PORT ANGELES — A former Port of Port Angeles commissioner has sent a letter to state Auditor Brian Sonntag, asking him to review the actions of the port commissioners in firing former Deputy Director David Hagiwara.
Dick Foster, who served as port commissioner from 1994 to 2000, said in the letter dated Oct. 15 that by suspending the hiring and firing power of Executive Director Bob McChesney and taking action themselves, the commission violated its bylaws and rules of order.
“It would seem that the state auditor could be helpful to this community by reviewing the above actions and information and initiating a finding to insure local government agencies follow the open meetings laws and their own bylaws and rules,” Foster wrote.
He also questioned other commission actions.
Public information officers from Sonntag’s office did not return calls for comment.
Neither Foster nor the port commimsion had yet heard from Sonntag by Wednesday.
Sept. 22 termination
The three port commissioners terminated Hagiwara and eliminated the deputy director position at their Sept. 22 meeting after an executive session.
To do so, the commissioners temporarily suspended McChesney’s authority.
Port Commission President John Calhoun voted against Hagiwara’s firing, which was approved by a 2-1 vote, with the motion made by Commissioner Jim McEntire and Commissioner George Schoenfeldt also voting in favor.
McChesney declined to comment on the letter, saying he would wait to hear what Sonntag replies.
Calhoun said the port commissioners planned not to make any response to the letter unless the state auditor issued a statement.
“Foster expressed his concerns and that is perfectly within his rights,” Calhoun said.
“I have no comment to offer on the validity of his claims.”
Foster’s letter
Said Foster in his letter:
“Since the commission came out of executive session and immediately passed the motion with no discussion, there must have been extensive discussions between commissioners, without the executive director involvement either before the meeting or in the executive session.”
He said that commission discussions about the Harbor-Works Public Development Authority also could be in violation of state open meeting laws.
Harbor-Works was formed by the port and the city of Port Angeles in May to help direct the cleanup and future use of the site of a former Rayonier Inc. pulp mill at the end of Ennis Street on the Port Angeles Harbor.
Foster said much of the negotiations and development of Harbor-Works was done in secret.
“They did an inappropriate thing, and as a former port commissioner, the way they did this was inappropriate and sloppy to an employee with outstanding record,” Foster said.
“[The public’s right to know] is something that I fought for when I was a commissioner. I still care and I’d like to see the port be a respected organization, and actions like this detract from that.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
