If a politician tries to hide something, look closer

Peeling layers of the NODC onion

Before the commissioners' sudden ban on using Zoom's video feature during public comment (a recent policy that was instated for commenter John Worthington), that very feature had been allowed previously in the same meeting.  The commenter who had been allowed to use the video feature was... John Worthington.  Apparently, the commissioners' reason for censoring Worthington's second comment originated from the content of his first comment.

During the first comment period, the public is allowed to remark only on items related to the agenda.  Worthington began by addressing an agenda item about the Lower Elwha Tribe’s agreement with the Port of Port Angeles that seeks funds to complete land restoration.  

Worthington said during his video presentation, "On the screen is their [Lower Elwha Tribe’s] agreement to join the ICLEI.  I question the safety and wisdom of making an agreement with any Port property while the Lower Elwha is signed up to be an ICLEI charter member without first vetting international policies that they may have agreed to."  

ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) is a German non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes sustainable development through a lens of climate action and reparations.

The screen showed a document that said, "But, also our membership extends to tribal nations and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe in the Pacific Northwest region is around nine hundred population and they're also an ICLEI member."

The text was part of a transcript pulled from a podcast called "City Climate Corner."  An episode called, "ICLEI and the race to zero (carbon)" stated that the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe was a member of ICLEI: a foreign NGO that promotes separating colonizers from colonized, paying climate reparations to developing countries, and reorganizing existing institutions through a political power shift.  Worthington was suggesting that the commissioners should scrutinize the ICLEI's influence on the Lower Elwha Tribe before they offered a letter of support for their agreement with the Port.

According to ICLEI’s Annual Report in 2021, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe was a featured member.

But it was Worthington's second attempt at using the Zoom video feature, during the general public comment period, when the unexplained ban started.  Worthington was however allowed to supply an audio-only comment after which Commissioner Ozias explained that the restriction on using video is to prevent confusion about the organization for which he serves as president: the North Olympic Development Council, or NODC. 

Commissioner Ozias said, "I can give an example that was already raised today, with regard to the North Olympic Development Council and information that was screen shared that a member of the audience pointed out as being 'helpful'.  That's an example of information that was shared and that has resulted in confusion that's unnecessary.  

"What was shared was a project list which that organization, the North Olympic Development Council, is charged as part of their scope of responsibility from the Federal Economic Development Authority to, every five years, produce a comprehensive economic development strategy for the region, which in our case, our federally defined economic development region, is Clallam and Jefferson Counties. 

"As a part of that every five-year process that the organization is responsible for, it solicits a project list from partners around the region -- counties, ports, PUDs, etc.  They're not projects that the NODC is endorsing, they're not projects that the NODC is supporting, they're not necessarily projects that the organization has any direct or indirect involvement in and it's intended to be captured as a comprehensive as possible project list from all of the participating local governments so there's visibility.  

"When information, when a graphic like that is shared and the implication along with the sharing, in this instance that the organization has a direct connection to the project, isn't actually true but that is made more confusing by the display of the information along with a comment.  So, at least in part from my perspective, part of the goal is to minimize the confusion that might come from additional opportunities to provide inaccurate information."

To refine Commissioner Ozias' words, the NODC creates lists of economic development projects in this two-county region.  The NODC merely lists the projects but in no way endorses or supports these projects -- the creation of the list is done by the NODC to ensure visibility.  When public commenters share information on a screen out of context, people can get confused, and Commissioner Ozias wants to minimize that confusion.

Commissioner Ozias said that the list of projects they provide is not supported or endorsed by the NODC.  However, under the NODC's vision of Key Success Measures, it says, "NODC supports at least one triple-bottom-line economic development project each year in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, marine trades and energy." It also says, “At least 3 projects move from planning to implementation as a result of NODC support.”

Under goals, the NODC aims to "Support movement of initiatives from planning to implementation." The NODC also hopes to “Convene and support broad-based NOP economic and community planning to identify, develop and implement solutions to regional challenges.”

Contrary to Ozias’ claim, the NODC clearly supports and endorses projects, but what are the projects?  The NODC held a series of meetings that identified projects the organization hopes to influence by confirming "final climate change priorities, goals, and objectives for the North Olympic Peninsula."  

The NODC agreed "on seven priority areas for regional climate adaptation and mitigation, with goals and objectives developed under each priority, that are already being adopted into local government plans." Here are the seven priority areas:

As shown in a previous article explaining NODC’s priorities coming out of the meetings, "Goal #1: Ensure there is sufficient capacity to capture and store rain/snow via built and natural systems" was identified as a priority under the “Water Supply, Availability, and Quality” category.  An objective of that goal was identified to, "Build systems for water supply."  As noted in the previous article, the NODC supports that objective and says it can be achieved by recruiting the Dungeness River Management Team to prioritize water use for homeless and transient populations, and also by recruiting the Clallam Conservation District — a proponent of the controversial piping project backed by the Jamestown Tribe. These objectives of the NODC directly support and endorse the construction of the nearly $40 million Dungeness River Off Channel Reservoir Project.

Commissioner Ozias need not worry about unnecessary confusion.  It's easy to understand that the NODC is a leveraging mechanism influenced by a foreign NGO that aims to effect policy on the Olympic Peninsula through a lens of climate justice and historical racial inequities.  Constituents see that Clallam County, a government intended to represent the people, has delegated too much authority to non-governmental agencies that are beholden to special and private interests. We know that the NODC has no obligation to share public records with those affected by their decisions so residents must rely on President Ozias’ words about what the organization has in store for us. 

The only confusing part is why, after covertly stopping a gravel pit from opening near his home, after defunding Towne Road by funneling the last of the surfacing money to his campaign’s top contributor, and after secretly promising to install electric, automatic, taxpayer-funded gates for one landowner, are we supposed to believe anything Commissioner Ozias says?

Towne Road update

The Commissioners’ Monday, April 1st 9:00 work session will have a Towne Road Update from the DCD and Public Works. The public is allowed to attend the work session in person at the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles or via Zoom. Public comment is not allowed.