SEQUIM — The breakup of Dungeness Valley lavender-growing groups into two associations grew more divisive this week, as lawyers for the Sequim Lavender Growers Association and the newly formed Sequim Lavender Farmers Association clashed over delivery of the growers association’s accounting and vendor documents.
The growers association’s attorney, Jacques Dulin, said he and another Sequim attorney, Larry Freedman, who represents the farmers association, have agreed to meet at 4:30 p.m. today, when Dulin expects the documents to be handed over to the growers group.
Dulin, who is best known as an intellectual property and patent attorney, said the two attorneys will meet at the Port Angeles office of Scott Nagel, who last week announced he had jumped ship from the growers association to become the director of the farmers association.
Nagel, as an employee of the growers association, had directed the Sequim Lavender Festival since 2004, an event that draws about 25,000 people each year from all over the world and pumps about $3 million into the Sequim area’s economy.
Now, Nagel will work for the farmers association, directing the Sequim Lavender Farm Festival, which will occur simultaneously with the Sequim Lavender Festival from July 15-17.
Both organizations have said they will have separate crafts fairs and tours.
Dulin said Tuesday that when he and others with the growers association went to Nagel’s office Monday, Freedman — who was most recently in the news as an unsuccessful contender for the Clallam County prosecuting attorney post — called the police.
“We explained to the police what we were doing and told police we were on the up-and-up,” Dulin said, adding that the police allowed them to proceed.
Dulin said a demand letter was sent to Nagel outlining what the growers association expected to receive.
Two boxes found in a common area outside of Nagel’s locked office were taken without incident, but other critical documents remain, Dulin said.
He said the documents found were “old archival stuff, not the stuff we want, which is the current documents.”
Contacted Tuesday, Nagel said he would not specifically comment on the “irresponsible claims” coming from his former employers.
“We are not holding the documents hostage,” Nagel did say, adding that he had previously tried to set up delivery times but that growers association members failed to show up.
Freedman said: “I absolutely am making no public comment about a matter that is being stoked up by people like Dulin.
“We want to resolve this so there is no detriment to the city of Sequim and the lavender festival,” Freedman said.
“The lavender festival will go on in a separate space to the benefit of the farmers and the merchants.”
Freedman accused Dulin of “just stirring things up,” saying that “aggravating this thing is not going to help.”
Dulin said the growers group must also reclaim equipment used in the lavender festival, which is in storage.
An audit of the growers group’s documents and property was likely, he said.
The growers association board president, Terry Stolz, and Dulin question why the association made only about $2,300 from last year’s Sequim Lavender Festival, saying the event had a budget of about $288,000.
“We refuse to have SLGA held for ransom in payment for Mr. Nagel, who claims we owe money, which we are not sure he’s due,” Dulin said.
Stolz said it was unclear what Nagel was owed, but he did say Nagel was paid through December.
Nagel was paid about $6,000 a month for his and his staff’s services, Stolz said.
Nagel declined to say if he believes he is still owed money.
Nagel said last week that one reason he left the growers association for the new farmers association was because his contract had not been renewed since September.
Stolz and Dulin said association members were upset that Nagel posted an unauthorized notice on the growers association’s website, www.lavendergrowers.org, that said there would be no farm tours at the festival this year.
Stolz and Dulin said Nagel also removed sponsor names from the site without permission.
“There’s no question that some damage has been done,” Dulin said.
Stolz and Dulin also questioned whether Nagel was working for the new farmers association before leaving the growers association, something they said they would investigate.
The farmers association separated from the growers association Jan. 8, and Nagel joined the group Thursday.
While the growers association lost six key farms from the Sequim Lavender Festival’s farm tour, at least 18 to 20 members remain with the growers association.
The new organization will no longer be a part of the original lavender street fair on Fir Street, which will remain under the growers association’s ownership and management, as will the website www.lavendergrowers.org.
The farmers association will produce its own event, including tours to six pioneering lavender farms that broke away for the new Sequim Lavender Farm Festival.
The farmers association has said it will announce its location for a separate crafts fair, music, food and a bus transportation center for farm tours within the next two weeks.
Stolz said the growers association would no longer provide bus tours, “just more of self-guided tours” of farms remaining with that group.
Nagel’s Port Angeles-based company, Olympic Peninsula Celebrations, also produces the Dungeness Crab and Seafood Festival in Port Angeles.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
