Dan Bateham: This is official notification of my withdrawal of my candidacy for city council, position number 7, for the City of Port Angeles. I extend a sincere thank you to those that have shown me support over the last several weeks. Good luck and best wishes to all of my fellow candidates. There will be no further public comment on this subject.
There was no explanation for his withdraw.
Just a day later the Peninsula Daily News ran the story with this headline: Port Angeles City Council candidate withdraws from race; declines to discuss reasons for move
" Allyson Ruppenthal, state deputy director of elections, said that if Bateham were to receive more votes than Kidd, he could take office even though he renounced his candidacy.Bateham said that's exactly what he would do. If people voted me in because they wanted change for whatever reason, I would take office and do the best of my ability for the people of the city, Bateham said." ---PDN
Does that make any sense to you readers? First saying he won't campaign for the position, but if he get's elected for it he will serve? If that's the case then he must well go all out and campaign for it!
Yours truly wrote to his opponent Cherie Kidd to get her take on this development here is what she submitted: I emailed his opponent Cherie Kidd who is currently running for re-election to the City Council for her comments, Kidd emailed the following statement:
"Yes, I understand that Dan Bateham will no longer campaign for city council position #7. However, a candidate has only 10 days to withdraw, otherwise his name will still be on the ballot. Mr. Bateham withdrew after three months. Therefore, I will continue my campaign, asking for the support and the vote of the people of Port Angeles as I still need the votes to win in the November election. His withdrawing now does not give me an automatic win. The voters decide.
Our new waterfront is the result of over 7 years planning and implementation for our town. We have received large grants from DOE for the first time and I fought to take the CSO harbor study charge off our utility bills. There is a lot of work still to be done and I look forward to working with the people of Port Angeles. We have a great town. Things are getting better, but we have to keep working with a vision for the future. I'm positive on Port Angeles and it will be an honor to continue to serve.'----Cherie Kidd
Readers, in my book there is no half measures when running for positions such as the city council, or any local governmental posting. Either you are going to commit fully in it, or stay out of it altogether. I give a little more credit to the voters, they will read between the lines and vote accordingly. The voters will only see, that Bateham tried and quit at the 10 O'Clock hour meaning just two months away from the general election in November.
The saga of the Treasure v the County is over, but questions remain.
As you will see later in this report the county is prepared once again to issue the warrants for those opportunity grants. This time there will be no resistance from the County Treasure. After months of debate which was becoming more like a day time drama on TV in the court house. This week out of the blue, the Treasure gave in cites medical concerns.
The Peninsula Daily News ran this story on Thursday: Clallam treasurer to release disputed grant warrants; fight wraps up due to undisclosed medical issue
PORT ANGELES — A lingering dispute between Clallam County commissioners and Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis is over. Citing an undisclosed medical issue, Barkhuis on Thursday said in an email that she wouldn't reject a pair of warrants for $1.3 million in Opportunity Fund grants to the port and city of Port Angeles.
“I don't want to die over this,” Barkhuis said in a brief interview while leaving the courthouse Thursday. “They win, OK? They win. “I'm physically unable to deal with this.”---PDN
Now wait a minute here readers, I am no psychiatrist, but when someone say's something like that you have to wonder about their mental state here, what's going on? You could probably figure out what was coming when she suddenly dismissed her lawyer as posted in previous PDN articles:
- Clallam treasurer lets go of appointed lawyer amid grants dispute with county commissioners
"Barkhuis rejected the warrants in June because of the administrative process the board employed to modify the budget.
“All that needs to happen for me to disburse the funds for these grants is for the commissioners to produce and sign the necessary budget resolution and written contracts — to be approved by the prosecutor as to form — that hold them accountable for these $1.3 million in no-strings attached, election-year grant expenditures,” Barkhuis wrote in a Friday email."---PDN dated 9/6/2015
- Clallam budget ‘loophole’ allowing transfer of millions without a vote debated by commissioners
Although the money can’t be spent without a vote of commissioners, Commissioner Mike Chapman said there is a “loophole” in county budget policy that needs to be fixed.
Chapman on Monday said it was “inappropriate” for County Administrator Jim Jones to sign a $3 million budget modification, redesignating 2015 funds for the delayed Carlsborg sewer project to other projects within the Opportunity Fund, in May without a board vote or public discussion.---PDN dated 9/6/2015
“Captain” McEntire’s $3 million Campaign by Selinda Barkhuis, WSBA 24139, Clallam County Treasurer
As such, I will continue to require the following documents before I will disburse the funds for these grants:
(Unless these expenditures are included and approved in the 2016 budget), a “Budget Resolution Adopting Budget Emergencies” that has attached to it the properly signed Budget Change Form (which correctly shows that these expenditures are being paid for with Opportunity Fund “ending fund balance”), all as publicly processed consistent with Chapter 36.40 RCW.
