Well, another strange Port of Peninsula meeting today, June 26. Without any knowledge of how many of the public would be attending, they had already set up chairs outside. Weather was cool, windy, with a few minutes of light drizzle, but nevertheless there we sat.

The meeting itself went well until the end when the Chairman Phil Martin was challenged for not accepting oral comments only written comments. Bonnie Cozby, another port commissioner, spoke up and said oral comments are be accepted and written comments were an option. Even with this being said, Phil went ahead and closed the meeting without accepting any oral comments.

I then went up to hand the board my public records requests and asked why my first request from June 16th was not responded to within the required 5-day period. In so doing, Phil got angry, stood up telling me I was trespassing taking photos at the port, and would be arrested for doing so next time. I then put my phone camera mounted on a selfie stick between us to keep him from getting in my face. He than grabbed the camera and broke the system. I guess the chairman doesn’t want to answer questions and resorts to intimidation as a solution.

I will say that Bill Derion, the third port commissioner, came up a minute later and said the port will be replacing the damaged equipment and asked that I leave it with him, which I did. However, if the port has nothing to hide why would taking photos of the port’s operation become so sensitive to Phil, maybe I need to take more photos to see what they uncover.

CHUCK MIKKOLA

Klipsan