CARLSBORG — Out of what they called a pool of experienced and talented candidates, Clallam County Public Utility District commissioners made their choice for the three-member board.
Commissioners Ted Simpson and Will Purser agreed Monday to offer the role of PUD commissioner to David Anderson, a seat vacated by the July 15 resignation of 24-year incumbent Hugh Haffner.
The PUD offered the position to Anderson on Monday and he accepted, according to Teresa Lyn, PUD executive assistant.
Anderson, a Port Angeles resident, is a former Seattle City Light project manager.
“I’m leaning toward David Anderson; he’s lived in the area a long time … and presented himself well,” Purser said following an executive session Monday morning.
“I don’t disagree,” Simpson said. “He responded well to the questions. But all of them did.”
Simpson noted that Anderson started out as a building inspector and taught at the University of Washington.
“He’s got some education in the construction world,” Simpson said.
Both commissioners praised the field of candidates.
“I had a vision going into this process [that] it would be real obvious,” Simpson said. “We had 14 good candidates. Narrowing that field to five and now to one has been very difficult.”
Purser said Monday that “the commissioners have to be able to serve the community by keeping the rates low and provide reliable service. In-depth experience [about public utility processes] isn’t necessary, but it sure does help.”
Anderson can begin serving in his role following a swearing-in procedure.
Other candidates on the PUD commissioners’ “short list” included Patricia “Patti” Morris and Harold “Butch” Thayer of Port Angeles; and William M. Hannan and Ricky “Rick” Paschall of Sequim.
Simpson thanked Morris — owner of Patti Morris Consulting and former marketing services manager for Tuscon Electric Power Co. — for her interest in the position.
“I’ll be back in two years,” said Morris, who was at Monday’s meeting.
Haffner, who represented Port Angeles-Sequim-area District 2, resigned due to health reasons while under investigation for a sexual harassment complaint. The investigation was dropped after he announced his departure.
Purser, a commissioner since 2001, said in a previous interview that he hopes the person who replaces Haffner will run for a full six-year term in 2018, when the term expires.
Commissioners hire the general manager, treasurer and auditor. They approved an annual budget that for 2018 is $67 million for electric operations, $7 million for water operations and $58,500 for sewer operations. It includes $20 million in reserves and three-year rate increases that began this year.
PUD commissioners are paid a $2,567 monthly salary, or $30,804 annually.
They also receive $128 daily per diem for meetings and other PUD-related business for a maximum annual salary and per diem amount of $48,724, and 75 cents a mile for official business.
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Michael Dashiell is the editor of the Sequim Gazette of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which also is composed of other Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News and Forks Forum. Reach him at editor@sequimgazette.com.
Paul Gottlieb, Peninsula Daily News senior staff writer, contributed to this report.
