Upcoming Harbor-Works Meeting: Executive Session Only
Harbor-Works has a "special" meeting scheduled for February 24th at 4 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Commissioners' Meeting Room in the Port Administrative Office Building, 338 West First Street, Port Angeles.
The meeting will consist of an executive session, then an adjournment with no further action on the agenda.
Here is the link.
OK, what's your take?
The meeting will consist of an executive session, then an adjournment with no further action on the agenda.
Here is the link.
OK, what's your take?
posted by Tom Harper at 11:15 PM
13 Comments:
Well, isn't that "special"?
Is this how things are done in the board rooms of Wall Street, Kaj?
...hmmm, circle jerk?
Executive Session only, huh? They must be legally obligated to post notices about any meeting they officially hold. It's a done deal anyway.
"Executive Session Only" ... talk about LMAO!
Whatever this is, it can't be good. At best, I've had mixed feelings about Harbor-Works. Now I'm very much thinking they're up to no good.
Orville Campbell is incredibly old-school and too inclined towards letting "the right people" make decisions. Howie Ruddell is a no-nothing hotshot with extremely limited real-world experience. Jim Hallett strikes me as being not too terribly bright, but awfully fond of himself. And Kaj Ahlburg is a notorious far, far right nut.
Poor Jeff Lincoln being saddled with board members like this! I actually do believe that Lincoln is professional, and wants to get this project done in a timely and open manner - but it ain't gonna happen with the bozos listed above driving things.
And then there's the evil influence of The Port...Greedy, corrupt and morally bankrupt. Watch for them to try and grab the Rayonier site for themselves...To turn it into more surplus maritime industrial land. Greedy, yes. Bright, no.
What's my take? Well, it reminds me of a song.
Of course, since this "Public" agency, formed specifically to represent the "publics" interests, on behalf of the "publics" trust, is meeting in private without giving the "public" ANY information about what is being discussed, we can only speculate.
Since it has been revealed recently that the city (city manager Mark Madsen) signed that agreement in 2006 committing to purchasing the Rayonier property, the whole HarborWorks thing is obviously a scam. Just another way to use taxpayers money to create jobs for a few folks while they "study" and "evaluate" whether or not to purchase the property they've already committed to purchasing. We've seen this taxpayer rip-off scam here in Port Angeles before.
I wish I could be as clever as these guys are. And as heartless.
Sigh.
It is likely that Lincoln calls the Exec. sessions.
Come to the Feb. 24 forum at 6:30 PM, Clallam Co. Commissioners Room to learn why the Rayonier tank is not needed.
Click on this link and learn even more:
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/epa-to-tackle-runoff
Environmental Health Network on the handling ALL stormwater through LID methods.
"Experts say careful planning of developments, homes and buildings can alleviate nearly all the contamination from urban runoff."
“It’s a matter of understanding the landscape and soils. Developers have to work with nature, work with the land.” - Donald Carpenter, Great Lakes Storm Management Institute, Lawrence Technical University"
"Experts say with careful design, 100 percent of stormwater can be infiltrated into the ground or recycled."
"These low-impact development techniques can do a perfect job controlling stormwater, said Donald Carpenter, an associate professor of civil engineering and director of the Great Lakes Stormwater Management Institute at Lawrence Technical University in Southfield, Mich."
TO THE CITY COUNCIL:
I want to thank you for your vote last night instructing the staff to initiate public outreach and education on roof drain disconnection and ways of handling stormwater other than a central repository. It seemed evident you realized the Brown & Caldwell report lacked credence and costs were inflated. A special thanks to you, Max, for your work on this matter and moving it in a direction better for the city and its residents.
What you asked the staff to do, and in the time frame, however, is not enough, for the 10-15% decrease roof drain disconnection is likely false. It can likely reduce runoff to a significantly higher percentage, even to the level of not needing the Rayonier tank. Highway and other runoff can be handled otherwise and perhaps the treatment plant can handle it. And EPA will be stepping in to help communities handle highway runoff. The article below my comments makes the case that careful planning can handle ALL stormwater runoff.
The City should:
a) stop negotiations on the Rayonier tank
b) gather together studies on LID handling of stormwater
c) immediately develop and implement a research plan to study the level roof drain disconnection and
a variety of well placed LID actions, as well as porous cement can decrease stormwater runoff.
d) gather this data within a 1.5-2 year period and share it with the public
e) then analyze the true costs of this program vs a central repository.
The money the City will spend on the tank and the central collection system on the Rayonier site will be better spent to protect the environment and recharge the aquifer. At least such a study would give you true costs. This will interject public trust in the process and raise the respect and outside attention of the City of Port Angeles.
Not doing this still leaves the impression with the public that the City wants the tank, no matter what, and is not serious about cutting costs, protecting the environment, and working in the public's interest.
................
ds
Hold on everyone, executive session could mean one of many things. No all are bad, but a couple things could be really bad. I know first hand the Port has always wanted this property....City of PA please don't give away the property tax revenue.
Hopefully this is a personnel issue and not anything fiscally negative...
Harry,
I'd like it better if they WERE having a circle jerk...at least they'd be getting something done, staying occupied, and not costing us money.
All in favor of the Harbor Works sessions being circle jerks...say AYE
Communications in early 2008 between City & Por, during the time Madsen was encouraging the Port to join the City in creating HarborWorks, the Port was saying they expected to get the property, at least some of it.
A document in the DNR files dated 11/4/2008, a meeting with Orville and Jeffy Hendricks; they tell DNR staff, Vision of [HarborWorks] Board, end use, Port of P.A.. We'll start w/due diligence - cultural.
And now the Port said they will do "due diligence" to see if they should try and get the property. (Earlier they told the public no public funds will be spent. Guess who's paying for this "due diligence?"
So this due diligence is a cover for where they always intended to end. All are just going through the steps.
Anyone investing in this tsunami-flood zone property isn't an intelligent investor, but it is only public money.
"...And Kaj Ahlburg is a notorious far, far right nut."
I thought you were going to delete the personal attacks, Tom????
It wasn't an attack, merely an observation. From someone who has seriously observed Kaj over the past several years. And someone who has done a little research into his past - particularly the very shady company he used to work for.
Kaj Ahlburg is indeed a far, far right, if not nut, then zealot. And as such, he is a terrible person to have in a position to be, say, dealing with the DOE (even indirectly). Their two worldviews will not mesh, they will not speak the same language, and, at the end of the day, we (Port Angeles) will come out the loser because of that, due to the fact that the DOE has power over our town.
Power that Kaj Ahlburg, nut or not, cannot overcome.
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