In Clatsop County, it might be who you know, not what talents you have, that gets you selected
By JOE GAMM - The Daily Astorian
Former Warrenton mayor Paul Rodriguez, a veteran of the rough-and-tumble of small-town politics, wanted to get back into public service by joining the Clatsop County Planning Commission.
After he submitted his name, his interview earlier this year made him uncomfortable.
It wasn't having to go up in front of the Board of Commissioners - in public, with everyone watching and listening - because that didn't happen.
It was the circumstances of the "interview" - and what was discussed.
"I was interviewed at my business," said Rodriguez, who owns and operates the Iredale Inn.
"What made me uncomfortable was the commissioner's mind was already made up."He told The Daily Astorian that the Clatsop County Commissioner who visited him commented that the rules should not be adhered to; they were "fuzzy.
"Rodriguez won't say who contacted him at the Iredale Inn, except to say it was a man.
At that time, there were three men on the five-member Board of Commissioners.
Two of them - Jeff Hazen and Sam Patrick - told The Daily Astorian they've never gone alone to interview somebody at their business.
The third man on the board of commissioners at the time was the board's current chairman, Richard Lee.
Rodriguez is too much of a gentleman to confirm the identity of his visitor. But, he said, "I just had this feeling when he left, that I wasn't even going to get to do it, period.
"Lee hasn't been available for comment about that.
Discretion welcomed.
The incident, and subsequent Daily Astorian interviews with other recent applicants for vacant county Planning Commission positions, have focused attention on the process the county uses to fill these important chairs.
However, the former manager of Clatsop and Hood River counties, Jim Azumano, said in home-rule charter counties if the regulations concerning committees aren't tightly written, they are that way on purpose.
This allows commissioners an unusual amount of discretion in choosing members."It remains one of the areas for local government to just appoint people, ad hoc," Azumano said.
The selection process isn't written into the home rule charter. Instead, Clatsop County has policies for appointments and terms for appointments. All state, among other things, that such committee members serve at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners and should represent all five geographical districts of the county, whenever possible.
New members chosen
Some observers, however, are wondering whether recent appointments pass the "sniff test."Planning commissioners for Clatsop County have over-ruled senior professional staff recommendations twice recently on land-use issues affecting the approval of the proposed NorthernStar Natural Gas Co.'s liquefied natural gas terminal, the biggest project on the community's horizon.
Long-serving public servant Helen Westbrook recalled that she was still a county commissioner when Lee introduced Cary Johnson, an Astoria building contractor and elected director of the Clatsop Soil and Water Conservation District, and made a motion to appoint him to the planning commission.Johnson was appointed that day.
Johnson, in turn, approached newcomers Christine Bridgens, a Warrenton floral designer, and Mike Autio, an Astoria attorney. Bridgens said she'd been interested in land use and property rights. She spoke to Johnson, and he gave her an application.That's three of the members who voted for approval of the Bradwood Landing LNG project.
Twice staff recommended denial of the project. Twice the Planning Commission recommended approval (though with conditions.)
Big projects, small projectsThe Planning Commission in recent weeks has almost made a habit of approving land-use changes, in spite of staff recommendations.
On Sept. 11, when many Americans' minds were on other matters, Lee's own business dealings and county government intersected.
Lee, in addition to being a county commissioner, is one of the largest private landowners in Clatsop County. The ruling that day - overshadowed in the headlines by a completely separate and rather smelly land-use battle in Warrenton - concerned a request for a 35-foot variance to the 60-foot setback requirement from an arterial street for his RV park, southeast of the Miles Crossing-Jeffers Gardens intersection.
The request, from Butch Parker, asked permission for the RVs - placed on land owned by Lee - to be set within 25 feet of the road. County planner Michael Weston recommended denial, saying the applicant is held to the same standard as other businesses. He felt there would be a safety risk to campers associated with the decreased setback.
"The inability to pack in a couple more RVs does not satisfy the criteria or definition of a hardship," said his report.The staff findings noted that Lee owns land that is zoned "exclusive farm use" and is currently developed ... as a golf course.
'The cookies were in'Other unsuccessful applicants to the Clatsop County Planning Commission now have publicly expressed concerns that have been previously only spoken about in hushed tones around the county courthouse for the past few years.
"I think the cookies were in," said George McCartin, of Astoria. He said county commissioners' minds were made up before he applied.McCartin said the county wanted someone with experience. His is considerable: he has served as a planning hearing officer for the federal government.
McCartin said he's been overlooked two times."I think they definitely wanted to pick people who were going to support LNG," he said.
Marc Auerbach, of Birkenfeld, who had served one term on the Planning Commission, was unceremoniously dumped, even though county staff considered him a well-prepared member of the commission. He re-applied for a second term, but was not asked back.
A newcomer, Robert Stang, of Astoria, a strong opponent of LNG, said he thought of himself as well qualified for the Planning Commission. If county commissioners were interested, he said, they would have offered him a position.
David Graves, of Astoria, applied, offering a fresh insight. He said he is retired and new to the area, so he "would have been a complete outsider coming in.
"Interviews in the old daysWhen he was appointed to the commission about 11 years ago, current Planning Commission Chairman Bruce Francis said a panel of commissioners and county employees interviewed about a dozen applicants.
The Warrenton resident said he thought there were a lot more people interested in being on the Commission at that time. "We had an interview process back in those days," he said.
Francis said the senior planner at the time said he made sense. "If you go to too many planners, and make too much sense, you get appointed," he said.
Bill Harris - a Warrenton resident serving his second term on the Planning Commission - said he wasn't interviewed, other than by phone by other planning commissioners. He said he found out about the opening through the newspaper."It's good to have new blood coming in," he said. "But there needs to be some continuity going forward."But he said he was surprised when Auerbach wasn't chosen to remain.
Auerbach attended all the meetings. "He came, he was well prepared, he was very good at seeking out information," Harris said.He is surprised to see how things turn out."When somebody wants to be involved and is cut out, I didn't think that was a very smart move," he said.
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