Port of Moses Lake waits on L&I settlement

MOSES LAKE - Port of Moses Lake commissioners heard the latest from their attorney about proceeding with a settlement with the state over heat-related illness violations.

At the board of commissioners meeting Monday, port attorney Harold Moberg suggested commissioners Larry Peterson, Delone Krueger and Mike Conley allow him to meet further with the state's Department of Labor and Industries.

The department issued the port district a fine of $1,650 in 2007. The commissioners decided in December to appeal the fine.

Moberg said at Monday's meeting there were three code violations - not having a written heat-related illness procedure, not having training and not having training supervisors.

During informal settlement negotiations, the department offered to dismiss the last two charges and reduce the fines on the first, Moberg said.

He asked commissioners to wait to make a decision until he could do more research with regards to an appeal.

"I'm not sure yet that that's where the port wants to be," Moberg said.

He hoped to have a final decision by the port's next meeting Feb. 11.

Conley, port district Industrial Development Manager Albert Anderson and former port manager David Bailey are heading to Olympia for Rail Day Feb. 7 to discuss the port and Columbia Basin Railroad's request for $2.5 million from the Washington State Senate for its continuing rail project.

Conley said he hoped to address other legislative issues pertaining to ports while in Olympia, including a bill which would restrict port commissioners' terms to four years instead of six.

The change wouldn't restrict port commissioners to only serve one term, Conley and Peterson said, but it would mean that every other election, a majority of the commission would be up for re-election.

"Six years has served the small ports very well," Peterson said.

"It's supposed to be a quiet session, but not for the port districts," Conley said.