How silly of me to think the tax paying citizens of Clallam County are the most important partner. Good to have it in writing that we are not. Wonder how this will be remembered in 26’s County Elections.
Thank you, Jeff. I so appreciate your expertly synthesizing all that has transpired with regard to Towne Road and transparency and accountability, or lack thereof. Thank you for doing all the research and keeping us informed.
Let me get this straight…..Ozias says: I'd like to take this moment to apologize for my lack of communication. I believe that the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe is our most important partner in local governance whether we're talking about healthcare, or habitat restoration, or transportation, or emergency management, or economic development, or any of the myriad of areas that we work together for this community, and I hope to do better in meeting that standard in the future."
Ozias says at the Board meeting what HE says, “I’d like to”, “I believe……is our MOST important partner in local governance”, “I hope to do better”. Then Ozias expects Johnson and French to completely buy into all HIS, I this I that and sign a letter of apology to the Jamestown Skallam Tribe? Take notice of the board meeting when Ozias finished talking there was absolute silence from French and Johnson neither one offered a peep. My sense was from the two Commissioners we are being railroaded, we smell a rat, we don’t like how this game is being played, and we have eyes and ears and we don’t want to be part of this puppet show!
If this is short of his standard, when does he address the Clallam County tax-payer standard, because it’s not even on the map!
This kind of political corruption with hard earned tax dollars is impossible to ignore….you’d think they were tribal taxes at stake, hahaha😂, but the truth is THEY ARE NOT! 🤬 That money is OUR tax dollars Mr. Ozias, our hard earned United States tax dollars & We The People Have Spoken way toooooo many times! You owe Us the people the apology.
Time to begin thinking Ozias must go! There is no excuse for his working against the majority of those of us who live in Dungeness, and also Sequim residents who enjoy this area.
How much more obvious that Ozias is 'owned' by the tribe. So typical of corrupt special interests.
I can see the tribe's point of view but it is none of their business as it is county asset not a tribal asset.
It sounds like Ozias just wants to hand the county operations over to the tribe.
What arrogance and entitlement. He is correct that he has not lived up to his own standards which include stealing public property for his owners...may he fail completely to attain his own traitorous standards. He needs to be removed and we need to keep Dexter off the board as well. She is of like kind. Way left/liberal/special interests.
Ozias is in the tribes pocket... any thoughts less than this is juvenile. The tribe has played him like a fiddle and for some unknown reason think he can deliver. What is not here is the ability to expose them both publicly.... what’s missing is my question. Is it legal?
Is there not enough literal evidence,.... someone is going to crack! Clearly Ozias pressure is mounting, he’s already out on a ledge!
I don't know if it's legal, and I'm not familiar enough with the Open Public Meetings Act to know if one Commissioner and the DCD Director can privately meet with a sovereign nation to discuss the fate of a public infrastructure project.
Hi Jeff my thought on legal is not that the their meeting was legal or illegal but just the entire process …the collusion (?)… is their collusion? Is their enough to show Ozias gas and is stepping over the line and is a bed fellow? Enough to proceed to legally stop then both!?
I hope your wrist is healing up, Paula. I don't know of anything illegal, but I believe the ethical line has been crossed a few times. Clallam County has a code of ethics, but no Board of Ethics to enforce it.
Unless I have missed something in all the documentation posted on line the cause of this whole situation is the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe breaching the levee before scheduled. Had this not occurred Towne Road would never have closed, the project as designed and competitively bid, would have been completed by now. If this is the case then my questions are:
1. Has the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe EVER apologized to any entity for breaching the levee ahead of schedule?
2. Have they accepted liability for the delay and increased costs in the project?
3. Why are the commissioners apologizing to the entity that caused the situation in the first place?
Unless there is information that exonerates or mitigates the liability of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe breaching the levee outside of the agreed schedule, I consider a written apology by the Clallam County Commissioners to any representative or department of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to be totally inappropriate at this time.
Hi Diane, you are up to speed and have followed things as closely as I have and you have your facts right. 1) I have not found an apology from JST to the county. 2) To legally declare an emergency, the county had to say it was outside their control, so they blamed the Tribe. The Tribe objected, and by the next day, the resolution had blamed the Army Corps of Engineers. Just let me know if you want to watch that video. 3) Geesh, I don't know why they are apologizing. Maybe tomorrow's work session will reveal how the other commissioners feel about apologizing to the Tribe for the levee they breached. I hope all this gets sorted out before we embark on the Dungeness Off-Channel Reservoir -- that's a much larger project and another mishap could wipe out residents in Dungeness Meadows instead of just close a road.
Did Ozias try to throw Director Emery under the bus? Will Olias ever learn that he, alone, cannot promise to spend county tax payer money on special interests without it coming back to bite him in the backside?
(there was someone whining on ND about the People's Forum having two or more elected officials there so the public should've been informed, blah, blah, blah....wonder how they feel about this covert meeting with the tribal business leadership?)
As an elected official, everything you do gets scrutinized. Right or wrong, it's what you sign up for when you run for public office or hold an appointed position. It's clear that Ozias hasn't learned this no matter how many times it lands on his head. And he never apologies to the groups that he clearly wrongs.
