PORT ANGELES — A standing citizens’ grand jury.
Taking some land-use fees and decisions to the voters.
Making the Department of Community Development director — now the only elected position of its kind in the state — a hired position.
These were among the suggestions for changes to the county charter that were made at a public forum hosted by the Clallam County Charter Review Commission last week.
About 20 people attended. The forum, the first of three planned by the commission, was at the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles.
The commission also will conduct public hearings in Forks and Sequim, both from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The Forks hearing will be Wednesday at Forks City Hall, 500 E. Division St.
The Sequim hearing will be March 2 at the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.
The commission, a panel of 15 people elected last November, is charged with proposing amendments to the county charter for a countywide vote.
Any proposed amendments would go on the ballot this November.
Clallam County is one of seven counties in the state that operates under a charter, which serves as the county’s “constitution.”
Adopted by voters in 1976, Clallam’s home-rule charter allows it to change requirements for county operations beyond those required by the state. Any changes, however, must comply with state law.
The charter is reviewed every eight years.
The county needs a citizens’ grand jury to review old, outdated laws, said Alan Anderson of Port Angeles.
Anderson said he represented a newly formed, countywide group called Justice Restoration.
“There are 45 million laws in the U.S.,” Anderson said.
An average American going about his or her business on a daily basis is likely to violate at least one of these laws without even knowing it, he said.
Anderson also suggested that some crimes could be eliminated to cut down the percentage of Americans who are currently in jail or prison.
He said many of them are serving sentences for “victimless crimes” such as drug possession.
“If there is no victim, how can there be a crime?” Anderson asked.
Kaj Ahlburg of Port Angeles, a retired attorney and civic activist, proposed two new amendments to the county charter.
The first would require a vote for all increases in all county taxes or fees above a certain percentage, he said.
He did not recommend a particular percentage, saying that could be determined by discussion at a later date.
Ahlburg’s second proposal was to require a vote of the people for any new land-use regulation that could cost $5 million or more, such as the county’s shoreline master plan.
“There should be a net benefit,” he said.
Ed Bowen of Clallam Bay suggested that the county retrieve all county trust lands currently administered by the
state Department of Natural Resources.
The state’s sustainable timber harvest is 250 million board feet behind what is allowable, and the county could do better by managing its own timber, Bowen said.
Currently, only one county — Grays Harbor — manages its own timber, and the people there are very happy with the economic results, he said.
Retired Clallam County Commissioner Mike Doherty, a member of the review commission, said the county was once offered control of the trust lands but declined because it was not set up to manage timber.
The director of the Department of Community Development needs to be a professional position and should be removed from the county’s list of elected positions, said Tom Shindler of Port Angeles.
The position requires a high degree of knowledge of the subject and should not be subject to the whim of the voters, Shindler said.
“The fact is, maybe we need a professional in that position. We don’t elect our county engineer,” he said.
The commission should meet more often than its current eight-year schedule, said Stephanie Noblin of Port Angeles.
“A lot happens in eight years,” she said.
Noblin also noted that she opposed changing the DCD position to a hired one.
“Twice it has been sent to elections and voted down. Do not put it on the ballot,” she said.
Commission chair Norma Turner noted that past charter review commissions have talked about changing the timeline of the commission meetings — but there has been no change.
Noblin says that as a public service she has been videotaping the commission’s meetings and posting the unedited videos on www.youtube.com (search: “Clallam County Charter Review Commission”).
Noblin suggests viewers use headphones or a speaker for better sound quality “as commissioners do not speak into the microphones.”
She adds: “I am asking those who view the video to please comment to the value of these recordings to you as a citizen. I will send those comments to the county commissioners.”
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
