Photo: Courtesy of the Clatskanie Chief

The Clatskanie PUD has seen its share of trouble this last week February 2, 2007, while the investigation continues against Mr. Booth for undisclosed reasons, the public meeting that evening turned ugly. Board members argued with each other whether they were taking appropriate action against Mr. Booth, whether the PUD meeting was even legal, whether the legal consul that was hired was actually made by motion and approved by the board.
The unruly crowd accused the newly elected chairperson and other board members of using their position as a personal vendetta against Mr. Booth.
The crowd complained that the public meeting had not been given sufficient notice in the local media to concur with public meeting law. Although it was commented by members of the crowd that the numbers of persons attending the meeting was a far larger crowd than usual, and that the PUD board should have moved the meeting into a larger room, or canceled the meeting until appropriate accommodations could be met for the larger crowd, where many of the public body had to stand out side of the meeting room in corridors and hallways making participation in the public forum a challenge.
The crowd took on a belligerent attitude towards the members of the board, often raising their voices and heckling boards members who voted with the majority.
Public figures such as, Clatskanie Mayor Diane Pohl, and Port of St. Helens Commissioner Earl Fisher, became voices truss and some what accusing, on how the board members, who voted to investigate and put Mr. Booth on administrative leave, would be responsible for the possibility of job losses, at the Wanna Mill, higher electricity rates, the failure of Port Westward project deadlines, which the PUD had promised to meet. The possible loss, of approximately $700,000.00 from an unmentioned source, was also a concern expressed by Fisher.
Fisher singled out one of the board members Rod Ollia, announcing that "they" would wait the regulation time of 6 months before they would re-call him. Adding that the workers at the mill would have something to say to him over his stance on this issue.
Port commissioner Earl Fisher alleged and continued to criticize the PUD board for not including all board members in the process or necessary steps of Mr. Booths' investigation. Fisher admits that he has sat on several boards, and has had to go through the process himself on personal issues, and that each board member should have been talked to individually. This accusation shows the hypocrisy of Port Commissioner Earl Fisher.
This is surprising coming from a Port of St. Helens commissioner who along with fellow Port commissioner Paul Pullman, with held information from another Port Commissioner Colleen Deshazer over the investigation of a Port employee Greg Jenks. The withholding of information from the other port commissioner by Fisher and Pullam enacted two local newspapers to file a Freedom of Information Act against the Port. WOW! The Emperor Has No Clothes!
Mayor Pohl and Port Commissioner Fisher have chastised openly at their public meetings other individuals for far less than what these two elected persons demonstrated at this PUD meeting. The next time one of these two elected officials chastise the public for speaking out in their public meeting in a heated or unruly way, this incident should be brought to their attention, and they should be reminded how they acted at the February 2, 2007 Clatskanie PUD meeting. A firm reminder, that they are no different, than John Q Public when they have a difference of opinion/ issue with the actions of a public board.