He has gone out of his way NOT to represent his tax paying constituents. He can only do the bidding of his largest campaign donor and special interests (private land owner). Dereliction of duty. Misappropriation of funds. Reneging on his oath of office. He's done more to cause many of us to distrust the county leadership than anyone.
And the audacity to apologize to his TOP campaign donor on behalf of the county. He is not representing the county in that apology. He's trying to kiss the rings of the business people he took money from to run his campaign. If I were French or Johnson, I would vote against sending that letter to the tribe. Ozias already apologized and it's in the public record. What a setup. And they once again won't follow process if the road is further delayed.
Ozias should resign. If he won't resign, he should be recalled. It's clear that he is wholly ineffective in representing the interests of his entire district. I'm sure the tribal business (CEO and all that) leadership team can find a good job for him. Hopefully he resigns ASAP because not even one more penny of our taxes should be trusted to this individual.
To quote a corrupt commissioner's wife, "This has got to stop!"
I'm not sure what Ozias' intent was in taking Emery with him to the meeting. The whole thing seems off to me, and I'm still trying to understand the "why" to it all.
After the December 26th meeting, I saw that Dir. Emery was Ozias' next scapegoat. His verbal and body language spoke directly to Emery being the one he will use to blame for the Towne Road project moving forward. Well, Jeff, you are now an ace reporter. Don't stop asking questions. See you Tuesday!
THANKS Jeff - such insightful writing with a side of "pesky"!! Keep holding them ALL accountable!! Lin Manuel Miranda has asked for your contact information for his next project - this deserves that level of creative exposure! But WHO will play YOU? (asking for a friend!)
Once again, fantastic coverage of this "project".
How silly of me to think the tax paying citizens of Clallam County are the most important partner. Good to have it in writing that we are not. Wonder how this will be remembered in 26’s County Elections.
Thank you one again for getting all the facts regarding Town Road to the public.......I believe a recall is in order for Ozais..........
Quite a pressure campaign on Emery!
Thank you, Jeff. I so appreciate your expertly synthesizing all that has transpired with regard to Towne Road and transparency and accountability, or lack thereof. Thank you for doing all the research and keeping us informed.
Do you believe Oz is intelligent enough to say what he means?
Do you believe he chooses his words very carefully?
Do you believe in Freudian slips?
I had pause with the very first line of this article
"As a District One Commissioner, "
How many are there? Only one
Does he believe he shares the position with the guy who paid for his seat?
Is Ron Allen Co-Commissioner?
Let me get this straight…..Ozias says: I'd like to take this moment to apologize for my lack of communication. I believe that the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe is our most important partner in local governance whether we're talking about healthcare, or habitat restoration, or transportation, or emergency management, or economic development, or any of the myriad of areas that we work together for this community, and I hope to do better in meeting that standard in the future."
Ozias says at the Board meeting what HE says, “I’d like to”, “I believe……is our MOST important partner in local governance”, “I hope to do better”. Then Ozias expects Johnson and French to completely buy into all HIS, I this I that and sign a letter of apology to the Jamestown Skallam Tribe? Take notice of the board meeting when Ozias finished talking there was absolute silence from French and Johnson neither one offered a peep. My sense was from the two Commissioners we are being railroaded, we smell a rat, we don’t like how this game is being played, and we have eyes and ears and we don’t want to be part of this puppet show!
If this is short of his standard, when does he address the Clallam County tax-payer standard, because it’s not even on the map!
This kind of political corruption with hard earned tax dollars is impossible to ignore….you’d think they were tribal taxes at stake, hahaha😂, but the truth is THEY ARE NOT! 🤬 That money is OUR tax dollars Mr. Ozias, our hard earned United States tax dollars & We The People Have Spoken way toooooo many times! You owe Us the people the apology.
Time to begin thinking Ozias must go! There is no excuse for his working against the majority of those of us who live in Dungeness, and also Sequim residents who enjoy this area.
The question remains: Did Director Emery look away as Oz was getting spanked?
Ozias is as crooked as a dog's hind leg! He should be voted out of office at the earliest opportunity, if not recalled sooner.
Way to go, Jeff! Force them to be transparent through your excellent reporting.
How much more obvious that Ozias is 'owned' by the tribe. So typical of corrupt special interests.
I can see the tribe's point of view but it is none of their business as it is county asset not a tribal asset.
It sounds like Ozias just wants to hand the county operations over to the tribe.
What arrogance and entitlement. He is correct that he has not lived up to his own standards which include stealing public property for his owners...may he fail completely to attain his own traitorous standards. He needs to be removed and we need to keep Dexter off the board as well. She is of like kind. Way left/liberal/special interests.
Ozias is in the tribes pocket... any thoughts less than this is juvenile. The tribe has played him like a fiddle and for some unknown reason think he can deliver. What is not here is the ability to expose them both publicly.... what’s missing is my question. Is it legal?
Is there not enough literal evidence,.... someone is going to crack! Clearly Ozias pressure is mounting, he’s already out on a ledge!
Great great writing Jeff?
