Readers,
As you recall I wrote about my little mishap going to church last Sunday, involving my electronic wheelchair, and the rain poncho which I was wearing. Apparently it was from someone from here in Port Angeles that sent it. I gotten an email from my benefactor. So, it wasn't from someone in Tenn,. as I thought. No matter it was a nice gesture nevertheless no matter where it comes from.
So many thanks to my benefactor who sent me this nice gift of a rain poncho.
Angels of mercy rides to the rescue.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
SHOULD THE CITY CODE OF CONDUCT BE REVIEWED AGAIN?
That question was raised during the last city council meeting on Tuesday by, Councilman Whetham. Another point which I agree with readers. This is all stemming from the Feb. 2nd meeting of the city council. Which now has produced four ethics complaints; The mayor, Kidd, Gase, and the city attorney.
As noted before lot's of miscues were done during that meeting. The mayor should have chaired that meeting over the phone, if he couldn't make it there physically. Which he was on the two way phone. He handed off the chore to the deputy mayor. Now as for Whetham, I didn't much appreciate of his phrase: "The real mayor" which opened up the assumption that he was implying that Kidd's position was "fake". However, he short of made up for that during this Tuesday's meeting when he kept asking the city attorney about protocol during the opening of the public comment session. And he, noted that the public sessions were control by the mayor, not by the full council. However, if he wanted to go a step further, he could have declared that entire Feb. 2nd meeting null and void because it wasn't following protocol, the mayor was on the phone and could have chaired that meeting, and he should not have passed it off to the deputy mayor. Whetham could have asked for that entire meeting be redone. He had that opportunity to do that on Tuesday, if he was really concerned about following protocol. But he didn't. And yes, the council should follow the Roberts Rule of order Lee.
Readers, Whethem had an opportunity back on that meeting Feb. 2 to show the public he was concerned in following protocol. Knowing that the mayor was on the phone, and could have chaired the meeting on the phone. Should have call point of order, and asked why the deputy mayor was chairing the meeting and not the mayor, which in essence he was by the two way phone. Whetham also could have declared that entire Feb. 2nd meeting null and void, and asked for that entire meeting be done over.
Now, the part I agree with is that he mentioned during the discorse of protocal discussion Tuesday night he stated perhaps they need to review those code of conducts. As you recall they had to review those code of conduct because of Councilman Max Mania. Yes, the very one Lee, and me was to run against during that election close to three years now, but Mania, decided not to run again, which I found convenient, and left town.
What the current code of conduct has done in essence censored speech from council members, and gave then an excuse to duct questions from the media, and public alike on policy decisions.
And we all witness the results of that during the last city council election, when Kidd kept ducting questions about her views on fluoridation, which were apparent by her vote in favor of continuing adding fluoridation to the city water supply.
Now according to the minutes which were approved during Tuesday's meeting on the second meeting in Feb.
It states: "City Manager Dan McKeen spoke about Public Comment guidelines contained in the Council Rules of Procedure. He noted there had been a mistake when the most recent version of the Rules of Procedure was drafted, in which the “15 minute” guideline for public comment periods had been omitted in error. Staff reviewed information that was presented to Council in July 2015 when the body adopted a second public comment period. In reviewing memos and minutes as well as listening to the audio recording of the July meeting, staff reaffirmed Council’s wishes to add a second public comment period to all agendas with comments limited to no more than three minutes per person, and a total of 15 minutes for each comment period, with the Mayor’s discretion to lengthen or shorten. Manager McKeen noted that all supporting documentation about this matter would be put on the City’s website for the public."
Now, Readers as long as I been covering the city council meetings since I started publishing a news blog close to twenty years, the mayor had always set the time of the public comment session, if you look back over the years on the agenda they always had that little note saying that the mayor will set the time of the public comment session. Maybe that changed during the course of the time I stop for two years in publishing and attending any meetings. But, in times passed that was the standard the the mayor set the time of the public comment session.
Now it looks like the council will be meeting on how to follow protocol. WAIT! Shouldn't they have known how to follow protocol before they took office? What's with that readers?!
