Thursday, March 2oth, as the county commissioners prepared to start their special session of a regular board meeting papers were passed around to throughout the audience. The folded in half signs had been requested to not be displayed as disruptive to the process, yet the request was not to be honored by the group of the discontented constituents.
The meeting started at 4 pm and ran through three hours, with two short 5 minute breaks. During this time period the Clatsop County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) hammered out the wording on numerous documents to clearly delineate the meaning behind their intentions in each area being addressed. While many in the crowd of watchers appeared to be listening intently to what was being said another part of the crowd appeared to be waiting for moments to interject loud comments, boos, and derisive laughter.
While the BOCC pushed on, covering the agenda items each person in the crowd had in their hands, those in attendance looked for opportunities to take pot shots, a plan which won them accolades from one another. Often the crowd vied with one another to make the most disruption without getting actually tossed out.
“I’m not saying I don’t care about public safety,” said Samuelson, at one point. “I just don’t want us to say, ‘Here’s your Powerball ticket and you don’t have to come to the table and figure this out.’” At that moment Samuelson was interrupted by a holler from the Columbia Riverkeeper Executive Director Brent Foster, “Depends who you give the ticket to.” Samuelson paused, sighed, and continued, “I would like to see cooperation and communication happening.”
Connections on many layers
Repeatedly, Chair Roberts rapped her gravel to ask the audience to contain their comments. In rehearsed unison the crowd would moan, groan and sigh together. Early on in the proceedings a call for Commissioner Lee to recuse himself from all matters relating to the LNG issue was read by County Counsel, Andy Jordan, from a letter by Marc Auerbach, chairman Northwest Property Rights Coalition and member of the Clatsop County Parks and Recreational Department. The Northwest Property Rights Coalition has been one of the leading activists in the fight against the Bradwood Landing development.
Auerbach, a free-lance Web designer and grassland hay farmer living in Berkenfeld, has been a vocal opponent of LNG for a number of years, advocating extensively via his multiple websites. Auerbach is also a founding member of Warrenton Trails Association and serves on its board of directors along with Mike Weston, a planner for Clatsop County Planning Division. The sale of the DeLaura Beach to the State of Oregon will have a profound impact on Warrenton Trails Association. Most recently the Parks and Recreational Department refused to cooperate with a request from the BOCC in regards to preparing information for the sale of the DeLaura Beach property if it would lead to anyone aside from the state buying the property.
Gail Galen, another member of the Clatsop County Parks and Recreational Department, is also on the Board of Directors for Warrenton Trails Association. In August 2007, Auerbach’s term on the County Planning Commission expired and was not renewed. This has been a bone of contention for Auerbach in his communications with Lee. In January 2008 fellow director, Mike Weston, complained to an investigator that Richard Lee, “hand picks the Planning Commission.” Gail Galen and Marc Auerbach are both supporters of the recall effort against Lee.
Crowd controls mood of the room
After reading the request Lee declined to recuse himself amidst loud calls of “boo” from the crowd. As Lee read his statement justifying his reasons not to recuse himself he was interrupted by peals of laughter from the crowd. Chairman Roberts had to bring the gavel into play to remind the room they were adults.
The Board was able to finally come to a multitude of decisions despite an angry crowd, outbursts from lawyers shouting at the Board, audible mutterings and loud laughter. In successive four to one votes the Board approved: the wording on a condition in the findings stating that before any permits for development will be issued Bradwood must have a Public Safety Plan approved by all participating First Responder departments; the wording on a contract between the BOCC and Bradwood Landing, LCC which in essence states that Bradwood will hold to the conditions of approval even if FERC states they don’t need to. The crowd moaned with the announcement of each vote. Finally the Board approved and had the second reading and adoption of Ordinance 08-05 – Relating to the Bradwood Landing LNG Proposal and Amending The Clatsop County Combined Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map, the Text of the Clatsop County Comprehensive Plan and Text of the Clatsop County Land and Water Development and Use Ordinance (Ordinance 80-14). At this some in the crowd bounced to their feet, while others sat in their chairs, all waving the computer generated signs that had been passed around much earlier in the day.
The signs read, “Bad decision. See you at the ballot box.” A young woman in the front row leaned forward, screaming, “YOUR OPPOSING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!” Chair Roberts exclaimed, “That’s it, everyone OUT!” For the first time the crowd did not move in unison. Some waved their signs and danced from the room. Others hastily folded the signs in half and sushed one another, one could be heard whispering, “No, no, not yet.” Chair Roberts amended her pronouncement, “If you have a sign, leave, you have already been warned.” A few more left, gathering in the hall outside.
Closing statements at a gesture of goodwill
When Roberts moved to Board comments Sam Patrick passed and Ann Samuelson was next. As Samuelson read her statement the remaining members of the crowd began rising and calling out, “Boo, boo” loudly and repeatedly. Samuelson resolutely adjusted her tone to rise above the catcalls and continued on, “I don’t know about how the rest of you see your world, but I know and appreciate deeply that I don’t get to have this day ever again. I believe we must move toward reconciliation and forgiveness for the betterment of our County.”
“Like we believe that with the vote you just gave,” hollered one man as he exited out the door. Samuelson unwaveringly plowed on, “So for me, that means I forgive those who have set out to harm me and those close to me. Now that isn’t always easy, sometimes I need to remind myself every 5 minutes that I’m forgiving that act or person. It is much easier to blame than take responsibility. We must get beyond personal attacks, he said she said, our egos, and what has become chronic negative news in our local newspaper. I want to talk briefly about a painful issue we have all shared and that is the stipend for the District Attorney.” A few more people shook their heads and left the room.
Samuelson continued, “Frankly this was a simple human resources issue that became a very hurtful campaign and ballot measure, which was ultimately defeated. I voted against that ballot measure, but that does not mean that I believe we should not pay a stipend to the District Attorney. The DA has submitted his performance measures. I originally voted to cut the stipend because performance measures were not done , now it is done, so I believe it should be put back in the budget.” At this point the rest of those calling themselves the “red shirts” started once again booing, one of them hollered, “Too little, too late, that won’t save you!”
Out in the hallway cheering erupted for each group that emerged. “Good job!” was heard often and the young screaming woman was grinning ear to ear as colleagues gave her congratulations. One of the crowd members who wanted to be named only as “Robert” was asked what he had hoped would happen at the meeting. “Well it went pretty much like we expected, but I had hoped they would have the courage to say no.” When he was asked no to what? He replied, “No to everything, they let this go too far!” He was asked at what point did he expect the Board to say no, and he stated, “From the very beginning when they first were approached by Bradwood, they should have just said, ‘No’ because then it would be over. Bradwood went up and down the coast looking until they could find the most crooked bunch of greedy politicians and they found them here.” When “Robert” was asked what these politicians were greedy for he said Bradwood’s money and that four of them were in Bradwoods “back pocket” only Patrick wasn’t. When Robert was asked if he knew what due process was or if he knew what would happen if the BOCC didn’t follow it Robert said to ask the Columbia River Keeper’s lawyer because that’s where Robert got his information aside from what he gets from the Daily Astorian and a few other places which he declined to name.
As the evening ended deputies from the sheriff’s department arrived and the group decided to leave for a more hospitable climate. “Let’s meet up at the Wet Dog,” exclaimed Foster, who also identified himself as one of the many lawyers with Columbia River Keeper, “the first round of drinks is on me!”
Commissioner Ann Samuelson’s full statement read at the close of the March 20, 2008 meeting can be seen here.
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