[1:11] We'll call to order the business meeting for Tuesday, September 8th, 2026. We do

[1:15] have a quorum. All three commissioners are present.

[1:18] Becky, would you lead us in the flag salute, please?

[1:23] » I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

[1:28] republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

[1:34] justice for all.

[1:38] » Thank you. Kate, could you give us Zoom guidelines, please?

[1:41] » This meeting is streaming via Zoom and YouTube live with a link on Facebook.

[1:45] For those meeting in person, please remember to turn on your mic and speak

[1:49] directly into the mic when talking. For those joining us via Zoom, please

[1:53] remember to mute your phone or device when you are not speaking. If you forget

[1:57] to mute your phone or device, we may mute you. You may hear a voice stating

[2:01] that you have been muted. If you hear that message, it is because we could

[2:04] hear your background noise. For questions during the meeting, please use

[2:08] the raise hand feature found under reactions in the Zoom viewer. If you are

[2:12] not able to raise your hand, please wait until the commissioners ask for

[2:15] questions. Thank you.

[2:19] Entertain a motion.

[2:23] » Madam Chair, make a motion to amend business meeting agenda include to

[2:27] include resolution 26-385

[2:31] for distressed county zone 9 for Chehalis.

[2:35] » Second. >> All those in favor?

[2:38] » I. >> I.

[2:39] » I. Motion carries 3-0. Reva, could you give us public comment

[2:43] guideline, please? >> Good morning. The commissioners welcome

[2:46] public comment. Public comment is limited to 3 minutes per person. There's

[2:50] a timer in front of me. It'll be green as you have plenty of time left. It'll

[2:55] turn yellow when you have 30 seconds left, and it'll turn red when your time

[2:59] is up. We do ask that you please state your name and city of residence when you

[3:03] get ready to give public comment, and we do note that this is more of a one-way

[3:07] street. This is your opportunity to share your concerns with the

[3:10] commissioners, not necessarily their time to respond.

[3:14] » Thank you. Mr. Merkle.

[3:18] » Morning. Rob Merkle from Packwood. I'm here to give you an update on our

[3:22] property tax situation. There's some good news, but also more to the story

[3:26] that as a tax-paying citizen furthers our frustration with the whole

[3:29] situation. To bring you up to speed, because of

[3:32] large increases year to year, our 2025 tax assessment resulted in us having to

[3:37] pay close to $18,000 in 2025. We appealed our 2025 tax assessment to

[3:44] the county appeals board. We were denied.

[3:47] We then filed the state board of tax appeals and were granted a hearing in

[3:52] August of this year. We submitted a lot of information that

[3:55] included case law that when applied to our case showed that the Lewis County

[3:59] Assessor is required to provide us with how he arrived at that assessed

[4:03] value. That was never provided. Two days before our hearing with the

[4:08] state board, we received a telephone call from a team from the Assessor's

[4:12] office offering us an approximate $1 million reduction in our assessed value.

[4:17] Thus, admitting by their actions that the original assessment was wrong. The

[4:22] irony is that in the March 2025 edition of the Chronicle, the Assessor stated

[4:26] flat out that the methods used resulted in assessments being, quote, spot-on.

[4:32] I wish that the success of our appeal was the [clears throat] end of the

[4:35] story, but I discovered that the county plays by a different set of rules when

[4:39] compensating for their errors. If a taxpayer is late on paying their

[4:43] property taxes, they are charged 9% per annum on any over-overdue tax.

[4:50] The auditor applies state regulations and pays an interest rate based on

[4:53] current returns of US Treasury bonds, 3.25%.

[4:58] To be clear, the county charges 9% when the taxpayer owes the county money, but

[5:03] the county if a pound of overcharged pays 3 and a quarter percent.

[5:09] It gets worse. The auditor, citing state regulations,

[5:13] states that any interest paid would take place on refunds held more than 6 months

[5:17] of a big case being settled. Since the case was settled in August of

[5:21] 2026, we are receiving zero interest. One would think that the same grace

[5:27] afforded the county would be extended to the taxpayers.

[5:31] Solomon stated that unequal weights are an abomination.

[5:37] The county has held our funds for over 1 year now. Being a retired financial

[5:41] advisor, that money would have been invested in an index mutual fund that

[5:45] has returned 18 and 1/2%. That results in an additional loss of

[5:50] $1,400. This whole situation was avoidable. We

[5:54] have had to spend hours gathering information for our appeals owing to

[5:59] have to force the issue by appealing to the state. It was only then that the

[6:03] assessor's office by their actions finally admitted their error.