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR NEXT WEEK:
CLALLAM COUNTY COMMISSION AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEM: Amendment 1 with Trillium Treatment Center changing Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery language.
See full agenda: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_agenda.pdf
Agenda details: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_packet.pdf
The Port did held a special meeting on Friday interviewing the Port Commission candidates, no word as of yet who was selected from the seven who applied for the posting as of yet.
The Port typically holds their first meeting on the second week of the month, thus far no agenda has been released. Their first meeting of the month will be on the 14th I was told be Port Commissioner McAleer, since the second Monday falls on the 14th, my bad on that one.
However I did write to Port Commissioner McAleer asking if they made any selection of a Port Commissioner to take over Jim Hallet's posting/
Here is what she wrote back: No we have not selected a third commissioner. We published a schedule many weeks ago. According to the published schedule we will make that decision on March 11th if all goes well. However, one applicant (Brent Berry) was out of town yesterday so we are hoping to interview him on Tuesday. Connie and I are doing reference checks between Tuesday and Thursday.
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEM:
Approval of Minor Housekeeping Revisions to Adopted Ordinance 3145 Related to Utility Rates and Billing Procedures and Ordinance 3147 Related to Low-Income Rates; Exempting Low-Income Qualified Customers from Certain Utility Fees and Amending Chapter 13.05.160 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code regarding payment of base rate and surcharge — abandonment of service and removal of meter
See full agenda: http://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=329
UPDATE ON ETHIC COMPLAINT FILE AGAINST MAYOR
As you recall readers I wrote both the Mayor, and Marloee Smith regarding the ethic compliant filed against the mayor. I asked if Smith had any comments regarding the Mayor's comments about the complaint filed, which he mentioned her by name.
She wrote back with a one word reply: hubris otherwise, no comment.
Mayor Downie's reply: I really don't have any additional comments to offer at this time. Peter, inasmuch as the complaint will be taken up by the Ethics Committee members very soon I hope, it is advisable I refrain from further comments.
As noted before lot's of miscues were done during that meeting. The mayor should have chaired that meeting over the phone, if he couldn't make it there physically. Which he was on the two way phone. He handed off the chore to the deputy mayor. Now as for Whetham, I didn't much appreciate of his phrase: "The real mayor" which opened up the assumption that he was implying that Kidd's position was "fake". However, he short of made up for that during this Tuesday's meeting when he kept asking the city attorney about protocol during the opening of the public comment session. And he, noted that the public sessions were control by the mayor, not by the full council. However, if he wanted to go a step further, he could have declared that entire Feb. 2nd meeting null and void because it wasn't following protocol, the mayor was on the phone and could have chaired that meeting, and he should not have passed it off to the deputy mayor. Whetham could have asked for that entire meeting be redone. He had that opportunity to do that on Tuesday, if he was really concerned about following protocol. But he didn't. And yes, the council should follow the Roberts Rule of order Lee.
Readers, Whethem had an opportunity back on that meeting Feb. 2 to show the public he was concerned in following protocol. Knowing that the mayor was on the phone, and could have chaired the meeting on the phone. Should have call point of order, and asked why the deputy mayor was chairing the meeting and not the mayor, which in essence he was by the two way phone. Whetham also could have declared that entire Feb. 2nd meeting null and void, and asked for that entire meeting be done over.
Now, the part I agree with is that he mentioned during the discorse of protocal discussion Tuesday night he stated perhaps they need to review those code of conducts. As you recall they had to review those code of conduct because of Councilman Max Mania. Yes, the very one Lee, and me was to run against during that election close to three years now, but Mania, decided not to run again, which I found convenient, and left town.
What the current code of conduct has done in essence censored speech from council members, and gave then an excuse to duct questions from the media, and public alike on policy decisions.
And we all witness the results of that during the last city council election, when Kidd kept ducting questions about her views on fluoridation, which were apparent by her vote in favor of continuing adding fluoridation to the city water supply.
Now according to the minutes which were approved during Tuesday's meeting on the second meeting in Feb.
