The Grays Harbor County commissioners set an auction date for rights to gather salal on county land, talked illegal dumping and approved a resolution to apply state-imposed fees to building permits.

In 2017, the county collected some $40,000 through its salal contract. The commissioners said they’re expecting similar revenue this year.

Also up for consideration is the potential to contract for Cascara bark and moss. Cascara bark and moss contracts could be included with salal or contracted separately.

Salal is popular in floral arrangements and has practical uses while cascara bark is used in herbal remedies.

Commissioner Randy Ross noted that the county might also contract out garbage collection services for illegal dumping. While illegal dumping of general items may or may not have increased, the county has noticed a significant increase in the illegal dumping of hazardous waste. Commissioner Vickie Raines said old paint is a typically dumped waste.

In December 2017, the commissioners reduced the county’s hazardous waste collection facility to two days a month due to state under funding for the facility. The commissioners believe that has contributed to the problem.

In October 2017, the commissioners approved a policy that keeps county forests open to recreation. That, too, may be a cause of the added dumping.

“We’re only going to clean up as much as we feel is necessary, and after that we’ll close them again if people can’t be respectful,” Raines said. “Do we have the funds to clean them up? I guess we do. But is that really what we should be doing with the tax title funds?”

The commissioners also approved a resolution that raises fees for some building permits. The commissioners noted that the fees are state-mandated.

The State Building Code Council will collect $6.50 for the first residential unit and $2 for each additional unit. That council also will collect $25 for commercial units.

The increases were mandated by HB 1622.