STUART, MIELKE AIR DIFFERENCES

Prison yes, prison no, but both candidates like five commissioners

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Clark County commissioner candidates Steve Stuart and Tom Mielke aired dittos and disagreements August 4 at a debate sponsored by the Washington Mutual Home Loans Center.

The event was hosted by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, with Chamber president John McKibbin directing questions to each candidate.

Each candidate gave assessments of current conditions in Clark County.

Incumbent Stuart, a democrat, was appointed at the end of last year to the commissioner vacancy created when Craig Pridemore was elected to the state senate.

Stuart said area job growth is strong, but more work is still needed to increase employment in the county.

Mielke, for eight years a republican state legislator serving the 18th District, said he sees a need for safer neighborhoods, more family wage jobs and a government that doesn't over-tax citizens.

Both said handling growth is a pressing problem.

Stuart said government has a positive role in determining growth. He said business owners watch their bottom lines while the public sector, in partnership with them, must look out for the greater good of a community.

Mielke said County government failed to adequately plan for job creation. He said he doesn't see affordable housing, or adequate schools or parks. "The intent is good, but we won't get there if we don't fully implement the Growth Management Act," he said.

Stuart said implementation priorities change depending on who holds office. He said inadequate state funding also impairs success.

Mielke said the 2004 update of the comprehensive plan did not anticipate realistic growth, which for several years has averaged 4.29 percent. Mielke criticized a lack of surplus land. "People were lining up recently to buy lots in La Center," he said.

Stuart said the last Board couldn't figure out how to fund growth, so they scaled back boundaries. He said he was committed to going back to the map and determining how to fund growth. The new Board has revised assumptions, raised the anticipated growth rate and has done a much better job of creating defensible data, said Stuart.

Asked how they would cure a shortage of jobs, the candidates agreed the plan must identify more industrial and commercial areas.

Stuart said the 9.5 cent gas tax aimed at transportation projects should not be repealed. The tax will fund the widening of NE 219th St. from I-5 to Battle Ground and make needed SR-14 improvements, he said.

Mielke said he doesn't support the tax. He said transportation reform packages, proposed but not passed by the state legislature, could have saved taxpayers nearly as much as the gas tax will raise.

Mielke said he opposes "building debt that children and grandchildren will be paying 30-35 years from now."

Both candidates said public safety is "Job 1."

Stuart said 60 to 70 percent of the general fund budget goes to public safety, with the Sheriff's Office getting top priority.

Mielke said Clark County has fewer deputies per thousand population than other jurisdictions.

Criminals get out of jail too soon, and then become the responsibility of the County, said Mielke. He said this adds more workload to deputies. "We need to stop the revolving door," Mielke said.

Sending people to prison is the most expensive solution, said Stuart.

Both candidates said the County needs C-TRAN services. Neither was supportive of a light rail system.

"We're not ready for it because our density won't support it," said Stuart.

Taxpayers pay $25 for every person who gets on a light rail system, said Mielke.

Both candidates said they would support having five commissioners on the Board of County Commissioners instead of three.

Stuart said a change to five commissioners should be "revenue neutral."

Mielke said he would divide the combined incomes of current commissioners by five to make the change.

Mielke said County workers hear more complaints about barking dogs than they do about home businesses. Home business problems can and should be settled by mediation, he said.

Some mediation efforts have not worked, said Stuart. He said regulations are needed to make sure that neither side "gets stomped on."

MAN WANTED FOR MURDER FOUND IN SALMON CREEK AREA

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

One of America's Most Wanted criminals died early Aug. 5 after turning a gun on himself when he was caught by police in Salmon Creek.

James T. Moran, 33, Kennewick, reportedly kidnapped an Idaho woman earlier in the week, and a Vancouver man.

Moran had been on the run since July 2004 when he reportedly killed his in-laws in Kennewick, then kidnapped his five children ages 5-10. They were located later at his mother's house in Moses Lake.

In the most recent incident, someone called 911 from a pay phone at Burger King near I-5 and NE 134th St. about 4:40 p.m. on Aug. 4 saying a man was holding two people hostage in a red BMW.

As officers arrived, Moran drove off, leaving behind the male, identified as Mark Tucker, 31, Vancouver.

When Moran slowed the car for a U-turn, a woman opened the passenger door, rolled out and ran away, according to Sgt. Melanie Kenoyer of the Clark County Sheriff's Office. The woman is identified as Carrie Blakeford, 27, Idaho.

When Moran tried to get onto the northbound I-5 on-ramp from NE 134th St., he lost control of the vehicle. A detective used his patrol car to pin Moran's vehicle to the guardrail, Kenoyer said.

When deputies ordered him out of the vehicle, Moran raised his handgun and fired one shot into his head. He died at Oregon Health and Sciences University after being on life support machines.