I don't know if it's legal, and I'm not familiar enough with the Open Public Meetings Act to know if one Commissioner and the DCD Director can privately meet with a sovereign nation to discuss the fate of a public infrastructure project.
Hi Jeff my thought on legal is not that the their meeting was legal or illegal but just the entire process …the collusion (?)… is their collusion? Is their enough to show Ozias gas and is stepping over the line and is a bed fellow? Enough to proceed to legally stop then both!?
Sorry for the goofy type o’s doing this left handed😆
I hope your wrist is healing up, Paula. I don't know of anything illegal, but I believe the ethical line has been crossed a few times. Clallam County has a code of ethics, but no Board of Ethics to enforce it.
Unless I have missed something in all the documentation posted on line the cause of this whole situation is the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe breaching the levee before scheduled. Had this not occurred Towne Road would never have closed, the project as designed and competitively bid, would have been completed by now. If this is the case then my questions are:
1. Has the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe EVER apologized to any entity for breaching the levee ahead of schedule?
2. Have they accepted liability for the delay and increased costs in the project?
3. Why are the commissioners apologizing to the entity that caused the situation in the first place?
Unless there is information that exonerates or mitigates the liability of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe breaching the levee outside of the agreed schedule, I consider a written apology by the Clallam County Commissioners to any representative or department of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to be totally inappropriate at this time.
Hi Diane, you are up to speed and have followed things as closely as I have and you have your facts right. 1) I have not found an apology from JST to the county. 2) To legally declare an emergency, the county had to say it was outside their control, so they blamed the Tribe. The Tribe objected, and by the next day, the resolution had blamed the Army Corps of Engineers. Just let me know if you want to watch that video. 3) Geesh, I don't know why they are apologizing. Maybe tomorrow's work session will reveal how the other commissioners feel about apologizing to the Tribe for the levee they breached. I hope all this gets sorted out before we embark on the Dungeness Off-Channel Reservoir -- that's a much larger project and another mishap could wipe out residents in Dungeness Meadows instead of just close a road.
Thanks Jeff. You are doing a fantastic job keeping up on all of this. I think a FOIA request to the Army Corp of Engineers might be in order.
I think you are right. I'll do that this week. Thanks for the suggestion.
Second that.
Outstanding work in putting this together.
Did Ozias try to throw Director Emery under the bus? Will Olias ever learn that he, alone, cannot promise to spend county tax payer money on special interests without it coming back to bite him in the backside?
(there was someone whining on ND about the People's Forum having two or more elected officials there so the public should've been informed, blah, blah, blah....wonder how they feel about this covert meeting with the tribal business leadership?)
As an elected official, everything you do gets scrutinized. Right or wrong, it's what you sign up for when you run for public office or hold an appointed position. It's clear that Ozias hasn't learned this no matter how many times it lands on his head. And he never apologies to the groups that he clearly wrongs.
He has gone out of his way NOT to represent his tax paying constituents. He can only do the bidding of his largest campaign donor and special interests (private land owner). Dereliction of duty. Misappropriation of funds. Reneging on his oath of office. He's done more to cause many of us to distrust the county leadership than anyone.
And the audacity to apologize to his TOP campaign donor on behalf of the county. He is not representing the county in that apology. He's trying to kiss the rings of the business people he took money from to run his campaign. If I were French or Johnson, I would vote against sending that letter to the tribe. Ozias already apologized and it's in the public record. What a setup. And they once again won't follow process if the road is further delayed.
Ozias should resign. If he won't resign, he should be recalled. It's clear that he is wholly ineffective in representing the interests of his entire district. I'm sure the tribal business (CEO and all that) leadership team can find a good job for him. Hopefully he resigns ASAP because not even one more penny of our taxes should be trusted to this individual.
To quote a corrupt commissioner's wife, "This has got to stop!"
I'm not sure what Ozias' intent was in taking Emery with him to the meeting. The whole thing seems off to me, and I'm still trying to understand the "why" to it all.
Hey Bruce, let's go for a ride. Remember when you asked me how I got that big campaign contribution? Your about to find out!!
After the December 26th meeting, I saw that Dir. Emery was Ozias' next scapegoat. His verbal and body language spoke directly to Emery being the one he will use to blame for the Towne Road project moving forward. Well, Jeff, you are now an ace reporter. Don't stop asking questions. See you Tuesday!
You read people very well, Denise.
Well said!
THANKS Jeff - such insightful writing with a side of "pesky"!! Keep holding them ALL accountable!! Lin Manuel Miranda has asked for your contact information for his next project - this deserves that level of creative exposure! But WHO will play YOU? (asking for a friend!)
I see this as being a Lifetime Original, so someone handsome and confident... But Bea Arthur is gone. Maybe Delta Burke?
I was thinking along the line of Rowan Farrow - one of the finest pesky investigative reporters out there !!!
After witnessing Brewer's death, I would not be surprised to see Randy Johnson retire. It must have bee terrible for him to go through that ordeal.
Port Angeles Mayor Dexter announced a run for Johnson's seat. I fear she will win and fall in lockstep with Oz.
I filed a recall petition on Dexter an three other members of the Port Angeles city council I am preparing for the hearing.
Wow, John...interesting to see where this goes. Best of luck.