HomeMy WebLinkAbout030224 email - PUBLIC COMMENT_ Task Force composition would violate RCW 36_100ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Commissioners,
Re: Your agenda item for Monday, March 4, 2:00 p.m. WORKSHOP re: Aquatic Facility: Recruitment of Healthier Together Task Force Members
The composition of the Task Force proposed in the agenda item states, “The task force is to be comprised of two members from each commissioner district and two at large members to be
appointed by the Jefferson Aquatic Coalition.”
So, the proposal is for the county to create an advisory committee having 8 members, of which 4 will obviously represent the interests of Port Townsend, the only city in the county and
which has less than 1/3 of the county population.
Chapter 36.100 RCW <https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.100&full=true> grants counties the authority to create Public Facilities Districts.
First: If the Task Force is seen to be a “pre” version of the board of directors of the proposed PFD, then the representation proposed in this agenda item would clearly violate the intent
of the law.
RCW 36.100.020 <http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.100.020>
(1)
…
(c)(i) Except as provided in (c)(ii) of this subsection (1), if the largest city in the county has a population of less than forty percent of the total county population, the county
legislative authority must establish in the resolution creating the public facilities district whether the board of directors of the public facilities district has either five or seven
members, and the county legislative authority must appoint the members of the board of directors to reflect the interests of cities and towns in the county, as well as the unincorporated
area of the county.
The intent is clear: representation must be as equally distributed as possible; our existing commission districts are perfectly suited for that.
Also, the county should ensure that each Task Force member resides in the commissioner district that they are chosen to represent.
Second: No private non-profit (i.e., JAC) or any other group or organization should be granted any authority to appoint members of a county subagency.
If the county participates in the Task Force, the composition of that committee must equally represent the three county districts; i.e., 2 members from each county commission district
and no other members.
The Task Force should gather information from a variety of subject matter experts. It is not reasonable nor is it required that members themselves have experience in the financing and
construction of public buildings, operation of pools, etc. What matters is that the members solicit and evaluate factual information in an unbiased manner.
Third: The Task Force must report and be accountable to the county, not to the now-defunct “steering committee”; the steering committee agreement <https://cityofpt.us/sites/default/files/fileattachme
nts/engage_pt/page/20561/interlocal_healthier_together_final_fully_executed.pdf> terminated on December 31, 2023 (see 5.1), so that group is operating without portfolio and should play
no further role.
If the county chooses to proceed with staffing a Task Force as proposed in the agenda item, it will be a sham, serving no purpose other than to accede to Port Townsend’s demands that
all county taxpayers fund a Port Townsend pool, more than 80% of which users will be Port Townsend residents. Asking county voters to approve any such scheme will be doomed to the biggest
defeat in county election history.
Thank you,
Tom Thiersch