opinion
july12
2011
An Opinion: A City Divided
By Scott Laird
The signatures have been
gathered (180 in one single day) and the
petitions have been filed. The citizens of
Vernonia are asking to recall two more
of their City Councilors—Willow Burch
and Marilyn Nicks.
Both have only been in office
for six months. Yet, since taking office
both have gone back on statements they
made during the election campaign and
have pushed personal agendas instead of
taking care of the city’s business. They
have refused to listen to, and angered
their constituents. As we go to print,
we were waiting to see whether either
would choose to voluntarily resign or
would force the city to spend funds to
go through the process of another recall
election. Less than two months ago,
Councilor Kevin Hudson held out for an
election—he lost by 83% of the vote.
Many people may think that
these three recalls are only about
the firing of former Interim City
Administrator Bill Haack. And it is true,
these three Councilor’s inability to work
with Haack and much of the animosity
towards these Councilors does surround
the termination of Haack’s contract. But
it has been much more than that.
Both Burch and Nicks have
shown a lack of understanding about
how city government functions, a lack of
understanding about the role of the City
Council in the day-to-day operations of
the city, have made rash decisions without
considering the full consequences, and
have been more concerned about their
own personal agenda then they have
been in representing the majority.
I don’t expect either Burch or
Nicks to step down—neither seems
willing or able to understand the damage
they are causing. I don’t expect either to
choose to do the right thing.
What I originally intended to
publish in this space here was a list of
reasons why Burch and Nicks should
be recalled. But at the last minute I
changed my mind. If you have been
reading local news publications for the
last few months you know what has
transpired. Most of you have probably
made up your mind about how you will
vote if it comes down to a recall election.
Using this space to reiterate, point by
point, what I believe Burch and Nicks
have done wrong is not necessary.
What is necessary is to talk
about the division that is occurring in
our community. The last six months
have been extremely difficult. The city
has suffered through the investigation
into a Police Officer, Mike Kay, that has
forced citizens and leaders to choose
sides. And now three City Councilors
have forced citizens to choose sides as
well. Ugly words have been spoken
and friendships have been ruined. Our
community has become divided.
Kay, along with his canine
officer Krueger, was a popular officer to
many—someone who participated in and
organized many community activities.
He was also a lightning rod, a police
officer who seemed to be a magnet
for controversy. When Interim City
Administrator Haack became aware,
last year, of problems with the contract
for Kruegers’s services between Kay
and the City, and then problems with
Kay’s training documents for Krueger,
he pulled Krueger out of service to
protect the city’s liability. Haack, new
to the job of City Administrator and
working with an Interim Police Chief,
was unfamiliar with overseeing a Police
Force, and asked for assistance from the
state Department of Safety Standards
and Training (DPSST). The resulting
DPSST investigation, as well as a city
investigation into Kay, eventually led to
Kay’s termination on June 27 th . But not
before Haack was ousted on May 2 nd .
Councilors Hudson, Burch and
Nicks all made Haack the bad guy in the
Mike Kay situation. Hudson confronted
Haack continually starting last October;
Burch and Nicks joined with Hudson
when they were elected and took office
in January. The three of them banded
together to form a majority that voted
to start a search process for a new City
Administrator, and then to terminate
Haack’s contract.
The citizens have spoken up
during these last six months and made
their feelings known. They asked the
Councilors to reconsider. They signed
petitions, turned out to Council meetings
and spoke from the floor. They wrote
letters to the local newspapers. And then
in June they voted to recall Hudson by a
six-to-one margin.
It is dangerous to have elected
officials in office who don’t know what
they are doing. But what is even more
dangerous is having elected officials in
office who don’t know that they don’t
know what they are doing. And that is
what we have had for the last six months.
Councilors who question staff decisions
and have tried to micromanage the
running of day-to-day city operations.
Councilors who have continually spoken
out-of-turn on numerous occasions,
embarrassing themselves and the city
and putting the city at legal risk.
