APIL Presents: Master Puppet Theater II – The May Day Meltdown
Our first Master Puppet Theater video went over so well, we decided another one was in order. But what was Puppet-worthy? It didn’t take long to realize that we should recreate the May 1 discussion among Clark County commissioners about hiring Don Benton to be the director of Environmental Services. Enjoy. Music Credit: Rondeau performed by Palazzani, […]
“It is not her role to create a project for Southwest Washington”
Vancouver City Councilor Jeanne Harris, who lost in the August primary and will leave the council at the end of this month, isn’t going quietly. During Monday’s workshop with Mark Brown, the city’s lobbyist in Olympia, the council discussed local priorities for the 2014 legislative agenda. Talk turned to a draft of a transportation revenue package […]
An uncomfortable, and inaccurate, choice of words
At Monday’s Vancouver City Council meeting, two city residents — Penny Ross and Micheline Doan — testified against raising the city property tax levy by 1 percent. They were joined by Carolyn Crain, who lives outside city limits — she once told commissioners that she’s their child — and so doesn’t pay city property taxes, […]
“Integrity” already defined in county HR manual
Earlier this week, Clark County commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke approved an “integrity resolution,” much to the eye-rolling of Commissioner Steve Stuart. As Erik Hidle reported, commissioners debated the document for two hours on Tuesday, after discussing it at earlier meetings. The 13-page document defines “integrity” as: “Honesty, soundness, trustworthiness to fulfill commitments, truth-loving, worthy […]
C-Tran vs. C-Tran
If you’re planning to visit Cary, N.C., any time soon, don’t worry about finding public transportation. C-Tran has you covered. No, not that C-Tran. This C-Tran is also known as Cary Transit. Turns out, there are at least three other systems in the U.S. that have shared their names with Clark County’s transit agency. That […]
Flowers for Jeannes
The Vancouver City Council will honor outgoing members Jeanne Harris and Jeanne Stewart on Dec. 9. A few flower-bearing people took time Monday during citizen communications to thank the councilors. Carolyn Crain told Harris that while she often didn’t agree with her, she appreciated her years of service. Crain praised Stewart as honest and dedicated, […]
They’re more what you’d call guidelines than actual rules
Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke noted during Wednesday’s board time meeting that commissioners will likely need to make changes to their rules of practice because legal staff has told them public comment is less strict than they had hoped. So come the commissioners’ retreat, scheduled for early 2014, sections such as this are likely to […]
“Proud Past, Frightening Future”
Former Clark County Human Resources Director Steve Foster, who left the job in 2001, wrote a mock job posting on Clark County Citizens for Good Governance, a Facebook group. The post is filled with obvious references to the decision to hire Sen. Don Benton as the director of environmental services. Which, then-Administrator Bill Barron predicted, “will […]
The Jeannes condemn the fact Burkman, not Leavitt, signed a letter
Vancouver City Councilor Jeanne Stewart questioned why Councilor Jack Burkman was allowed to sign a letter to U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley on behalf of the Vancouver City Council, a concern shared by Councilor Jeanne Harris. Stewart said at the end of Monday’s council meeting that if she had signed a letter on […]
Brain drain at Clark County
At last night’s rowdy meeting of Clark County commissioners, a former county employee told the triumvirate of David Madore, Tom Mielke and Steve Stuart what their staff thinks of the unstable leadership they’ve provided over the past year. “Your employees fear you,” said Rekah Strong. “They’re not engaged. They’re operating in a place of paralysis. […]