A note from the organizers: We have no problem with the Town Hall being taped. We consider it to be a public meeting. Currently, we lack any equipment to do so. We are bringing our own PA system. I will look today to see if there is a place to plug in a recording system if somebody brings one in. If someone brings in their own hand held equipment we will be happy to accommodate them with seating in front or anything else they might need.
Jeff, the more I learn about you the more I like you. Thank you for taking on the very tough task of steering the life boat for this sinking ship the: US Clallam County. Until we are on the life boat though-it's all hands on deck! We need to come together as a community and recognize that not all is perfect here in Clallam County. That we are not racists, fascists' or whatever moniker du jour is attached to people who expose the truth just because we care about our county, our state and our country.
Gayle I was especially appreciative of your comment at the Forum last evening. As the tall gentleman from the tribe spoke about the MAT clinic all I could keep thinking was “hey wait a minute”... with his laizzez faire mchmoose... I was dumb founded til you spoke with all out the “IF’s”!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU because that will happen again... like my granny would say... you have to watch out for people like this.... not that he’s a bad person at all just talented at his forte.
Great Town Hall last evening and both Jeff and Gayle were crowd favorites! Too bad we ran out of time for all questions or comments to be addressed. On my way out the door I had a chance to introduce myself to Gayle as I have enjoyed her posts on here and Nextdoor. I also told Comm French that I don't believe Towne Road would ever have been a road again if not for Jeff, and reminded him it NEVER was supposed to be closed. I asked him why they put out the four proposals because there was never a question about closing. I said the question should have been whether or not to include a trail with the road. I told him if not for Jeff, he and Comm Johnson didn't have the backbone to confront or question Oz. He shrugged and deferred with "the roads dept engr always wanted it to remain a road". I said damage is done and the trust has been lost with the public and thanked him for his time and serving...
A typical politician answer. What else could he say, unless he was going to get honest right then and there? Thank you for your contributions to the effort to motivate our County officials to uphold their vows of transparency and accountability to their constituents. Been missing a long time out here, apparently.
Last night was a well attended and vigorous event. Thank you, The People's Forum, for initiating the town hall. All guests on the panel maintained their 5 minute allowance to speak, many attendees asked questions, and for the most part everyone was respectful. There will always be those who feel so betrayed that they cannot let another opportunity slip by without challenging the person(s) involved. I hope there will be more of these town halls so as to continue the progress already made. Just a note: Jeff Tozzer received the loudest and most generous applause from the audience when he spoke. You were very prepared and always ready to add to the conversation. Thank you, Jeff!
Denise, I can’t imagine that all of it (especially Jeff) went unnoticed by the other side. Maybe they will get it that we are not just a bunch of lazy right winged racists hanging around solely to make trouble for a darling County Commissioner who has had carte blanch to do whatever he or his backers pleases.
Sorry to say, Deborah, but unfortunately they will not recognize anyone who disagrees with or challenges them as anything other than a deplorable nuisance. We are in their way. The name calling, the maligning accusations, and the vindictive retaliation are not stopping anytime soon. Shields up! Gird your loins and slather on the Teflon! Next round is here.
I am sorry to have missed that part, Denise. My heart was with everyone last night. I am glad our people conduct themselves honorably. This is a wonderful group and I am thrilled to be a little part of it.
Jeff and team: Thank you for your dedication and all the work you have put into this. It's a real eye opener to those of us that might not have previously been aware of the level of dysfunction in our local government.
I'm looking forward to driving across Towne Road on a daily basis again and helping get back to transparency in our county government.
TRANSPARENCY was challenged last night with “IT’S NOT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS”! It would be none of our business if the tribe wasn’t benefiting from using hard earned tax payer dollars. No one is saying the tribe isn’t following the laws, people are saying it is our business when tax payer dollars are used to operate a business. Sovereign or not taking & using tax-payer money the law does not allow secrecy and non-accountability of how those funds are being used. We the people deserve more than “IT’S NOT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS”. You are totally wrong Mr. SIMKOWSKY, it is our business and short of a lawsuit tax-payers are angry when transparency is ignored.
Unfortunately we cannot audit the Tribe. We can't, they are Sovereign. Another reason to go to the source of this problem--our elected officials--who not only allow such exorbitant grants and payouts but actually promote it.
