The standout participants at Thursday’s People’s Forum about transparency in local government were the engaged audience members who asked thoughtful questions of the seven panelists. Thank you to a tech-savvy Watchdogger who recorded the event’s audio. Silence has been trimmed, reducing the recording length from two hours — dialogue may seem quick and choppy as a result but there are no additional edits.
0:00 Opening comments by organizer Donnie Hall.
5:18 Director Bruce Emery of the Department of Community Development intro.
13:13 Commissioner Randy Johnson intro.
17:06 Commissioner Mike French intro.
20:26 Jeff Tozzer Clallam County Watchdog intro.
29:09 Donnie Hall compares the transparency of Towne Road to the rollout of Jamestown Tribe’s Healing Clinic.
30:56 William Armacost former Sequim Mayor and Councilmember intro.
34:44 Brent Simcosky, Director of Jamestown Tribe’s Health Services intro.
42:45 Gayle Baker, former Secretary/Treasurer of Save Our Sequim intro.
45:50 Donnie Hall explains People’s Forum etiquette.
47:05 Mark Curtis, co-organizer, explains etiquette at the microphone.
47:50 Would any panelists propose changes in accountability about Towne Road and future projects?
49:25 Why change Towne Road in the first place?
53:15 Are there any plans to address the dangerous intersection of Cays/Old Olympic/Macleay Roads?
55:00 Can the county improve how constituents learn about commissioner agendas, votes, and decisions?
1:00:50 Is Towne Road designated as a tsunami evacuation route? Could the notification radius have been improved regarding Towne Road decisions? Why did the Towne/East Anderson/Sequim-Dungeness intersection design change?
1:06:40 Will Sequim ever have a 24-hour emergency clinic?
1:08:39 Why are so many fish barrier passage projects happening on Highway 101?
1:11:50 What is known about a possible roundabout at Highway 101 and Diamond Point Road?
1:14:20 Do any panelists condone violence and death threats against commissioners?
1:19:50 Can the county do something more to support people who live next to projects?
1:22:20 Would the Jamestown Tribe consider treating clients the way other countries have approached addiction? How much is the daily encounter rate?
1:25:00 Has the Jamestown Healing Clinic played a role in taking employees away from the walk-in clinic thus reducing the hours OMC is open in Sequim?
1:28:00 What was the discrepancy between the Jamestown Tribe removing the old dike before the county built the new levee?
1:30:55 How can the county improve election integrity? Will the cameras be replaced, and a readable clock be installed?
1:35:40 What was the date of the house fire on Towne Road?
1:37:30 What challenges to transparency does the county experience when working with Tribal governments who are not required to practice the same level of transparency?
Due to time constraints, not all audience members could ask their questions. Hopefully, this will be the first of many opportunities for an engaged community to learn more about how this county is being led.
Not all attendees were satisfied with the event. Dungeness Levee Trail Advocates (DLTA) co-founder Danielle “Rae” Heselbach wrote a letter to the editor published in the Peninsula Daily News.
LETTER: Not transparent at all
Saturday, April 20, 2024
I recently attended a town hall meeting at the Sequim Grange that was advertised to discuss openness and transparency in government, a topic I am very interested in.
Instead it was a panel of elected officials and community activists discussing Towne Road and the MAT clinic.
While this wasn’t what I thought I was attending, I was initially intrigued and then deeply concerned about the events that occurred.
The county commissioner who was not there was repeatedly attacked without the opportunity to defend himself.
Neither of the other county commissioners spoke up to stop the attacks.
The audience repeatedly made racist remarks about the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe.
When one individual stood up to ask questions, he was immediately booed and told to go home.
Ironically, his question was about harassment and bullying of the public who live near county projects.
Lastly, when the host didn’t like comments made by the attendees they were told to leave.
This isn’t what I expected at a town hall advertising transparency and “all are welcome.”
It is disgraceful that the organizers used false pretenses to get attendees.
The two commissioners dishonored themselves by allowing their peer to be maligned and not walking out in solidarity.
The Sequim Grange tarnished their heritage by allowing this event to occur at their venue.
I believe we are a better community than this.
Danielle Heselbach
Port Angeles
Anyone has permission to post this to Nextdoor (still banned).
Excellent timeline of panelists' addresses and public comments/questions. So nice to have this as a reference for future town halls. Hopefully this encourages more public interest and more willing panelists. Thanks, Jeff! I appreciate your continuity of excellence in every article you write. Bravo!