10 Resolution setting hearing date for road vacation No. 423 (Feb. 26, 2025, 1 p.m., Zoom). Outcome: approved. - 8.11 Resolution authorizing RFQs and consultant contracts for CRP 2060, 2061, 2062 and 2063 and authorizing county engineer/chair to sign documents. Outcome: approved. - 8.12 Purchase of bridge structures for several maintenance projects via the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services contract. Outcome: approved. - 8.13 Resolution amending Resolution No. 2021-060 designating the risk manager to receive claims for damages against Mason County. Outcome: approved. - 8.14 Resolution amending Resolution No. 27-19 (Mason County Code chapter 2.46) designating the risk manager as the ADA coordinator. Outcome: approved. - 8.15 Resolution amending Resolution No. 2022-009 regarding Mason County risk pool member appointments and designations. Outcome: approved.

Background and next steps

The action agenda combined routine financial approvals with procurement and project authorizations. Several items authorized the county engineer to solicit consultant qualifications and to sign contracts and purchase agreements; next steps for those projects include RFQ issuance, consultant selection and subsequent contract execution. Hearing dates for the two road-vacation requests were set for Feb. 26, 2025; the hearing examiner will accept public comment at those hearings.

Clarifying details and sources of authority were read into the record during the item presentation and are contained in the packet provided to commissioners.