I have always loved and done everything in my power to support the Tribe. Not only this one but many all over the Country. I have no dog in the fight about Towne Road. However, I am very concerned about the lack of transparency in our County government. I am also very concerned about things I am hearing, for several years now, about problems of Tribal members with their leaders. I have heard and read statements from Tribal leadership that give me great pause about my support. I’m not sure what to do about my concerns.
When our candidates for Governor came to town recently I told both of them the biggest scam going on in our state is the payouts to the Jamestown tribe in grants and exorbitant encounter fees. If you visit the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe website and click on “Tribal Documents.” you can read of their ambitions to own Sequim, their documentation of the land they own and intend to own, and toward the end are their financials. Check out the revenue in the 2019 document and compare to the 2023, before and after the MAT. Again I say-they are breaking no laws, which means the laws need to be changed.
I actually had another three minutes of comment that I decided at the last minute to ditch. I’m trying to build bridges in this community and the exorbitant revenue the tribe takes in at taxpayer expense may be immoral, but it is not illegal. Blaming the tribe for doing what almost all our elected officials are doing (taking in our money for themselves) is nonproductive. We NEED to get the laws changed that allow the Tribes to bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid and get rich with unlimited state and federal grant money. To do that we need fiscally conservative people in office and to do that we need to vote.
The Keep Towne Road closed supporters put on a display of selfishness wherever they go. They have no problems elevating themselves over others. You saw it big tonight. Interruption after interruption. Refusing to yield so other could get in their comments. If you hated them before you really have to hate them now..
Selfishness causes narrow sightedness and they are unable to see the bigger picture and it was clear tonight The Keep Towne Road supporters are the same who hid behind DLTA non-profit refusing to identify themselves. Eberly said tonight he has other ways to access his property defending not wanting Towne Road for his private driveway as others claim. However, OZ repeatedly focused on and justified electric gates and at the last meeting again commented it was no fault of the landowner having Towne Road as his only access to his property. Eberly failed to mention he contacted OZ claiming Jeff vandalized the gates but if you’re selfish of course that’s not harassment? The difference is Eberly’s was deliberate and an intentional act of harassment intending to cause deliberate harm. I see a hugh difference between joking around on a blog and a deliberate reporting of an incident about an innocent person with no proof what-so-ever, no picture, no camera, no witness, nothing, to authorities demanding an investigation be done against an individual. Another FACT & TRUTH they don’t want others to know. Exposing the FACTS are so others are able to be aware of what they are dealing with. It’s not meant to launch harassment on anyone, its meant to inform others and be transparent when others choose to operate deceptively behind cloaks of secrecy. Appreciated all panel participants except for one and the time and effort to answer all questions asked. There were a lot of various groups represented & politicians in attendance to hear the same message, what happens in Clallam County everyone is going to know about it!
Here is the initial exchange between the county and the landowners about electric gates. The county emailed the landowner after a meeting at their property and summarized the discussion they had:
[From County]: Automated gate – at least one automated gate would make your lives easier but having both automated would be good. If you could easily program in a code for visitors and be able to change that code if there were problems, it could resolve issues about farm tours, hay customers, etc.
[From landowner]- Yes. Thank you for mentioning this during the meeting. That was very considerate of our regular access and would be a great convenience for us as opposed to the current system. Happy to collaborate with the County on this aspect as needed.
Wasn’t there an email exchange where one of the Eberly’s complained about how inconvenient it was getting out of their car to open the gate? Did that comment precede to his one, Jeff?
This was 4 months later on July 19, 2023: "I think the only (slight) reservation I have about the Fall timeframe is that it will have been a year since we started using this locked gate system. And fall can stretch till late December, and I wonder if by that time people in Public Works might be questioning if we really "need" this since we've been living so long without it, etc.. and then decide not to do it. We're inconvenienced daily, and that is a lot more days to keep dealing with things. If it is actually in by Fall we can live with that, we just don't want people to lose site that it is something we need. We know you understand that."
I am as guilty of getting on the bus to win as the next guy, especially when challenging power. It can be difficult for me if I think power is being abused. I will be passionate..but I will not lie, walk over rights of others or feel so special that I get to take a drink from Willy Wonka's chocolate river despite the rules.. I think a lot of us here on this blog are here to challenge power. We have done well here.
