PORT ANGELES — Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis was invited but did not attend a closed-door meeting of Clallam County officials to attempt to resolve concerns over a recent board decision to award nearly $1.3 million in grants to port and city governments.
The second-term county treasurer has said commissioners violated county policy and state law May 19 when they awarded a $1 million grant to the Port of Port Angeles and a $285,952 grant to the city of Port Angeles without written contracts or a public hearing.
Barkhuis had issued a pair of pointed emails to county officials and local newspapers calling for a judicial review of the board’s actions.
Commissioners last week withheld the warrants for the Opportunity Fund grants to allow Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols to determine whether the money is being distributed legally.
Nichols moderated a Monday afternoon meeting to “create a forum” for county stakeholders to discuss questions, issues and concerns about the grants.
Barkhuis declined to attend.
“Last week, yet again, I was told quite publicly, courtesy PDN, to shut up and sit down and to do as I’m told, to be specified in a closed-door meeting,” Barkhuis said in a Tuesday email.
“Why would I attend?”
Those who attended the meeting were board Chairman Jim McEntire, Auditor Shoona Riggs, Chief Accountant Stan Creasey, Nichols and Jones, Nichols said.
“Having a face-to-face discussion on these issues is probably something that would have been helpful at the front end of the process,” Nichols told commissioners Monday morning before the meeting.
“So better late than never,” Nichols said.
Nichols provided an agenda to the meeting, which included a review of the facts relevant to the Opportunity Fund grants and the development of an action plan.
“We had an opportunity to revisit the facts and discuss the various issues that have been raised by different stakeholders,” Nichols said Monday afternoon after the meeting.
“I’ve taken a couple of matters under advisement.”
Nichols said he would issue a written opinion to the three commissioners to “give them guidance” on how to proceed with the grants.
The board will then determine whether to make public the recommendation, Nichols said.
“It was a productive meeting, and I was certainly grateful for the participation,” he said.
“We’ll forge ahead. More to come.”
The port plans to use its grant to help complete a 25,000-square-foot composites recycling center in west Port Angeles.
City officials plan to use their grant on the ongoing waterfront improvement project.
The Opportunity Fund is a portion of sales tax that rural counties can use on infrastructure projects and personnel in economic development offices.
Money for the grants comes from a $3 million pot that had been dedicated to the Carlsborg sewer project.
Commissioners Tuesday spent much of their 90-minute business meeting in an academic discussion over a proposal to amend financial policy for budget changes and modifications.
“I guess I’d like to publicly ask the treasurer to work with us to help us create a policy that she could support,” Commissioner Mike Chapman said.
The board called for a June 23 hearing on the proposal.
The hearing will be at 10:30 a.m. in the commissioners’ boardroom (160) at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