Suspected in a murder four days earlier

Police have reportedly found evidence in the BMW and have gleaned information from the two alleged hostages that Moran was the shooter in an Aug. 1 double murder in Kennewick.

Linda Moreno, 52, and her daughter Danielle Moreno, 17, were found dead in their Kennewick home after Danielle was able to place a brief phone call to 911 saying her mother was being attacked, said Kennewick police.

Although officers responded within four minutes of the hang-up call, both women were dead from gunshot wounds to the head when police arrived.

The only person of interest in that case was Danielle's boyfriend. Police say they do not know at this time how Moran knew the Moreno women.

In July 2004, Moran reportedly killed his wife's parents after an argument with his wife while they were in Arkansas, police officials said.

Moran allegedly attacked his wife, locked her in a house, then left for Washington.

Glenn Carr, 57, and Debra Carr, 50, were found dead of gunshot wounds in their Kennewick home. Moran was reportedly seen by neighbors in the area at the time of the killings. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and America's Most Wanted television show featured him in several airings.

The alleged hostages are being questioned by police, and were unhurt in the incident.

THREE VIE FOR TOP COP SPOT

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

Out of nearly 60 applicants, three are contending to be Battle Ground police chief.

On Aug. 3-4, the men were taken through "grueling" 8-hour paces, said city manager Eric Holmes, with interviews, a mock press conference regarding tragedy, questioned by current officers, and ending with a 90 minute reception for the public.

Chris Gibson is currently deputy police chief in Beaverton, OR, a city of about 80,000 people.

Gibson oversees the operations of the 155-member department and $18 million budget.

Gibson has been with the department since October 1988 where he began as a patrol officer. He has been sergeant, lieutenant, and captain before being tapped to serve as deputy chief in July 2004.

Gibson holds a bachelor of science degree in administration of justice from Portland State University, and is an FBI National Academy graduate.

"This is a growing city," he said. "It's a great opportunity to come in and be chief, which is one of my career goals. I have a good idea this is where I want to be."

Gibson has 17 years of police experience, with six of those in command.

Jim McDaniel is the assistant chief for the Portland Police Bureau, a position he's held since July 2004.

McDaniel has 25 years police experience, including six in command. Current duties include making policy and planning decisions for the 1,260 Bureau employees and managing a $130 million budget.

McDaniel also oversees Human Resource functions with 174 employees and a $22 million budget.

The Vancouver resident has been a motorcycle officer, detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. He first began his career in Milwaukee, OR.

Awards include a Medal of Valor with the Oregon Peace Officer's Association, Meritorious Service Medal for Valor and the Distinguished Service Medal from the Portland Bureau.

McDaniel holds an associate's degree in criminal justice from Portland Community College, and a bachelor's degree in human resources management from George Fox University. He is a graduate of the FBI Academy.

Why Battle Ground?

"Why not?" McDaniel said.

He and his wife like the Battle Ground area, he said, and the opportunity to work in this city is something he couldn't pass up.

McDaniel said he is aware of recent problems the department has experienced with administrative issues and low morale, and believes those challenges play to his strengths.

"This is a vibrant city," he said. "This is someplace I want to work."

Stephen MacKinnon is currently employed with the United National International Policing Task Force to help third world countries establish effective police agencies. He is currently assigned in Haiti.

MacKinnon has 26 years of police experience with 19 in command service, and 15 as chief of various agencies.

MacKinnon served as chief in Exeter and Salem, New Hampshire, and Avondale, AZ.

He began his career as a patrol officer in Connecticut, then moved to Massachusetts where he became deputy police chief.

MacKinnon is a graduate of the FBI Academy. He holds a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University, and a masters degree in public administration from City University.

The size of Battle Ground appeals to MacKinnon, even though he's worked in larger departments, he said.

"It's important for me to know all the officers by their first and last names," he said.

MacKinnon researched the community and liked what he saw.

He also likes a challenge, he said, which is why the department's rough year with problems doesn't phase him.

"Those problems are not insurmountable," MacKinnon said. "There's a potential for growth. I like to be kept interested and busy."

The chief will not be chosen anytime soon, Holmes said.

"There are a lot of ingredients that go into making this decision," he said, citing polygraph tests, psychological evaluations, intensive background searches which include visits to co-workers and neighborhoods.

"We are really going to dig into these candidates' backgrounds," Holmes said. "The sooner the better for the health of the department, but we want to do things right."

Holmes cited a "hope-to-hire-window" of mid-October.

PORT GETS READY FOR PHASE II CLEANUP

Heidi Wallenborn, news director

Walking onto the back acreage of the Lake River Industrial Park at the Port of Ridgefield, one may wonder if they took a wrong turn and ended up on an oil field pad.

