Port of Port Angeles Chooses Interim Executive Director

Port Commissioners have unanimously selected Ken O’Hollaren as the interim executive director of the Port of Port Angeles.  He will make roughly $11,500 a month (same pay that Jeff Robb was getting) during the six to nine months the Port will take to find a permanent executive director.

Ken O'Halloren is the former Port of Longview executive director.

Port of Port Angeles Receives Letter and Petition

The Washington Coalition for Open Government has sent a letter to the Port of Port Angeles commissioners, reprimanding them for creating a new position for Jeff Robb immediately after his resignation.  The letter stated:

“WCOG has been advised that recent actions by the Port of Port Angeles Commission threaten to undermine public trust and confidence, because they create the appearance that controversial decisions were made in private.” 

The commissioners were also presented with a petition with about 400 signatures.  The petition stated:

“We, the undersigned residents of Clallam County, demand that the Port of Port Angeles Commission rescind their appointment of the recently resigned executive director to his new position as environmental director because the position was never advertised, it is not in the budget, it has no job description and this action was illegally decided upon in secret and in violation of the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 42.30, Revised Code of Washington.”

Lincoln Park Trees

While the City Council and Port of Port Angeles argue about the Lincoln Park trees and how to fund their removal, a letter in today's PDN has it dialed.  The letter reads in part:

Cutting down the majestic stand of trees in Lincoln Park makes sense only to those who would profit from it.  As to the runway issue at William R. Fairchild International Airport:  Well, it's not LAX, is it?...

Maybe the best idea would be to shelve the whole sordid scenario until a less self-interested group of people can take another look at the airport runway situation.  In all probability, those trees now provide a substantial windbreak...

Cut them down and there may be a set of different problems for planes approaching the airport's runway.  The fate of those trees has been placed in the careless hands of those who look upon nature with an adding machine and a never-ending supply of excuses for its ruination.  Soon they will find themselves with not much left to exploit.

Bravo!

(I omitted the letter writer's references to disc golf since I have no opinion one way or the other on that issue.)

Arts In Action 2013

Yes there WILL be an Arts In Action again this year.  For awhile it didn't look like they'd be having one.  There still isn't any mention of it at the PDN website, but today's Sunday paper has an insert giving all the details.  It'll be next weekend, July 26th through 28th, with sand sculptures, dozens of vendors and live music on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Should Taxpayers Help Pay for Sequim's Big Box Development?

The City of Sequim wants Clallam County to contribute $1.5 million to help pay for road improvements near a proposed Big Box development site. As a commenter at the linked article pointed out, the Sequim city government has previously required a small business owner to pay $20,000 in infrastructure fees, and another small business owner to install an expensive sprinkler system in order to get a permit.

At the same time, a deep-pocketed developer should get $1.5 million worth of government largesse.  Is there a certain "logic" I'm missing here?

Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Candidates to speak at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

Tomorrow's Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce Luncheon will feature the three primary candidates for Port of Port Angeles commissioner for District 1:  Del DelaBarre, Colleen McAleer and incumbent Paul McHugh.

 The two candidates who get the most votes in the August 6th. primary will proceed to the November general election.

Changes at the PDN

There has been a reorganization of the management of the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum.  The production, advertising and circulation staffs of all three newspapers have been combined.  The news staffs will continue to operate separately.

John Brewer is now responsible for all operations at all three newspapers.  Steve Perry, PDN advertising director, now oversees the advertising and production staffs of all three papers.  John Brewer said:

“This reorganization unifies what had been separate and overlapping advertising, production and circulation staffs.  This makes us more efficient and allows us to have a consolidated sales and customer service effort to better serve Clallam and Jefferson counties.  Meanwhile, the newsrooms will continue to produce their intensely local products by remaining separate and competitive with each other.  We want to continue to produce the very best newspapers possible — while making it easier for our readers and advertisers to do business with us.”

State Auditor's Office to Review Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Resignation and Rehiring

The State Auditor's Office will be reviewing the circumstances surrounding Jeff Robb's resignation and immediate re-hiring as director of environmental affairs.  A review of port hiring and public meeting practices was already scheduled for next year sometime.  But now part of the audit will begin in September because of concerns over the Port's compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act and the Port's immediate re-hiring of Jeff Robb to a newly-created lower level position at his same $138,000 salary.  A spokesman for the State Auditor's Office said:

“You want to make sure decisions of this magnitude are made in the light of day.”