I initially went to just listen because I thought enough has already been said. I did not want the 2 Commissioners who appear to be standing up to power to feel beleaguered. I am glad the DLTA did most of the beleaguering. I was waiting for someone to call someone a book burning Nazi cow. :)
I just wanted to ask for an ordinance preventing a Commissioner from stopping a public project and preventing another Eberlie or tribe from getting a Commissioner to stop a county project without an injunction.. I think they have unnecessarily tied our County government down for too long on this issue. A court should have decided this. In the precedent of funded and initiated projects, the courts have rarely upheld a challenge by another party at this point.
All stoppages of publicly funded and initiated projects should be done by injunction. I will ask for that at the next hearing.
I normally don't visit ND. Just for this, I took a peek. Nice reminder about why I don't visit ND. :-)
It seems like this event has really struck a nerve. And what some idiotic vitriol for that person to spew. I don't know her but her posts sure make her sound like a real....piece of work.
A note from the organizers: We have no problem with the Town Hall being taped. We consider it to be a public meeting. Currently, we lack any equipment to do so. We are bringing our own PA system. I will look today to see if there is a place to plug in a recording system if somebody brings one in. If someone brings in their own hand held equipment we will be happy to accommodate them with seating in front or anything else they might need.
I may have something...
Jeff, the more I learn about you the more I like you. Thank you for taking on the very tough task of steering the life boat for this sinking ship the: US Clallam County. Until we are on the life boat though-it's all hands on deck! We need to come together as a community and recognize that not all is perfect here in Clallam County. That we are not racists, fascists' or whatever moniker du jour is attached to people who expose the truth just because we care about our county, our state and our country.
Gayle..ditto... and the more I learn about YOU the more I like YOU!
Gayle I was especially appreciative of your comment at the Forum last evening. As the tall gentleman from the tribe spoke about the MAT clinic all I could keep thinking was “hey wait a minute”... with his laizzez faire mchmoose... I was dumb founded til you spoke with all out the “IF’s”!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU because that will happen again... like my granny would say... you have to watch out for people like this.... not that he’s a bad person at all just talented at his forte.
Thanks for this information Jeff!
Great Town Hall last evening and both Jeff and Gayle were crowd favorites! Too bad we ran out of time for all questions or comments to be addressed. On my way out the door I had a chance to introduce myself to Gayle as I have enjoyed her posts on here and Nextdoor. I also told Comm French that I don't believe Towne Road would ever have been a road again if not for Jeff, and reminded him it NEVER was supposed to be closed. I asked him why they put out the four proposals because there was never a question about closing. I said the question should have been whether or not to include a trail with the road. I told him if not for Jeff, he and Comm Johnson didn't have the backbone to confront or question Oz. He shrugged and deferred with "the roads dept engr always wanted it to remain a road". I said damage is done and the trust has been lost with the public and thanked him for his time and serving...
It was so nice to finally meet you last night.
Ditto...a definite highlight of my evening! You were a star!
A typical politician answer. What else could he say, unless he was going to get honest right then and there? Thank you for your contributions to the effort to motivate our County officials to uphold their vows of transparency and accountability to their constituents. Been missing a long time out here, apparently.
Great to meet you too Di! I was in shock still so if you’re there Saturday night please seek me out.
Well you certainly handled your shock with grace, dignity, and class!
Last night was a well attended and vigorous event. Thank you, The People's Forum, for initiating the town hall. All guests on the panel maintained their 5 minute allowance to speak, many attendees asked questions, and for the most part everyone was respectful. There will always be those who feel so betrayed that they cannot let another opportunity slip by without challenging the person(s) involved. I hope there will be more of these town halls so as to continue the progress already made. Just a note: Jeff Tozzer received the loudest and most generous applause from the audience when he spoke. You were very prepared and always ready to add to the conversation. Thank you, Jeff!
Thanks for coming out, Denise. Seeing familiar faces in the crowd really helped me.
Denise, I can’t imagine that all of it (especially Jeff) went unnoticed by the other side. Maybe they will get it that we are not just a bunch of lazy right winged racists hanging around solely to make trouble for a darling County Commissioner who has had carte blanch to do whatever he or his backers pleases.
