Wednesday, Sep. 03, 2008

Benton County assessor gets new office at Justice Center

By Franny White, Herald staff writer

PROSSER -- The Benton County Assessor's Kennewick office will have a new home inside the Benton County Justice Center by month's end, county commissioners decided Tuesday.

They agreed to spend $25,300 to remodel the ground-floor space of the former Beat Cafe, which closed in late March. The agreement came with a swift schedule; the new office is scheduled to open Sept. 22.

That's just in time for the release of new property valuations, which Assessor Barbara Wagner says will be mailed about Sept. 26. The notices usually are sent out in early August. But temporary closures of the Kennewick office, training new staff and the loss of a contract employee in 2007 delayed them this year, she said.

Now Tri-City area residents with assessment questions won't have to travel to Prosser, where the assessor's only other office is located.

"I appreciate what you're doing," Wagner told commissioners. "It's going to be a big benefit for the public."

Tuesday's decision ends a months-old debate over the previous Kennewick office site. Wagner closed her office at the Benton County Annex at 5600 W. Canal Drive twice this year -- once in January and again in late May -- over mold and air quality concerns. She said the building made her and her staff sick.

But a private firm's evaluation said the office didn't pose health threats. And the state Department of Labor & Industries didn't find any indoor air quality violations. But both recommended the county clean the ventilation system and other parts of the building.

The commissioners first discussed using the Beat Cafe space in June, but wanted to "thoroughly review" the proposal.

Upon hearing the news after the meeting, Wagner's staff members were visibly relieved. One gave a loud sigh, while another said the drive to Prosser had become tiresome. Nine employees normally work out of the Kennewick office. Seven have been using the Prosser office, while two others were temporarily at the Washington State University Extension office on Canal Drive.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners agreed to work with south Benton County residents to develop a new mosquito control district. Paterson and Plymouth residents, who are not part of the Benton County Mosquito Control District and have experienced an exceptionally high mosquito population this year, raised concerns in July after West Nile virus-infected mosquitos were found near Prosser.

Commissioner Max Benitz asked the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which both control land in south Benton County, to help control local mosquito populations.

But the policy of both agencies is to only assist established mosquito control officials, which leaves Plymouth and Paterson without any way to work with the agencies.

Organizational meetings will be planned in the communities. County commissioners want area residents to gather signatures for a petition to put the proposed district's creation on the ballot.

The commissioners also agreed to have the Benton-Franklin Counties Department of Human Services spend $15,000 for a feasibility study about the proposed consolidated crisis response center. The Benton Franklin Community Action Committee will lead the study, which is to be completed in 90 days.