[6:08] We should not have had to go to such an extent to prove ourselves in the right.

[6:12] It shouldn't be this way. We shouldn't have to spend our golden years

[6:17] preventing this abuse. Everett W. Lord stated, "Be fair. Treat

[6:22] the other man as you would be treated." >> time. If you'd like to leave your

[6:27] paperwork, you're welcome to do so. >> I'm done.

[6:30] » I I'd like to have a copy of that. Rob.

[6:35] » I've had to write all over it, so I will send you a copy. I will email it to you.

[6:43] » All right. Do we have anyone else for public comment in the gallery?

[6:47] Anyone online for public comment? Please use the raise your hand feature.

[6:54] Not seeing anyone, move to consent items.

[6:57] » Madam Chair, make a motion to approve consent item resolution 26-382

[7:02] and the minutes from the September 1st BOCC meeting.

[7:06] » Second. >> All those in favor?

[7:08] » Aye. >> Aye.

[7:09] » Aye. Motion carries 3-0. >> Madam Chair, make a motion to approve

[7:14] deliberation items resolution 26-3 83 and 384.

[7:21] » Second.

[7:24] » Morning Commissioners, Jeff Soderquist, Public Works Director. Here to speak on

[7:27] resolution 26-383. This resolution is to list the bids

[7:32] received for the Tucker Road paving project

[7:37] and recommend award to the lowest apparent responsible bidder

[7:41] and authorize the County Engineer to sign on behalf of the board.

[7:45] Uh we received three bids, Granite, Lakeside, and Western United Civil

[7:50] Group, with Granite being the apparent low at $699,349.50.

[7:59] » Any questions on this item? >> No, ma'am.

[8:02] » All right. Burn restrictions.

[8:11] » Good morning, commissioners. Rivel Lester, clerk of the board, here to

[8:13] speak to resolution 26-384. This ratifies action you took last week

[8:20] to modify burn restrictions to allow recreational campfires in designated

[8:25] campgrounds and on private lands in approved fire pits and to allow the use

[8:31] of solid fuel barbecues effective at 12:01 a.m. on September 3rd.

[8:39] » Any questions on that item? Okay, it's been moved and seconded to

[8:42] approve resolution 26-383 and 384. All those in favor?

[8:47] » Aye. >> Aye.

[8:48] » Aye. Motion carries 3-0. >> Madam Chair, make a motion to approve

[8:52] resolution 26-385.

[9:01] » Second for discussion. >> Okay.

[9:07] » So, last week we

[9:11] had former Commissioner Gross come in here and talk about

[9:14] .09 that one of their projects didn't get

[9:19] funded, whatever. Um

[9:22] and he made a pretty compelling case that more money needs to go over there

[9:26] and then never even hearing about the project and then on this one, I'm a bit

[9:31] confused just even going through packet writer

[9:34] um with the documents. they put a .09

[9:39] application in for 250

[9:43] but were but it says 450. Um and then is this for the sinkhole

[9:50] that has been discussed? The North Fork, is that the same one

[9:54] that we're talking about? >> No, this is the uh sinkhole that is uh

[10:02] just east of uh the cannery

[10:07] and just north of the train station. The historical museum.

[10:15] And I will note that uh there was originally a

[10:20] an attempt to put this on our agenda before it even came to the .09 board.

[10:25] And so I requested that that not happen and go

[10:30] to .09 first since that is the process. >> Did it go to the .09?

[10:35] » It did and the uh documentation as I said was only for

[10:39] the 250,000. I'm not sure where it got changed in there to be

[10:45] uh the 450,000.

[10:50] » Uh so I had reached out to Todd Chappet because the minutes didn't reflect that

[10:56] there had been any discussion regarding that and it sounds like there was a

[11:01] verbal request at the meeting. He revised his minutes to reflect that that

[11:07] the city representatives had

[11:11] uh requested an increase when they presented and the .09 committee had then

[11:17] um made a motion to approve that higher

[11:20] amount.

[11:25] » So the full .09 board met

[11:29] discussed the project in its entirety but then yet last minute we increase

[11:35] from 250 to 450. >> My understanding is that the city had

[11:39] applied originally for 250,000 and then the morning on Friday that that

[11:46] group met and the 0.09 committee met and the city

[11:51] representatives then requested a

[11:56] the consideration for additional funding to increase that amount and that

[12:02] is the recommendation from the 0.09 committee was to award up to 450.

[12:09] Of course that is for the

[12:12] the commissioner's consideration. >> Right. Did they provide any backup at

[12:16] all as far as engineers estimates? >> The only documentation that was provided

[12:22] has been attached to the

[12:27] um >> Just to the quote?

