Letter: Plan to attend Nahcotta port meeting

Published 2:23 pm Monday, October 14, 2024

The October Port of Peninsula regular board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 11 am. Meetings are held at the Willapa Bay Interpretive Center, 3504 273rd Street, Ocean Park (off Sandridge).  

Please attend the meeting, especially if you live in the port’s district or are in the shellfish industry. An attempt will be made to present the board with a formal “Letter of No Confidence” regarding Commissioners Phil Martin and Bill Derion. 

I say attempt because the continued behaviors of port manager Jay Personius and commissioners Martin and Derion to not allow public comment or public interaction at meetings may prevent this from happening in real time.  

This practice of stifling is also directed at fellow commissioner Chuck Mikkola who is not allowed to speak more than a few words before being cut-off by chair Martin per direction of manager Personius. This behavior is a violation of Open Public Meeting Act regulations and goes against all good business practices and state laws referencing an entity receiving public funds. This type of censoring, directed at the public and a fellow commissioner, has crossed the line into civil liberty violations. 

Additionally on Oct. 18, from 2 to 4 pm at the Ocean Park library (1308 256th Street), a work meeting will be held to begin the recall process of Martin and Derion. The impact of the recent and devastating state audit of the port will have a tremendously negative effect on the port’s financial future. The refusal of Martin and Derion to fulfill their responsibilities of oversight and correction during late spring of 2023, after the full disaster of the port’s finances, lack of record keeping, lack of annual filings and accountability were discovered, leaves no other recourse but recall. Those in the shellfish/fisheries industry, port customers, vendors and the taxpaying public deserve better.

Updates on the situation are posted on facebook.com/portofpeninsulaforreal. A video of the September port meeting is posted on the page. At second 54, Chair Martin declares “there will be no public comment.” There is also a Port Pals group email to join for updates. Names and contact information of this group are never shared. Email bonnieundocked@gmail.com with questions or to be added to Port Pals.  

BONNIE COZBY

Ocean Park

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