In 1971, Washington passed the Open Public Meetings Act to guarantee transparency in government, declaring that “the people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.” But this week, Clallam County residents were reminded just how far today’s county commissioners have strayed from that vision—choosing special interests and political convenience over the very public they are sworn to serve.
Flashback to 1971: Government belongs to the people
Washngton’s Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) was written to prevent decisions from being made in the shadows. Its principle is simple: government belongs to the people, not the other way around.
Yet on Tuesday, at a public hearing, the Board of County Commissioners backed a new $5 parcel fee for the Clallam Conservation District (CCD). The numbers told the story: 20 in-person and virtual public commenters opposed the fee, only one supported it (outside of CCD’s own representatives), and yet the commissioners pressed forward.
Commissioner Randy Johnson even admitted he had made up his mind the night before—before a single citizen spoke.
For residents who took the time to testify, the message was clear: your role is not to be heard, only to pay.
Mission failure in Clallam County – Houston, we have a solution
District 3 resident Jake Seegers sees Tuesday’s decision as commissioners abandoning their own stated values.
Jake notes that the Board of Clallam County Commissioners claims its vision is guided by four “Mission Objectives.” At the very top: “Putting the translated desires of our residents into action through effective communication.” Yet during the September 2, 2025, public hearing on the CCD parcel fee, the packed gallery witnessed complete mission failure.
Nearly 20 individuals spoke in opposition, offering well-researched, thoughtful arguments against the fee. Only Ellen Menshew, from District 3, voiced support (outside of CCD’s own representatives). Ms. Menshew argued that families “growing their own gardens and trying to find ways to tighten their belts…are not able to be here today to speak to this issue,” suggesting work obligations kept them away.
But those same families had the opportunity to attend CCD’s own parcel fee hearing on Friday, July 25, at 5 p.m.—after work hours. Not one showed up.
“As I sat in the boardroom gallery on Tuesday for three hours with my 3-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, I felt proud of the citizens who sacrificed their time to speak up. That pride was quickly followed by a gut-punch realization: our commissioners never intended to consider our voices. Commissioner Johnson made it clear that his mind had been made up the night before.” — Jake Seegers
Jake was left wondering: how many dissenting voices must be raised before commissioners abandon personal preferences and honor the will of the people? Twenty weren’t enough. Would it take 100? 200? 500?
Jake wants us to find out together. At the end of this article is a petition urging the commissioners to vote against the Clallam Conservation District’s 2025 Rates and Charges Proposal. Please print it out and gather signatures from family and friends who would be affected by this fee.
Jake is optimistic: “Just maybe, if we band together, we’ll finally determine how many voices it takes for our commissioners to fulfill their mission—and put our desires into action.”
Flashback to 2023: Towne Road and the power of petitions
This is not the first time commissioners have ignored majority voices. In 2023, they faced two petitions:
98 signatures for permanently closing Towne Road
140 signatures for reopening it
Instead of siding with the majority, commissioners chose the smaller petition. The fallout was devastating:
A tsunami evacuation route was closed.
Dungeness lost it’s most direct route to Sequim.
Taxpayers shouldered costs that could have been avoided.
The fire department had to detour five miles when one family’s home was consumed by a fire that killed their dogs and left the family homeless.
County staff had warned that halting the project would jeopardize grant funding. The commissioners pressed on anyway, diverting money to the Jamestown Tribe—Commissioner Ozias’ top campaign donor—before later spending $1.5 million in county funds to finish what could have been completed without a dime of county money.
Remember that when, this November, the commissioners ask you to raise property taxes for “essential services” like a poet laureate.
Hypocrisy in action
In February 2023, Commissioner Ozias claimed “over 200 signatures” supported closing Towne Road. Public records proved otherwise: 98 for closure, 140 for reopening. When pressed, Commissioner Ozias admitted he hadn’t counted and said it wasn’t a “popularity contest,” but about “balancing factors.”
Yet in their campaigns, the commissioners promised something very different:
Ozias: “Increased transparency.”
French: “Robust public engagement.”
Johnson: More welcoming meetings for citizens.
Commissioner Ozias himself once said, in August 2019:
“Local government only works when citizens participate. It troubles me greatly to think that so many feel they have been left out of the process.”
How does that square with Tuesday’s hearing—or Towne Road?
Rule by petition
If 98 signatures were enough to overturn a multi-million-dollar road project decades in the making, then petitions clearly matter. That’s why Jake Seegers has launched a new petition to reject the CCD fee. His goal: 99 signatures by September 16th, when commissioners vote.
A single-page petition form with 15 lines can be dowloaded (above) and mailed to: Jake Seegers, 69 S. Point Rd, Port Angeles, WA 98363 ( Please postmark by September 11th). Or, petitons can be dropped off at a drive-through signing event on Saturday, September 13th, north of Sequim (details to follow).
A rallying cry
The commissioners’ own “vision” statements promise effective communication, inclusiveness, and responsiveness. Their actions tell another story: decisions made before hearings, majority voices ignored, taxpayer funds wasted.
The OPMA was written to protect us from exactly this behavior. Democracy is not about campaign slogans—it is about listening to the people. Clallam County residents deserve nothing less.
Flashback Friday reminds us: transparency was promised in 1971. It’s up to us to demand it today.