Sorry to say, Deborah, but unfortunately they will not recognize anyone who disagrees with or challenges them as anything other than a deplorable nuisance. We are in their way. The name calling, the maligning accusations, and the vindictive retaliation are not stopping anytime soon. Shields up! Gird your loins and slather on the Teflon! Next round is here.
If loin girding is required, I've been preparing for years.
I know you are right, Denise.
If they are honest with themselves they will...time will tell. The most recent posts do not give me hope, however...https://nextdoor.com/p/NHFNxMB5J2q5/c/1131315470?init_source=notification_center
I am sorry to have missed that part, Denise. My heart was with everyone last night. I am glad our people conduct themselves honorably. This is a wonderful group and I am thrilled to be a little part of it.
Excellent!!!! See you Thursday
THANKS, WE NEED SAFETY, SO HOUSES DO NOT BURN DOWN AND AMBULANCES CAN SAVE LIVES.
Jeff and team: Thank you for your dedication and all the work you have put into this. It's a real eye opener to those of us that might not have previously been aware of the level of dysfunction in our local government.
I'm looking forward to driving across Towne Road on a daily basis again and helping get back to transparency in our county government.
You're welcome A.J. -- You're word choice of "team" is spot on. Every person has a different strength that has contributed to the progress we've made.
Thanks, Jeff! Just posted to Nextdoor!
Yes I did (I'm back from exile). And thanks for the reminder.
TRANSPARENCY was challenged last night with “IT’S NOT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS”! It would be none of our business if the tribe wasn’t benefiting from using hard earned tax payer dollars. No one is saying the tribe isn’t following the laws, people are saying it is our business when tax payer dollars are used to operate a business. Sovereign or not taking & using tax-payer money the law does not allow secrecy and non-accountability of how those funds are being used. We the people deserve more than “IT’S NOT ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS”. You are totally wrong Mr. SIMKOWSKY, it is our business and short of a lawsuit tax-payers are angry when transparency is ignored.
Unfortunately we cannot audit the Tribe. We can't, they are Sovereign. Another reason to go to the source of this problem--our elected officials--who not only allow such exorbitant grants and payouts but actually promote it.
I have always loved and done everything in my power to support the Tribe. Not only this one but many all over the Country. I have no dog in the fight about Towne Road. However, I am very concerned about the lack of transparency in our County government. I am also very concerned about things I am hearing, for several years now, about problems of Tribal members with their leaders. I have heard and read statements from Tribal leadership that give me great pause about my support. I’m not sure what to do about my concerns.
When our candidates for Governor came to town recently I told both of them the biggest scam going on in our state is the payouts to the Jamestown tribe in grants and exorbitant encounter fees. If you visit the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe website and click on “Tribal Documents.” you can read of their ambitions to own Sequim, their documentation of the land they own and intend to own, and toward the end are their financials. Check out the revenue in the 2019 document and compare to the 2023, before and after the MAT. Again I say-they are breaking no laws, which means the laws need to be changed.
From what I am reading, this is standard operating procedure in many places in the Country.
Ignorance is the handmaiden of evil. -Anonymous
Sounds like there was some ignorance supporting evil last night. Glad to know CCWatchdogs were well prepared and well behaved.
I actually had another three minutes of comment that I decided at the last minute to ditch. I’m trying to build bridges in this community and the exorbitant revenue the tribe takes in at taxpayer expense may be immoral, but it is not illegal. Blaming the tribe for doing what almost all our elected officials are doing (taking in our money for themselves) is nonproductive. We NEED to get the laws changed that allow the Tribes to bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid and get rich with unlimited state and federal grant money. To do that we need fiscally conservative people in office and to do that we need to vote.
Gayle, I hope to help you in the future, as this is a near and dear to my heart issue. Thank you for posting.
The Keep Towne Road closed supporters put on a display of selfishness wherever they go. They have no problems elevating themselves over others. You saw it big tonight. Interruption after interruption. Refusing to yield so other could get in their comments. If you hated them before you really have to hate them now..