Indeed, the technology used to extract thick, gooey contaminants from the ground is very similar to the process used to extract heavy crude oil and separate contaminants out of it, said Brent Grening, Port executive director.

The area, at 111 Division St., is a maze of wells and pipes that feed extracted contamination into a covered "treatment plant" near the south shore of Carty Lake on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.

Phase I of the cleanup began May 2004 and is nearly over and Port officials are getting ready for Phase II, the trickier part of the remediation effort.

Phase II will focus on the 4-acre heart of the former Pacific Wood Treating tank farm, where the thickest, deepest plume of underground contaminants are, Grening said.

Bids are out for well-drillers. Next comes installing pipes that will hook the system together, and full steam--hotter than before--will be injected to liquify, lift, and remove the tarry substance.

Grening expects lift-off of the second phase in January 2006. It will continue for the next seven years or so.

Phase I focused on treating the outer edges of the 4-acre plume, Grening said. It also was a sort of practice session for the harder work to come--a time for all the bugs to get worked out while learning how to run the operation as efficiently as possible.

Pacific Wood Treating was a Port tenant from the 1960s to 1990s. Workers contaminated more than 40 acres of the site with chemicals used for creating telephone poles. The company declared bankruptcy in 1993 and left environmental problems behind.

A soupy mass of pentachlorophenol, creosote, copper chromium arsenate and other toxins remain underground and have spread to the shores of Carty Lake.

Monitoring wells were installed by the state Department of Ecology at three points along the lake shore. Since steam operations began last year, officials have watched contamination edge away from the endangered shore, Grening said.

Bakersfield company fired

In 2001, Hank Sowers and his team from SteamTech Environmental Services out of Bakersfield, CA were hired to install steam generators and begin remediation work.

In spring 2002 they installed the system and a few months later were booted off the project and the contract was terminated.

Grening said they were not performing well and not meeting the agreement, were over-budget and could not account for some expenses.

The Port took over and restructured the process so they could have direct project supervisory control.

The $9 million elaborate extraction and treatment system purchased from Sowers was tweaked and fixed, and now runs like a separate utility owned by the Port, Grening said.

Employees with a variety of skills were hired by the Port and are running the system.

What's next?

Last year one 60-foot steam injector was turned on, which tested the system. Since then four more were started as well as a shallower "steam spear" which heats the target a bit faster.

As of June 12 this year, 4,800 gallons of "non-aqueous phased liquid" has been removed, and 184,000 lbs. of "sludge," Grening said.

The sludge is a cake-like substance made up of particles that are not fully processed through the elaborate filtering system, he said. A final, hi-tech filter catches the goo to create a several inches thick "cake" that is dried and thrown into a hazardous waste dumpster on the property.

The waste is taken care of by a certified environmental company and taken to a designated hazardous waste landfill.

The non-aqueous water is filtered to water so pure you can drink it, said Allan Hartsoch, lead operator of the project.

Water and vapor are separated and pumped through the complicated system and particulates are removed in phases.

Once the water is fully clean and at a temperature of 64.4 degrees or lower, it is pumped into Lake River.

The $45-$50 million project is funded entirely through the state Department of Ecology. This year, Ecology officials allocated $6 million. Grening said bare-bones running costs per year are $3 million, and that doesn't cover repairs if something goes haywire.

Before this year, Ecology allocated only $4 million annually. It is the largest state-supported remediation project, officials said.

DIAMONDS NOT FOREVER ON I-5

State opens Vancouver HOV lane to all traffic

Bill Myers, staff reporter

Signs announcing a car-pooling lane on I-5 in Vancouver are gone and diamond markings are doomed.

Washington transportation officials have announced an end to a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane between 99th St. and Mill Plain Blvd.

State workers removed signs designating the lane early Sunday, Aug. 7. Transportation officials plan to hire a contractor to remove HOV lane markings and re-stripe the lane in late August or early September.

Solo motorists can now use the inside southbound lane without restriction.

State officials decided to end the HOV project after a May 2005 decision by a majority of members of the Regional Transportation Council, including all three Clark County commissioners.

Installed in October 2001, the lane was reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers, including carpools, vanpools and busses, and motorcycles.

The lane was billed as the initial phase of a bi-state plan to link the lane with a southbound HOV lane in Oregon during morning commutes.

When, after more than three years, Oregon officials didn't create a southbound HOV lane through Delta Park, some RTC board members, including Clark County commissioner Betty Sue Morris, lost enthusiasm for the project.

Early critics of the lane, including former state legislator Tom Mielke, said the lane caused more congestion than it cured and was a waste of taxpayer's money. Mielke also said the lane triggered incidents of road rage.

Transportation officials contacted consulting engineers to make six evaluations of the lane between 2002 and 2005. Studies measured traffic flows in general purpose lanes and the HOV lane, evaluated driving times and monitored numbers of HOV lane motorists.

