PORT TOWNSEND — Referring to three City Council members up for re-election this year as “hippies,” Councilman Geoff Masci urged homebuilders to counter with their own candidate.
Masci made his remarks during a dinner hosted by the Jefferson County Home Builders Association on Thursday night at the Highway Twenty Roadhouse restaurant.
Masci and Councilman Frank Benskin officially attended the event as the city’s representatives to explain the ongoing reorganization of the city’s Development Services Department, which includes functions involving building and construction permits and inspections.
Following the official part of the presentation, Masci and Benskin talked politics with the gathering of about 25 homebuilders.
During his talk, Masci several times said he was speaking about this fall’s City Council elections as a private citizen.
Masci characterized himself and Benskin as the council minority in opposition to the five other members.
“Have you noticed the council voting 5-2? Well, we are the two,” Masci said.
He said the majority often is too idealistic.
The councilman then made the “hippies” reference in connection with three council members, Frieda Fenn, Michelle Sandoval and Kees Kolff, who were elected as part of the Rite is Wrong slate in 2001.
Rite is Wrong was successful in the rejection of a Rite Aid drugstore on the site of the present Port Townsend Co-op store.
The council positions of Fenn, Sandoval and Kolff are up for election this fall.
