PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Jim Hallett will be recognized for his years of public service during the next commission meeting Feb. 9.
The 9 a.m. meeting will be at port offices at 338 W. First St.
Hallett, 60, of Port Angeles announced his intention to resign from the three-person commission Tuesday.
Within month’s end
He did not say when he would resign. He said he believes the process will be concluded within the month.
State law requires that the remaining commissioners appoint a qualified person to fill his vacancy within 90 days of the post being vacated.
Hallett has served four years of his six-year term as commissioner.
He said he is resigning because he believes his fellow port commissioners, Connie Beauvais and Colleen McAleer, have violated open meeting ethics.
Both Beauvais and McAleer have denied any wrongdoing.
Hallett contends that Beauvais and McAleer violated the spirit of the Open Public Meetings Act’s appearance-of-fairness doctrine.
Rule of law
The doctrine is a rule of law requiring government decision-makers to conduct non-court hearings and proceedings in a way that is fair and unbiased in both appearance and fact, he said.
He said he believes the two met privately prior to Beauvais officially being sworn in to discuss port business such as changing the meeting dates and times.
Since Beauvais was officially sworn in Jan. 12, any discussions she had with McAleer previous to that time would not constitute a quorum, Beauvais has said, and would not be illegal.
Beauvais and McAleer, during the Jan. 12 meeting, voiced support for switching the commission’s twice-monthly meetings from Tuesdays to Fridays but are now considering switching to Mondays instead.
Elected president
Hallett also said the two, prior to Jan. 12, discussed electing McAleer as president — a position formerly held by Hallett.
McAleer was elected president Jan. 12.
Hallett’s public service spans more than three decades. Appointed to the Port Angeles Planning Commission in 1984, he was elected to the Port Angeles City Council in 1985 and re-elected in 1989, serving as mayor from 1992-93.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
