Last month Port of Peninsula Executive Director Jay Personius with assistance of Board Chairman Phil Martin cancelled the monthly port meeting. We all know why; they don’t want the public’s opinion or oversight of what is going on.

After seeing the warrants Jay “approved” without oversight, I had some questions. I repeatedly emailed him to get some answers or explanation, but as a non-responding port employee, he didn’t even acknowledge my emails. The port’s operation and business is with public tax money and needs to be open and available for public review — it’s not a private club.

The first question was why did he sign a warrant for $10,379.70 when his authority is limited to $10,000. I guess it’s not enough over his authority, which makes it okay. The point is this — you have public meetings to discuss and explain the expenditure of public funds. A payment or warrant may generate questions as to why it’s being made and what it’s connected with, as I did as a port commissioner. But without getting any background, one has only to think, what in the world was that for and why?

The other question was why was the port paying Sierra Briggs, the operator of Sierra’s Place $3,150.52. This is somewhat troubling when you add in the thousands of dollars spent on port employee time working on the building, and having a contractor finish up windows and other repairs, plus fines for not getting a building permit. Considerably more troubling is many of these repairs were brought up to Personius by the previous tenant Barbie Queen and nothing was done about it. Was there a bias on the part of Personius? I don’t know but it doesn’t look good. I can’t even imagine what this check was payment for, as it was the port’s responsibility to turn over a safe building to the new tenant even though the opening date for Sierra was delayed. Again, when you don’t get answers from Personius, who works for the board, I can only put this out for the taxpayer to wonder, what is going on.

Express your views at the next port meeting to be held on April 23, at 11 a.m. at the Willapa Bay Interpretive building, unless at the last minute this could be once again cancelled. See you there!

CHUCK MIKKOLA

Ocean Park