PORT ANGELES — Mike Doherty will keep the gavel as chairman of the Clallam Board of County Commissioners.
Doherty was reappointed Tuesday to the one-year position by fellow commissioners Mike Chapman and Steve Tharinger.
Chapman was re-elected as vice chairman of the county’s governing board.
In addition to his duties at the county, Tharinger begins his first term this month as a 24th District representative in the state Legislature. He participated in Tuesday’s county meeting via speakerphone.
The board also passed a resolution establishing departmental areas of interests for the three commissioners.
“This is a quite equal number of departments within the courthouse that the board sits on as kind of a liaison to different departments,” Doherty said.
“The theory is that elected officials and department heads can come to an individual board member, and then they’ll chat about bringing that in front of the whole board in a regular meeting and if it’s needed or not.
“We’re trying to have a better line of communication.”
Most of the departments will have the same liaison as they did last year.
Doherty’s areas of interests for 2011 are assessor, auditor, community development, heath and human services and Washington State University Extension.
Chapman’s areas are sheriff, clerk, District Court No. 1, human resources, juvenile services, parks, fair and facilities.
Tharinger’s areas of interest are District Court No. 2, information technology, law library, prosecuting attorney, roads, utilities and Superior Court.
Commissioners also confirmed their appointments to various advisory boards and committees.
“This is the kind of annual distribution among the three commissioners of the various boards and commissions inside and outside of Clallam County that we represent that county on,” Doherty said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
