01/22/2007: "Letters On Not Allowing Rose To Attend Meeting"

--------------------------What Are They ThinkingTo the Editor

What are Mr. Ranker and Mr. Lichter thinking? At the annual Washington Public Ports Association conference that I attend, Port Commissioners as elected policy makers attend and vote on association business. Unelected staff _also_ attend, are invited and expected to attend, and though they don't vote they learn and participate in the many programs

the Association presents at the conference. At the County Associations upcoming conference, information on recent legislation and pending state policy changes will be presented. They will also discuss upcoming legislation.

Mr. Rose will most likely be asked to give opinions on many of these issues in the future meetings as the Council considers new policy. Why would anyone not want the chief operations officer of the County at these County Association discussions?

This posturing is not leadership, it's petty turf protection and we deserve better from the two highest paid members of the Council!

Greg Hertel
Friday harbor WA--------------------------An Absurd Action To the Editor

The idea that County Administrator Rose should not attend the Washington State Association of Counties meeting is absurd. In my 15 years with the county, I attended all but one WSAC Annual Conference as either Deputy Clerk of the Board or Clerk of the Board. I also attended the Western District Conferences as a representative of the then BOCC when none of them could attend.

In fact, the following is a list of affiliates for WSAC to which County Administration is one:

• Association of County Human Services
• Board of County Commissioner/Council Clerks
• Washington County Administrative Association
• Washington State Association of County Engineers
• Washington State Association of County Parks/Recreation Boards & Departments
• Washington State Association of County & Regional Planning Directors
• Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials
• Washington State Emergency Management Association
• Washington State University Extension

I found these conferences to be extremely helpful in making contacts and learning how other counties do things. Both Carolyn Morrison, Clerk to the Council, and I were officers at various times for the Clerks Association. There, we met and talked with many County Administrators, including David Goldsmith, the former CA of Jefferson County and Acting CA for San Juan County. We also forged friendships with other Clerks, WSAC Staff, other County Commissioners and so forth.

WSAC in an invaluable tool for counties. To not allow our CA to attend their conferences to network with peers and learn how other counties do things is a sad state of affairs for this administration.

Lil Hamel
Orcas Island