[12:30] » Correct.

[12:33] There was also discussion about whether or not 09 funds should be

[12:39] basically emergency infrastructure as opposed to being planned economic

[12:44] development projects. And I believe that there will probably

[12:48] be more discussion going forward on that.

[12:51] Um the

[12:54] uh Kelly Smith Johnson for Centralia was um

[12:57] very supportive of that being used for infrastructure uh for emergency

[13:02] infrastructure maintenance.

[13:06] » She was in support of it being used for emergency use.

[13:09] » Yes. >> I guess the other piece that um

[13:14] our legal team has stated is just that we put in a policy that anything over

[13:20] 250 would have to have

[13:23] um a more extensive

[13:26] application process instead of the short application.

[13:30] Um

[13:32] I mean, if we start circumventing and and doing that, I can see where other

[13:38] opportunities will rise within the county

[13:42] declaring something a an emergency and then for us to circumvent

[13:47] the policies that we've put in place. And so, 450 I don't I mean

[13:52] their their application is for 250 and to add

[13:55] another 200,000 just because they felt that they would want the extra

[14:00] 200,000. Well, I'd like that in my paycheck, too.

[14:10] » There's you know, for me there's just too many discrepancies between what was

[14:14] in the minutes of the 2.571 ask and and this appropriation for 450 as well

[14:20] as as a very general

[14:24] um quote for

[14:28] the work that's to be done here. I don't see any

[14:32] real

[14:36] backup here as far as what's actually going to

[14:39] take place other than a very

[14:43] rapidly and I understand the the issue with that, but a very rapidly put

[14:47] together estimate.

[14:51] Obviously, this is a it's a critical issue. I have no doubt about that.

[14:57] And I don't want to drag it on, but I think we need to

[15:03] to have

[15:06] some more information on this. >> Yeah, and

[15:10] » How come we didn't we didn't discuss this last

[15:14] last Wednesday? Because >> Because that's not the process. It is

[15:17] supposed to go to the 09 committee first, and that has been my consistent

[15:23] issue with a lot of these things is that we are not following the process

[15:28] that we have put into place. So, and I get a lot of flak for that.

[15:33] So, I decided this one at least we didn't discuss it ahead of time.

[15:37] I took the hit for making sure that it went to 09, but rather than being

[15:42] continually complained about as being the anchor, said, "All right, we'll move

[15:46] it forward to the three of us." >> Okay.

[15:50] I think what Commissioner Brummel is referring to is we didn't even have an

[15:53] opportunity to have a discussion about it at directors, which we normally

[15:57] would. This was added obviously today. Um and the other thing is if this wasn't

[16:03] an emergency, then I would assume that the people from

[16:09] Chehalis would be here to be able to speak to this, but maybe because it was

[16:13] such short notice that maybe didn't even know that we were doing it today.

[16:18] » They had planned to come last Monday. Um I don't know if they knew that this

[16:23] discussion was taking place today. I only had conversations with Todd.

[16:30] On Friday, not >> To your knowledge, uh Commissioner

[16:35] Palloc, is there any buy-in from the the railroad? Is

[16:39] this solely a city responsibility because of the being stormwater, or is

[16:42] there any uh

[16:44] match that's provided by the railroad? >> No, currently the my understanding is

[16:49] that the railroad is just doing what they can to not stand in the way. So,

[16:55] they'll be working on coordinating with flagging for the trains during the time,

[16:59] but uh there was And it was asked whether

[17:02] they were making any financial contribution to this.

[17:06] But, as uh far as Chehalis knew and anybody knows,

[17:10] there's been no financial contribution by BNSF.

[17:13] » Okay. >> And commissioners, if you would like, um

[17:18] we could invite the city to we could add this to tomorrow's agenda. We could add

[17:23] it to next Tuesday's. Um

[17:26] if you would like further information, we can reach out to

[17:29] the city or invite them to come.

[17:34] » Well, I think we need the full documentation that we normally require

[17:37] for this kind of ask. >> Right.

[17:42] » We

[17:45] » I'm done with questions. >> Okay.

[17:48] » Anything else for discussion on this? All right, it's been moved and seconded

[17:53] to approve resolution 26-385. All those in favor?

[17:59] All those opposed? >> I.

[18:02] » I. Motion fails 0-3.

[18:06] Any announcements or new business?

