Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works Road Vacation Striping Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public Works seeks hearing to vacate parts of Mason Avenue, plans in-house striping and outlines solid waste updates
Summary
Public Works asked commissioners to set a hearings-examiner date to consider vacating small portions of Mason Avenue, requested approval to purchase an in-house paint striper funded from roads, and presented solid-waste year-end data including free Christmas-tree recycling and landfill post-closure completion.
Mason County Public Works on Jan. 6 requested that commissioners set a hearing for Feb. 26 to consider a petition to vacate narrow strips of Mason Avenue tied to an old plat, proposed moving striping work in-house with county-owned equipment, and provided year-end solid-waste statistics and operational updates.
Road vacation petition: Public Works presented Petition No. 421 (Fijord Holdings LLC), which seeks to vacate two narrow portions of Mason Avenue adjacent to lots in Block 11 of an historic plat (dedicated in 1890). Staff said the right-of-way areas in question are largely vegetation and little-used slivers adjacent to the state highway. The department recommended scheduling the hearings examiner for Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, after which the hearings examiner will hold a public hearing and make a recommendation to the board.
In-house striping and buttons: Public Works proposed purchasing a paint striper to allow the county to perform roadway striping in-house after experiencing delays and supply issues with an outside contractor. Staff recommended funding the purchase from the Roads fund (rather than splitting costs with Equipment Rental & Revolving (ER&R)). Commissioners said in-house striping would allow the county to test materials and improve visibility, including reconsidering raised pavement markers (often called “buttons”). One commissioner noted raised markers improve visibility during rain but acknowledged plow and snow operations can damage them; staff said they are testing composite blades and different installation approaches.
Solid waste and transfer-station updates: Solid Waste staff announced free Christmas-tree recycling at the Eells Hill and Belfair transfer stations (trees must be free of flocking and decorations), and provided 2024 totals: about 52,380 tons of garbage (a 4.3% increase in tonnage), a 9% increase in number of loads, and nearly 191 tons handled during a recent free-dump event. Staff said the county’s new hauling contractor is meeting commitments (new trailers, auto-tarping) and that post-closure monitoring for the old landfill has been completed; the department will decommission groundwater-monitoring wells after remaining cleanup tasks finish. Public Works also said it will scope a modernization plan for the Eells Hill facility and will seek commissioner input on facility layout and phasing.
Board action and next steps: Commissioners supported setting the Feb. 26 hearings-examiner date for the Mason Avenue vacation and asked staff to place the paint-striper purchase and funding-source change on an upcoming agenda for formal action. Public Works will return with specs, bids and a formal agenda item for the striping equipment, and will provide additional community outreach around Eells Hill planning.