Conclusions in the evaluations, often challenged by critics, showed some progress toward a goal of having more peak-hour commuters on the HOV lane than in general purpose lanes.

Before board members voted on the matter in May, state senator Don Benton (R-17th District), condemned a recent evaluation. Conclusions in the report, said Benton, were "unsupported" and "flawed."

State Department of Transportation Southwest Region administrator Don Wagner said state officials decided to close the lane after a thorough review of all evaluations and recommendations by members of the Bi-state Transportation Commission and RTC board.

RTC director Dean Lookingbill said the lane never quite reached levels that would be acceptable to many board members. He said the pilot project was adversely influenced by increasing congestion in the I-5 corridor and a delay in completing Delta Park work in Oregon.

Don Benton said he was happy with the decision to end the HOV lane. "Taxpayers finally can use the lane their taxes bought," said Benton. He said it far too much time for some officials to reach the right conclusion.

"Four years is an eternity when you're going 5 miles per hour in heavy traffic," Benton added.

COUNTY READY WITH NEW RULES ON WELLS

Clark County officials have prepared a new plan on water conservation that could halt the drilling of new single family and small development wells in much of the county.

The plan calls for new water sources in the Vancouver Lake and Pioneer areas of the county, with water pumped from there to other locations in the county.

The plan would set minimum flows in surface streams such as Salmon Creek and both forks of the Lewis River, and would limit the future impact on streams that are caused by wells.

A public hearing before the Clark County commissioners on the new plan is set for Tues., Aug. 16, 7 p.m., at Fire District 11, 21609 NE 72nd Ave., Battle Ground, with an open house starting at 6 p.m.

Existing wells and water rights would not be affected by the plan, said Rupley. Those who buy water from a public system would pay more, he said.

Joel Rupley, program coordinator for the Clark County Endangered Species Program, said the plan is the result of six years of study that involved several consultants and cost about $1.1 million. The study was managed by the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board.

If the county does not adopt a plan setting minimum stream flows and limits on wells, said Rupley, the state will do so by a fall 2006 deadline.

The primary recommendation of the plan is for the development of wells that do not affect surface waters.

Rupley said wells in the Vancouver Lake area do not draw down underground water supplies. Extensive pumping from wells in that area, he said, have not affected the water table.

The Lewis River is affected by ocean tides in the Pioneer area, said Rupley, making that area another good source of well water.

Water would be pumped from these areas, said Rupley, to other parts of the county. He was not sure of the geographic area that would be supplied, but said water would not likely be pumped as far north as Yacolt.

Rupley said watersheds would be closed to new water rights in order to make sure streams don't dry up during the summer.

Rupley said the entire Clark County population is served by well water. He said about 12,000 homes are presently served by private wells.

The plan sets minimum flow targets for rivers and streams--targets that are about at current winter and summer flows. The plan reserves 2.2 cubic feet per second of flow in the East Fork of the Lewis River for future use by Clark Public Utilities, Battle Ground and Ridgefield over the next 15 years, and .66 cubic feet per second for future private wells.

Rupley said that single family wells, when used with septic systems, have only minor effects on stream flows because the homeowner returns about 70 percent of water used back into the ground through the septic system. He said the other 30 percent is lost due to evaporation and other reasons.

Rupley said consultant Linton Wildrick studied the connection between wells and stream flows.

Wildrick said he found that "it takes a whole lot of wells to make much effect on stream flows."

Wildrick studied the Little Washougal River area and concluded that wells in that area caused less than 1 percent reduction in river water. Other factors were more important, he said, such as development, paving and land use conversions.

Wildrick estimated that .66 cubic feet per second of stream flow would equate to about 1,800 single family homes.

Wildrick said families on their own wells use considerably more water than families on public water systems.

Rupley estimated that 250 new single family wells will be drilled annually over the next 15 years, many outside the geographic area that would be served from the proposed Vancouver Lake and Pioneer area well fields.

Conversion of septic systems to sewers should be accompanied by conversion to public water systems, said the report.

The plan also calls for care in the use of lawn and garden chemicals, and car washing, to prevent polluting water run-off, and better management of livestock manure.

The plan says people need to be more careful in how and where they recreate.

Plan documents state that new and ongoing funding sources will be needed to pay for plan implementation, including the uphill pumping of water from Vancouver Lake to other parts of the county.

The plan calls for limitations on growth and development to ensure watershed protection, including limits on conversion from agricultural and timber uses to developed uses.

"Best management practices" should be used for recreational farming activities, the plan says.

The plan also calls for preventing abnormally high river flows in the winter.

"We need to herd all local interests in the same direction," said Rupley, who has worked for Clark County since 2000 after serving as a Cowlitz County commissioner for six years.

Rupley can be reached at