Opposing sides find common ground
Commissioner Ozias to make a public appearance
People on both sides of the Towne Road issue finally agree: the County Commissioners have made a mess of things.
"I only have to say, what a mess," said Dungeness resident Karen Huber during Tuesday's public comment. "I feel sorry for the position everybody's in. We've heard many times how projects change. I was here when Nash and Steve Tharinger sold the property when it all started. I watched every step of it from the early 2000s — I know it's changed a lot. It's affected everybody: our farms, our personal property, everybody, and what a mess. I know there's no quick answers."
The Commissioners, seemingly disinterested, kept a watchful eye on the three-minute timer as Sequim resident Eric Fehrmann spoke from the podium. "We brought it up last week, we brought it up weeks before. We keep asking you guys to come up with some way so we can have a dialogue instead of a monologue. You don't seem to be moving anywhere on that at all. Can you give us any answers on how you're moving along to get answers to us?
"Mr. Ozias sat down with us when I first came here in November — one time. One time. We've been asking over and over and over again. We need to get some answers in here, but all I see is blank stares."
This week, Commissioner Ozias announced he will make a public appearance as he participates in Sequim Pride events. This will be his first public appearance outside of the Commissioner Boardroom since the opening of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's library in Blyn four months ago.
Public Comment
The following public comment was given at Tuesday's Commissioner meeting.
For an entire month, the public has been left in the dark, with no communication from the Board of Commissioners about the true intentions for Towne Road. The revelation that Towne Road was never meant to be built on the Towne Road Levee came as a shock, and the absence of any official statement from the Board only deepens the sense of confusion and betrayal.
The public wasn't the only one that the Board of Commissioners confused. According to project partner North Olympic Land Trust, the information they received from the County was that Towne Road would be relocated atop the levee. They then passed that information on to donors who were interested in funding the conservation of 64 acres of farmland as part of the project. After the donors generously gave nearly half a million dollars to a project that was advertised to relocate Towne Road, the true intentions of the Board of Commissioners were revealed, and donors learned that Towne Road was not planned to be relocated.
Many donors were dissatisfied with this change and the county’s lack of communication. Some North Olympic Land Trust donors will either reduce or completely stop supporting that legacy organization that has done so much to save our area's farmlands.
One person felt so disappointed that she is changing her will. North Olympic Land Trust has lost a million-dollar endowment because the County Commissioners didn't communicate effectively.
The Commissioners' first Mission Statement is important and emphasizes your commitment to effective communication. Building a levee twice as wide as needed while knowing that Towne Road would never be built on top of it is not effective communication.
When the Board of Commissioners failed to uphold its commitment to effectively communicate with their project partner the Jamestown Tribe, the Commissioners spent two weeks drafting a letter of apology for that failure.
Will the Board of Commissioners consider offering an apology to the project partner who paid for the Towne Road Levee under a false understanding of the project's goal? Will the Board of Commissioners apologize to the Taxpayer?
Jeff Tozzer, Jamestown Road, Sequim
He actually responded to an email regarding the reservoir. I am glad he responded. I am hopeful he is more receptive to input regarding that projects perceptions.
It is going to be hard for them all to accept the fact that the Elwha dam removal was a sham. Stagnant water and methane could have been addressed there like it could be addressed at the reservoir. Chlorine dioxide.
The problem is the "experts' want "natural" so chlorine dioxide never gets into the discussion. Its the only way to get repeated use in a rain shadow for everyone. They are stubborn down their nose to the core.
The problem is they already said they don't want population or farming there because its salmon open space territory. They don't really want anybody to use that water...Its for salmon..and open space.
The 2021 NODC - Strait Ecosystems meeting gave it all away. That's the way they are headed. Hansi Hals, Ditmer from WDFW, Bauman NOPLE, Clallam County , Jefferson County, etc.
Ozias has to either stand up to them or run from us. Up until now his choice has been the latter.
I think the lane mile -nautical mile game plan at the very least weakens the international visions of developing third world countries for agriculture needs. I am seeing the organic farming section pipe up recently.
The local leaders just cant warm up to restoring the alluvium (river sediment) distribution they will eventually need to avoid farming out the soil. There is no way around that. The irrigation ditch project not only has to stop, it needs to be wound back to make sure the designated farming areas get the alluvium.
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The tribes are going to be another matter. They have obviously infiltrated the city, county and water district leadership positions, and they are hell bent for reparations, reckonings and outright revenge.
My suggestion is the group bands together to demand a response to the 2021 NODC - Strait Ecosystems action plan, and force the Commissioners to take a public position on the strategies outlined in that meeting. They have county personnel involved (Janine Reed) and they are joined at the hip with the NODC and Strait Eco systems recovery.