I don’t have a problem with
someone inexperienced holding office.
Sometimes new ideas and a new
viewpoint is needed. What I have a
problem with is inexperienced leaders
forcing issues or an agenda.
What I wish had happened in
January with this new Council was an
agreement to extend Haack’s contract
for a year. Then they could have set
goals for themselves, the City and their
staff, and then worked with the staff
carry out those goals. They could have
talked to the people and found out what
they wanted. Dealt together with the
big issues in front of them and the City.
Gained some understanding about the
major projects that were in the works—
the wastewater project, the school
construction, the Rose Avenue Project.
Worked through and found solutions to
their differences.
We had a group of inexperienced
people, Haack included, who all needed
to find a way to work together. Instead
we find ourselves divided.
Hudson seemed intent on
getting rid of Haack. Hudson is a friend
of Kay’s and has worked closely with the
K9 officer program, even helping raise
money to fund it. Nicks and her family
are also close to Kay. These Councilors
chose Kay over Haack—in the end it
turned out that Haack was right and now
Kay is gone as well.
The people spoke up and tried to
be heard throughout the last six months.
After the May 2 City Council meeting,
when Hudson, Burch and Nicks suddenly
voted to terminate Haack, citizen Sharon
Bernal, approached Councilor Burch on
the dais. “We are going to recall you,”
she told Burch. Burch responded “Go
ahead!”
These Councilors has spent
money unnecessarily, have wasted time
and been indecisive, have been unwilling
to compromise, have not fully disclosed
their real reasons for decisions, have
been mistrusting towards staff, and
have been biased when conducting city
business. But most of all, they have not
listened to the majority of the citizens
they represent.
Councilor Hudson was recalled
in June. Here was a chance to bring the
community back together and heal the
divide. Instead, it seemed to make no
difference to either Burch or Nicks. They
made no concessions nor expressed any
doubts about their decisions over the last
six months. They have left the citizens
no choice. And we will be further
divided.
Very soon we will start the
process of healing. Of coming back
together and listening to each other. Of
examining what happened and what
lessons we need to learn from all this
discord.
I think some of us have already
learned one lesson—elected officials
need to listen to the people they represent.
Vernonia City
Council
Upcoming Meetings
and
City Hall Closures
3
Publisher and Managing Editor
Scott Laird
503-367-0098
scott@vernoniasvoice.com
Contributors
Lynn Berry
Mackenzie Carr
Diane K. Danielson
Tobie Finzel
Sally Harrison
Gary Mortensen
Gayle Rich-Boxman
Miles Wickstrom
Photography
David Homer
Scott Laird
Gayle Rich-Boxman
Skyshots
Want to advertise?
Have an article?
Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com
One year subscriptions
(24 issues) $35
PO Box 55
Vernonia, OR 97064
503-367-0098
www.VernoniasVoice.com
Need more room?
MEETING PLACE: City Hall
MEETING TIME: 7:00 PM
MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011
MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011
Closed Monday, Sept. 5, 2011
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
These dates are subject to change
without notice
See us for
the lowest prices
GUARANTEED!
Move-in Special
5x10 $25
5x10 $39
10x10 $69 10x20 $99
RV Storage $149
Outside storage available
Totally fenced and gated
Padlocks Available
58605 Nehalem Hwy S.
P.O. Box 292
Vernonia, Oregon 97064
(503) 429-7867
10-6 Tue-Sat, 12-4 Sun
Vernonia’s Voice is published twice each
month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday.
Look for our next issue July 26th.
HOME OF THE
2 1/4 lb.
“All In Burger”
“STILL BIKER FRIENDLY”
LIVE MUSIC
Friday, July 15
• Specialty hamburgers
• Draft beer & mixed drinks
• Pool tables & satelite TV
• Special live music events
• Free Wi-fi
Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight •
733 Bridge St, Vernonia
The Third
Member
Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM
• 503-429-9999