It states: "City Manager Dan McKeen spoke about Public Comment guidelines contained in the Council Rules of Procedure. He noted there had been a mistake when the most recent version of the Rules of Procedure was drafted, in which the “15 minute” guideline for public comment periods had been omitted in error. Staff reviewed information that was presented to Council in July 2015 when the body adopted a second public comment period. In reviewing memos and minutes as well as listening to the audio recording of the July meeting, staff reaffirmed Council’s wishes to add a second public comment period to all agendas with comments limited to no more than three minutes per person, and a total of 15 minutes for each comment period, with the Mayor’s discretion to lengthen or shorten. Manager McKeen noted that all supporting documentation about this matter would be put on the City’s website for the public."
Now, Readers as long as I been covering the city council meetings since I started publishing a news blog close to twenty years, the mayor had always set the time of the public comment session, if you look back over the years on the agenda they always had that little note saying that the mayor will set the time of the public comment session. Maybe that changed during the course of the time I stop for two years in publishing and attending any meetings. But, in times passed that was the standard the the mayor set the time of the public comment session.
Now it looks like the council will be meeting on how to follow protocol. WAIT! Shouldn't they have known how to follow protocol before they took office? What's with that readers?!
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR NEXT WEEK:
CLALLAM COUNTY COMMISSION AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEM: Amendment 1 with Trillium Treatment Center changing Department of Behavioral Health and Recovery language.
See full agenda: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_agenda.pdf
Agenda details: http://websrv7.clallam.net/forms/uploads/bocc_meeting_packet.pdf
The Port did held a special meeting on Friday interviewing the Port Commission candidates, no word as of yet who was selected from the seven who applied for the posting as of yet.
The Port typically holds their first meeting on the second week of the month, thus far no agenda has been released. Their first meeting of the month will be on the 14th I was told be Port Commissioner McAleer, since the second Monday falls on the 14th, my bad on that one.
However I did write to Port Commissioner McAleer asking if they made any selection of a Port Commissioner to take over Jim Hallet's posting/
Here is what she wrote back: No we have not selected a third commissioner. We published a schedule many weeks ago. According to the published schedule we will make that decision on March 11th if all goes well. However, one applicant (Brent Berry) was out of town yesterday so we are hoping to interview him on Tuesday. Connie and I are doing reference checks between Tuesday and Thursday.
PORT TOWNSEND CITY COUNCIL AGENDA HIGHLIGHT ITEM:
Approval of Minor Housekeeping Revisions to Adopted Ordinance 3145 Related to Utility Rates and Billing Procedures and Ordinance 3147 Related to Low-Income Rates; Exempting Low-Income Qualified Customers from Certain Utility Fees and Amending Chapter 13.05.160 of the Port Townsend Municipal Code regarding payment of base rate and surcharge — abandonment of service and removal of meter
See full agenda: http://cityofpt.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=4&event_id=329
UPDATE ON ETHIC COMPLAINT FILE AGAINST MAYOR
As you recall readers I wrote both the Mayor, and Marloee Smith regarding the ethic compliant filed against the mayor. I asked if Smith had any comments regarding the Mayor's comments about the complaint filed, which he mentioned her by name.
She wrote back with a one word reply: hubris otherwise, no comment.
Mayor Downie's reply: I really don't have any additional comments to offer at this time. Peter, inasmuch as the complaint will be taken up by the Ethics Committee members very soon I hope, it is advisable I refrain from further comments.
The statement made by Downie was in the Peninsula Daily News Friday's edition.
Quoting again: “I regret that across America, as well as here in Port Angeles, political discussion in any number of public settings has become so discordant.
“I'm saddened that there would be those, including Marolee, who would misinterpret my attempts to quiet the tone of certain voices during the council meetings referred to in the ethics complaint, with trying to silence their legitimate right to speak.
“I simply do not think it is wrong to believe that earnest but civil discourse should not remain the standard of conduct for any such conversation between two individuals.”---Mayor Downie's written statement
News Commentaries:
DAILY DEVOTIONAL:
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 NKJV
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