A much, much bigger issue
Apology letter will take two weeks
The backroom dealing, politicizing arms of local government, disregard for protocol, and lack of transparency are symptomatic of something much larger than a 3,700-foot stretch of unfinished county road, and the Board of Commissioners knows it.
"It's a little piece that has popped up its head, but it's really a much, much bigger issue in my mind," commented Commissioner Randy Johnson during a work session discussing the county's letter of apology to the Jamestown Tribe. "I don't want to go back and have issues like this again, at least not while I'm a commissioner. I'll be honest, we as a county should not be having these issues as we go forward."
According to Commissioner Johnson, project management, improved communication, and adopting a methodology for projects would benefit the county's future endeavors. Commissioner Ozias, who urged his fellow Commissioners to sign a letter of apology to the organization that funded 52% of his last campaign, attended Monday's work session virtually. Department of Community Development Director Bruce Emery, who attended the work session in person, said he is working on a different letter to the Tribe that acknowledges their past communications with the county. The draft of that letter is not yet available for public viewing.
Administrator Todd Mielke suggested that Director Emery and the Commissioners should work together to compose one letter. "If you signed a joint letter, it underscores that you are in alignment and that you're trying to communicate the same thing."
While Commissioner Ozias had hoped to send a letter to the Jamestown Tribe this week, the Commissioners and Director Emery agreed to continue the discussion during next week's April 29th work session.
The Recompete Pilot Program, Commissioner French's pet project pursuing grant funding from the Federal Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration, especially for economically distressed regions, will hit a new milestone this week when the application is submitted. French presented the master budget and showed how funds would be allocated if Clallam County were successfully awarded the $50 million grant.
The program aims to get Clallam and Jefferson County residents into the North Olympic Peninsula workforce through three approaches: Remove barriers to employment, train and educate the workforce, and create jobs. $3.1 million, or 6%, would be allocated to Clallam County to administer and govern the project.
Peninsula College would receive nearly $7 million, part of which would support its welding program. The investment would fund a mobile welding training unit so students in remote communities like Brinnon and La Push could learn the trade instead of traveling to the college campus in Port Angeles. The College would also focus on the Marine Tech field and connect job candidates with work in the Port Townsend and Port Angeles maritime industries.
The North Olympic Development Council (NODC), on which Commissioner Mark Ozias serves as president, would be awarded $8,521,120.00, or 17%. The NODC's role would ensure that tribal and underserved communities "have the capacity to participate" while acknowledging the sovereign nations' desire to have their own tribally directed funding.
Unlike county and Peninsula College funds, no specifics were given about how the NODC would allocate the eight and a half million in tax-funded grants, but it doesn't have to — As a private nonprofit corporation, the NODC isn’t obligated to provide the same transparency that other recipients must. Previously, Commissioner French said that grant money allocated to the Tribes by the NODC would go toward hiring and training grant writers who could capture additional grant funding. Perhaps those grant awards could be used to train and hire additional grant writers to attract even more grants.
Entering a fourteenth year of economic stagnation, it will be interesting to see how the NODC prioritizes the lion’s share of grant money to advance Clallam County’s economic destiny. The NODC is a member of the ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives), a German-based nongovernmental organization that believes "Climate Reparations" are owed to developing countries, a political power shift may be needed to accomplish goals, and that relationships are categorized as "colonizers" and "colonized."
In a county barely keeping its head above water economically, and in a region hurting for dental assistants, qualified healthcare workers, and well drillers, it's reassuring to know that our grant-writing industry is poised to flourish if the Recompete Pilot Program chooses to infuse the North Olympic Peninsula with $50 million.
Clallam County recently lost a respected voice in journalism. One of our first subscribers who we always felt validated the importance of finding truth and transparency, was a former AP reporter, editor, and bureau chief; former New York Times president and editor of NYT News Service and Syndications Sales, and retired editor of the Peninsula Daily News, John Brewer. Our thoughts are with his friends and family as they grieve. For those who miss him, please know that his talent for molding local events into stories that sought accuracy and honesty will live on through the writers who admired him.
I am so pleased Commissioner Johnson is demonstrating some leadership and challenges to Oz. This apology letter being discussed is not called for and there were good speakers at the County Commissioners meeting yesterday voicing opposition as well. The letter should answer questions posed by the tribe. Any apologies due are from the tribe and Oz to the entire Clallam County community.
I knew something didn’t look right during French’s presentation! Unable to see how much goes to what tribes was a hugh red flag. Some tribes are wealthier than others, some take care of their own some have no means to, some have much less revenue stream. Jamestown Skallam Tribe can certainly support themselves I would imagine considering all their endeavors & enterprises, can see their website and literature to know how many companies they own. Infact, does Jamestown Skallam Tribe contribute to other non-profits and give grant money for tribal improvements throughout Clallam/Jefferson counties? Just asking for a friend. Tax dollars spent at the colleges where anyone can attend, young and old, rich or poor, left or right is better knowing where the money is going, how it’s being used, having transparency, accountability & investing in County infrastructure. The revolving door for grant money should be more closely monitored, not just because it’s there to give but what it is given for.