Just one more thing about biomass

My apologies if you don’t care the least about this whole biomass controversy, but before I knew I’d be writing about the biomass costume I was planning a biomass-related blog post.

So I’m just going to go for it.

Here’s the full text of the memo that Clark County Administrator Bill Barron — who gets policy direction from the county commissioners — sent to David Palmer of Schneider Electric. I mentioned the memo in my story in today’s paper, but wanted to print it in full here.

TO: David Palmer, Schneider Electric

FROM: Bill Barron, County Administrator

DATE: November 1, 2011

SUBJECT: Request For “Pause” in Central Heating System Activities

When Clark County and Schneider Electric began the due diligence process for a central heating system for the county campus, both parties knew the project would be complex and involve risk. Our joint development agreement contract tried, using the best knowledge of both parties at the time, to fairly allocate risk to the appropriate parties for the appropriate activities.

Unfortunately, the land use permitting issue became more complicated than either party anticipated. Because of the uncertainty surrounding these issues and the multiplicity of legal options that currently exist, Clark County would like to suggest a “pause” in development activity.

Specifically, we would like to suggest the following:

For a period of 90 days from the date of this memorandum, either party may terminate the project. In the event that the county terminates the project during this 90 day period, it will not be liable for expenses over and above the $225,000.00 triggered by the acceptance of Deliverable No. 2.

If you find this suggestion agreeable, please respond in writing by November 4, 2011. We hope you find this proposal acceptable, and that it helps the project, overall, to take this additional time.

Now, I’m by no means an expert on what goes on when a government works with a business, but does this sound to you like commissioners are having second thoughts? It reminded me of when a couple (I am an expert on celeb gossip) says that they are not breaking up, but just taking some time apart to think about where the relationship is going.

In this case, the county could say to Schneider Electric, it’s not you, it’s not me, it’s the Vancouver City Council.