HMC

Island Manager Report

Board Meeting

February 9, 2002

 

Summary

 

Administration

• V-CART is non-operational.  The phone number for it has been disconnected.  Any Committee reference to V-CART should be updated.  Persons requiring emergency assistance should call 9-1-1.
• Website:  administration of the Website has been assumed by Ken Freeman.  The site is operating well and the administrative changeover is complete.

 

Transportation

• Relief ferry captain.  One relief captain is in the process of being hired.  It may be necessary to have, and to keep trained, more than one relief captain, due to lack of availability of any individual captain at times we may need him or her to work.  We need a method of housing a relief captain when he or she stays overnight on the island.
• Marine insurance.  See insurance item below.
• Ferry ramp motors:  A new spare motor and spare parts are now in stock.
• Ferry ramp lifting mechanism:  the wire ropes (cables) that are part of the lifting mechanism are now about seven years old.  Two bids have been received to replace the cables.  Both are over $10,000.00.  Ballots regarding the replacement project went out in the recent Beachcomber.
• Following his annual evaluation by the I. M., Captain Steve Wiggins is recommended for a merit pay step increase, effective as of his anniversary date of 1-03-02.

 

Finance

• Insurance.  Safeco will terminate our property insurance policy effective April 30, as they are dropping the line of business.  Our broker is working on placement of our coverage with another insurer.  We have had a meeting with another brokerage firm that has indicated their desire to handle our marine and non-marine insurance business.  Another meeting, to discuss coverage and cost issues, is being planned.
• The Washington Employment Security Department has significantly raised HMC’s unemployment insurance tax rate this year.  HMC has the option of “voluntarily” lowering next year’s tax rate by paying a single large payment now to the State.  Our accountant has recommended against doing so.

 

Water

• Ballots regarding hiring an engineering firm to do a Small Water System Management Program went out in the recent Beachcomber.  If we want to apply for a loan from the State Revolving Fund (a fund that only does water system loans, at low interest rates) we must apply by June 30 of this year, and have the SWSMP completed by December 31.
• The State Department of Health’s report of their recent inspection of the water system has been received.  Several fairly minor discrepancies were noted and we need to correct them.  Examples include a new, better-sealing lid on the reservoir and using approved, vented caps on the wells.

 

Legal Liaison

·         The Coast Guard had proposed a civil penalty of $5000.00 for HMC violations of various sections of the Code of Federal Regulations pertaining to the causes of the fatal accident in November, 1999.  The I. M. filed a formal written statement in response to the Coast Guard, requesting that the penalty be waived in its entirety and citing a number of reasons for making the request for a waiver.  The Coast Guard Hearing Officer in California issued a final decision, and with it reduced the penalty to $2000.00.  His letter made it clear that because of the seriousness of the violations and the fatal accident that resulted the civil penalty will not be waived in its entirety.  We have now paid it in full.

 

Land Use

• There is an old, abandoned boat that a mainland resident has moved onto HMC’s parking lot.  It apparently belongs to Larry Banchero.  A letter was sent to him requesting that he remove the boat and trailer within two weeks.
• A recent newspaper article on the Pierce County Solid Waste program indicated that the County is trying harder to remove junk vehicles from private property.  Their phone number is 253-798-4636.  The office will make a request to them to take a look at the island to see if any sites here qualify for assistance.
• Ballots regarding the sale of two HMC-owned properties went out in the Beachcomber.

 

Parks

·         No report.

 

Roads

• North end:  considerable slumping of the soft soils at the north end of the island has resulted in a slide that blocked the drainage ditch at roadside.  As material is removed, more slumps into the ditch.  A couple of tall trees at the top of the bank that is sliding are potentially in danger of falling over.  (Same situation as last month, but hill continues to slide slowly.)

 

Miscellaneous

• A professional fashion photographer utilized the “Charlie Wells” and the ferry terminals (ramps) in late January for two days as props for a photo shoot.  We were told the pictures are intended to be used in the upcoming Neiman-Marcus catalog.  HMC received a very adequate rental fee for the use of our property.  The location manager stated that our location, in Case Inlet, with broad water and mountain vistas, is considered desirable by photographers, and that the ferry lends itself well to photography.