Contracts that have been “approved as to form” by the Prosecuting Attorney, and that have been duly signed and executed by the County and the Port/City consistent with current County Policy 560. ----PORT O CALL/Barkhuis
You have to wonder what made her break like that from her position which she seemed so sure about just months earlier? It's just something about what she said: I don't want to die over this,” Barkhuis said in a brief interview while leaving the courthouse Thursday. “They win, OK? They win. “I'm physically unable to deal with this." That gives you pause and wonder what was going on here, all this posturing was for nothing? No one says things like that without people wondering about her, did she have a break down? Or what? I have this feeling the pressure and media attention was getting to much for her. Then that's my opinion.
In other local news...
Port of Port Angeles ready to approve pact with composites facility
PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles’ Composite Recycling Technology Center is getting ready to set off on its own.
Port commissioners Tuesday reviewed a proposed $97,500 economic development services agreement with the soon-to-be-formed nonprofit center, known as the CRTC, that they are expected to approve Sept. 22, a day after an 11 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony.---read more
At least two Clallam commissioners expected to approve new recreational marijuana law
Sequim’s Bank of America to become 1st Security Bank
CEO Joe Adams for 1st Security Bank made the announcement on Sept. 1 that the Mountlake Terrace-based bank will acquire Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Hadlock and Port Townsend Bank of America branches with about $268 million in deposits and less than $1 million in loans.---SEQUIM GAZETTE
Annual WEBPA Fish and Brew is Oct. 10
The 19th annual West End Fish and Brew is set for Oct. 10, sponsored by West End Business and Professional Association.---FORKS FORUM
When the price for pot is right
At age 23, Gracen Hook won a state lottery allowing him to open Port Townsend’s first and only recreational cannabis shop. But he knew better.---PT LEADER
NEWS FROM ACROSS THE STRAIT
Brazen thieves strip Victoria mayor’s bike of seat, wheels
Not even Victoria’s mayor is immune to bike theft.
Lisa Helps left a council meeting about 11 p.m. Thursday, only to find that her “crappy beat-up old mountain bike” had been stripped of its wheels and seat as it sat locked up outside city hall.----TIMES COLONIST
Jack Knox: Kayakers return to clean up Island shores
Graham McNeil and a friend are kayaking their way around Vancouver Island, bit by bit, year by year.This July’s leg was supposed to be a highlight: counter-clockwise from Port Hardy around Cape Scott, then up Quatsino Inlet to Coal Harbour.
Except when they pulled into Experiment Bight — a long-awaited destination — on Day 2, they found themselves surrounded by piles of plastic garbage: shrimp traps, shampoo containers, Styrofoam from smashed-up boats, drift-net floats the size of hotdog buns----TIMES COLONIST
Councillor wants public to know more about amalgamation
An Esquimalt councillor is hoping an upcoming public forum will give the public a fair chance to understand what amalgamating with 13 municipalities in the Greater Victoria area would truly mean.---VICTORIA NEWS
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR NEXT WEEK
CLALLAM COUNTY COMMISSION AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEMS: 4d Approval of warrants for Opportunity Fund grants to the City of Port Angeles and Port of Port Angeles
4c Ordinance creating a Chapter in the Clallam County Code titled “Recreational Marijuana”
establishing the placement of and development standards for recreational marijuana producers,
processors, and retailers licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
See full agenda: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_agenda.pdf
Agenda items details: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_packet.pdf
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM HIGHLIGHT: HARBOR CLEANUP PROCESS – CHANGE ORDER NO. 3 TO WORK ORDER NO 2
Summary: The City Council previously approved Work Order No. 2. Work Order No. 2 is for
work to complete a draft Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for the Western Port Angeles
Harbor Group’s Agreed Order with The Department of Ecology. This Change Order No. 3 adds to
the Scope of Work and budget.
Recommendation: Authorize the City Manager to approve Work Order No. 2, Change Order No.
3, expanding the scope of work and increasing the authorized budget for Work Order No. 2 by
$329,450 to a total of $1,059,150 and to approve minor modifications to the Work Order as
needed. The City’s share of the increase is $82,362.50.
CITY OF SEQUIM AGENDA ITEM HIGHLIGHT: Renewal of contract with Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce for mobile food vending
CITY OF FORKS AGENDA: http://www.forkswashington.org/pdf/agenda91415.pdf
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA HIGHLIGHT: Climate Change Preparedness Plan for the North Olympic Peninsula
DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 NKJV
