PORT ANGELES — The Sequim Vehicle/Vessel Licensing Office can remain open while
Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand audits the office’s records and determines if she will terminate subagent Karen Shewbert, under a Superior Court agreement reached Wednesday.
Rosand has sought to terminate Shewbert’s contract and shut down the Sequim licensing office Shewbert has operated for 12 years.
Rosand said Shewbert failed to provide records to the Auditor’s Office for the contract office at 1001 E. Washington St., Suite 5.
Shewbert denied the accusation.
The Superior Court agreement was reached after Shewbert’s Sequim attorney, Craig Miller; Rosand’s attorney, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols; and state Department of Licensing attorney Susan Pierini conferred in open court.
Superior Court Commissioner William Knebes, acting as court judge, had left the bench to allow the conference.
“Karen can remain open until such time that the contract is terminated and she is required to shut down,” said Nichols, who was joined by his client, Rosand, after the hearing.
How long Rosand has to conduct the audit and issue a termination of contract, or choose not to terminate the contract, has yet to be determined, Nichols said.
The original motion before the court was for a preliminary injunction while Shewbert went through the appeal process with a state-appointed review panel.
The state Department of Licensing, however, took issue with the court’s temporary restraining order that Knebes allowed last Wednesday to allow hearing state Licensing’s position.
Pierini said state Licensing injunctive relief was not appropriate because none of the legal prerequisites had been met.
This was because, she said, “termination of the contract needs to take place before the appeal can occur.”
Knebes agreed, saying, “The court finds no basis for a preliminary injunction.”
He rescinded the motion for a temporary restraining order because Rosand had not issued a notice of termination.
Miller told the court that under Shewbert’s contract, Rosand was required to perform an audit and then issue a termination of contract.
Miller agreed to waive the ability to challenge termination if it goes to the appeal process before the state review panel.
Shewbert’s vehicle and vessel licensing services are popular among the customers who frequent her often-busy East Washington Street office, some saying last week they would miss the convenience of the office location and service if the county auditor closed the office.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2390 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