Selfishness causes narrow sightedness and they are unable to see the bigger picture and it was clear tonight The Keep Towne Road supporters are the same who hid behind DLTA non-profit refusing to identify themselves. Eberly said tonight he has other ways to access his property defending not wanting Towne Road for his private driveway as others claim. However, OZ repeatedly focused on and justified electric gates and at the last meeting again commented it was no fault of the landowner having Towne Road as his only access to his property. Eberly failed to mention he contacted OZ claiming Jeff vandalized the gates but if you’re selfish of course that’s not harassment? The difference is Eberly’s was deliberate and an intentional act of harassment intending to cause deliberate harm. I see a hugh difference between joking around on a blog and a deliberate reporting of an incident about an innocent person with no proof what-so-ever, no picture, no camera, no witness, nothing, to authorities demanding an investigation be done against an individual. Another FACT & TRUTH they don’t want others to know. Exposing the FACTS are so others are able to be aware of what they are dealing with. It’s not meant to launch harassment on anyone, its meant to inform others and be transparent when others choose to operate deceptively behind cloaks of secrecy. Appreciated all panel participants except for one and the time and effort to answer all questions asked. There were a lot of various groups represented & politicians in attendance to hear the same message, what happens in Clallam County everyone is going to know about it!
Here is the initial exchange between the county and the landowners about electric gates. The county emailed the landowner after a meeting at their property and summarized the discussion they had:
[From County]: Automated gate – at least one automated gate would make your lives easier but having both automated would be good. If you could easily program in a code for visitors and be able to change that code if there were problems, it could resolve issues about farm tours, hay customers, etc.
[From landowner]- Yes. Thank you for mentioning this during the meeting. That was very considerate of our regular access and would be a great convenience for us as opposed to the current system. Happy to collaborate with the County on this aspect as needed.
This email exchange is on March 19, 2023 and can be viewed here: https://www.ccwatchdog.com/p/emails-between-commissioner-and-landowner
Wasn’t there an email exchange where one of the Eberly’s complained about how inconvenient it was getting out of their car to open the gate? Did that comment precede to his one, Jeff?
This was 4 months later on July 19, 2023: "I think the only (slight) reservation I have about the Fall timeframe is that it will have been a year since we started using this locked gate system. And fall can stretch till late December, and I wonder if by that time people in Public Works might be questioning if we really "need" this since we've been living so long without it, etc.. and then decide not to do it. We're inconvenienced daily, and that is a lot more days to keep dealing with things. If it is actually in by Fall we can live with that, we just don't want people to lose site that it is something we need. We know you understand that."
I am as guilty of getting on the bus to win as the next guy, especially when challenging power. It can be difficult for me if I think power is being abused. I will be passionate..but I will not lie, walk over rights of others or feel so special that I get to take a drink from Willy Wonka's chocolate river despite the rules.. I think a lot of us here on this blog are here to challenge power. We have done well here.
I initially went to just listen because I thought enough has already been said. I did not want the 2 Commissioners who appear to be standing up to power to feel beleaguered. I am glad the DLTA did most of the beleaguering. I was waiting for someone to call someone a book burning Nazi cow. :)
I just wanted to ask for an ordinance preventing a Commissioner from stopping a public project and preventing another Eberlie or tribe from getting a Commissioner to stop a county project without an injunction.. I think they have unnecessarily tied our County government down for too long on this issue. A court should have decided this. In the precedent of funded and initiated projects, the courts have rarely upheld a challenge by another party at this point.
All stoppages of publicly funded and initiated projects should be done by injunction. I will ask for that at the next hearing.
A few feathers getting ruffled? https://nextdoor.com/p/NHFNxMB5J2q5/c/1130001342?init_source=notification_center
I normally don't visit ND. Just for this, I took a peek. Nice reminder about why I don't visit ND. :-)
It seems like this event has really struck a nerve. And what some idiotic vitriol for that person to spew. I don't know her but her posts sure make her sound like a real....piece of work.
Did not realize Marcia joined us last night! https://www.facebook.com/electmarciakelbon/posts/pfbid036fBjqckyVVRhEQ78LLFz3438huL3jHVB7rVkKAtZHo8KvA7hcm96s4tkiuKbAUFxl
Di & Boog, thank you for posting this and the facebook link.