[18:11] » Uh you guys received an email over the weekend that we had a literal dumpster

[18:14] fire at the Centralia transfer station. So, I did ask Rocky to come here and

[18:19] give an update on that. And that we were notified

[18:22] at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, I believe,

[18:25] uh is when dispatch received the phone call

[18:28] about the fire. So, we do have pretty significant damage. We are up and

[18:31] running at about 50% capacity right now, but Rocky's got some more details.

[18:36] » Yeah, thank you. Rocky Lions solid waste manager. Yeah, so

[18:39] um 5:30 a.m. Centralia dispatch, Riverside,

[18:43] Chehalis fire, and some other outlying smaller county fire apparatus showed up

[18:49] to the middle of the two commercial or the two

[18:53] bays. Room was on fire as well as the tractor trailer and the trailer full of

[18:58] garbage. Um it was quickly extinguished enough to

[19:03] where there wasn't any active fire. Um we did spend

[19:08] the entire day removing and separating and cleaning and things like

[19:13] that. As of now, the the main damage is affected on the equipment room was a

[19:19] total loss everything that was in it all of the tooling air compressors bench

[19:23] grinders vices those types of things is completely gone.

[19:28] The tractor that was affected may be able to be repaired. It's being sent out

[19:32] to to get looked at. One of the the trailers was a Lemi trailer. It has

[19:37] been moved off to the side and they'll assess that on their own.

[19:41] Had a city of Centralia inspector come out and deem it okay for us to use one

[19:46] side Sunday after the fire. He did come by this morning and allow us

[19:50] to open up to both sides as well as someone from our engineering group went

[19:54] over and checked it out. Um and deems it safe.

[19:58] So while we're rebuilding and working on things, I had when anticipate probably a

[20:03] couple of days to get caught back up. We do have some logistics to work through,

[20:09] but all in all very very thankful for very swift response as well as the help

[20:14] on a weekend from the city of Chehalis, the city of

[20:19] Centralia, as well as public works team. We had some people from public works

[20:23] come in facilities. It was a really really awesome group

[20:27] effort to see everybody come together to make something happen in order to turn

[20:30] around and open the next day on such an extensive situation. So believe the

[20:36] source of the fire potentially could have been fireworks that had been dumped

[20:39] there it um

[20:42] probably intently but accidental fire is what caused the situation. So some more

[20:47] investigating to go and but I'll keep you updated.

[20:51] Any questions? So a lot of electricals damaged in there

[20:55] to get um our scale readouts up with the machines

[21:01] up on top along with lights and our fans. So the

[21:05] entire north half is right now completely

[21:08] de-energized. Um going to be quite a bit of re-running

[21:13] wire and conduit uh to get just the um

[21:18] main solid waste operations back up and running on the north side.

[21:22] So, part of the what Rocky's got going right now is we're dumping on both

[21:27] sides, but then everything's getting shoved to the south side to then get

[21:31] loaded into the trucks. Um

[21:35] As we work through the evaluations, it sounds like we can likely get the north

[21:40] side open back up and get operations, but we're going to have to run some

[21:43] temporary power to get the scale readouts and everything working again.

[21:47] Um and then it'll be a matter of uh permanent repairs and restoration of

[21:52] that equipment room and getting those tools replaced.

[21:57] » That compressor isn't isn't necessary for the operations portion of

[22:03] » No, the trucks can >> Yeah, the the compressor was just

[22:06] running air to the the trailers to keep them the axles down so that we had

[22:10] accurate weights on them. But, other than that, no. Okay.

[22:15] And we do have another air compressor that is um able it's on wheels. If we do

[22:20] need it for any reason, we do have uh a couple extra auxiliary ones around.

[22:26] All right. >> So, yeah. I guess just a reminder to

[22:29] please be patient with us while we get back up and running.

[22:32] Already made significant work just in a couple of days.

[22:35] So, um I know there was a bit of a backup when

[22:38] I was out there this morning, uh but just a reminder for the public to please

[22:42] be patient.

[22:45] » Can we do a press press release on that? And then

[22:50] can we coordinate with Rocky or Karen or

[22:54] » Yeah, we can get that out. Put a post on our Facebook page and as well as the top

[22:59] of our solid waste um page on the county website that there is that we have, you

[23:03] know, had a fire and there's some damage and we're operating, so expect long

[23:07] delays.

[23:09] » I'd be happy to work with you on something to send out.

[23:13] » Thank you.

[23:16] All right. >> Anything else for announcements or new

[23:18] business? For calendars?

[23:23] Anything from the press? >> Move to adjourn.

[23:26] » Second. >> We are adjourned.

2026-09-08 BOCC Business Meeting

Transcript