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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2017)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 2017 Fulton: Claims staff’s analysis left out reasonable alternatives Continued from Page 1A adjacent land shovel-ready for future development. Fulton, originally part of a unanimous Port Commis- sion vote to move forward with a bond, has since come out in opposition, presenting several alternatives. He has accused fellow Port Commis- sioners James Campbell and John Raichl of having undis- closed conflicts of interest because they hangar planes at the airport. Rick Holbrook, a pilot with Life Flight Network, gives a thumbs up after landing an Agusta A109E Power helicopter at the Astoria Regional Airport in May 2015. The landing was part of the helicopter’s inaugural flight into Warrenton. Conflict of interest Fulton sent a letter to the Airport Advisory Committee regarding a staff report Kobes submitted to the committee. “Mr. Kobes is not a salaried employee,” Fulton said. “He is a subcontractor to the Port of Astoria and the Port pays him by the hour to manage the air- port and development projects. If the airport bond passes, it will create a great number of additional hours of work for Mr. Kobes and very substan- tial additional compensation. It must be noted that Mr. Kobes failed to disclose this major conflict of interest in the staff report.” Kobes’ report was respond- ing to Fulton’s suggestion that the Port evict retired dentist Philip Bales from a private hangar on Port land. The Daily Astorian/File Photos The Astoria Regional Airport in Warrenton includes three runways, several banks of rec- reational airplane hangars, two large hangars housing Lektro and industrial land to the south housing several businesses. Fulton has accused Bales, who has a clubhouse with a bar inside the han- gar, of violating his lease and operating an illegal speak- easy. He has called on the Port to investigate the possibility of evicting or moving Bales and his hangar, which stands just southwest of the air- port’s main office, and siting Life Flight’s new hangar there. Kobes started the report by saying he has stored an air- plane in Bales’ hangar through a handshake agreement since 2003, but that it has no bear- ing on the facts behind Ful- ton’s suggestion. In the report, he explains why the southeast- ern site was chosen as the best location by Life Flight, the Federal Aviation Administra- tion and Port staff. Fulton claimed the report may have violated ethics rules precluding the agen- cy’s employees from lobby- ing for the bond. He requested a formal opinion by the Port’s attorney. Lackluster analysis Despite numerous recom- mendations for the southeast- ern site, Fulton claims the staff’s analysis left out rea- sonable alternatives, such as relocating Bales’ hangar or moving the airport’s main office to make way for Life Flight’s hangar without a bond. He has called the bond measure speculative develop- ment, an argument echoed by his political allies and fellow Port Commission candidates, former Warrenton City Com- Port: Commission meets today to vote Continued from Page 1A exporter have been subsidiz- ing “ghost riders,” a term for longshoremen who mostly sit in the passenger seat of trucks. Port Property Director Shane Jensen described an agreement to rent trucks and trailers from Custom Exca- vating by Dean Larson Inc. in Warrenton. “Custom Excavating’s going to provide log trucks each morning,” Jensen said. “They’re going to maintain them. They’re going to refuel them. We’re basically going to consult with (Astoria Forest Products) and find out when they actually need the trucks. We notify Custom Excavating. They will deliver the trucks to Pier 3.” The Port will pay Custom Excavating $392 per day — or $4,704 a month — for the trucks and provide liability insurance. The trucks will be stored under lock and key on Pier 3 during periods of log- ship loading. Jensen said the rental agreement, a new strategy for the Port, will initially last six months in a trial phase. Chris Connaway, president of the local International Longshore and Warehouse Union chapter, praised staff’s partnership with longshoremen on the agree- ment and the use of a local company. Port Executive Direc- tor Jim Knight originally pre- sented the recently drawn-up agreement as an advisory item, owing to Commissioner Bill Hunsinger’s repeated concerns over “hot paper,” or last-min- ute documents Port commis- sioners receive without much time to review. Hunsinger later attempted to make the agreement an action item for the Port Commission to vote on finalizing, but his motion failed for lack of a majority. Commission President Robert Mushen, who had a medical emergency at the Port Commission meeting last month and who Knight said had the flu, was not at the meeting Tuesday. Hunsinger and Commissioner James Campbell voted to take action. Commissioner John Raichl abstained because his nephew works for Custom Excavat- ing. Commission Stephen Ful- ton voted against making the agreement an action item, say- ing he needed more time to review. The Port Commission voted to keep discussion on the agreement open and meet today to vote. In other action: • The Port agreed to donate $500 to the Portland Rose Fes- tival to help fund Ships Up the River, an event honoring crews of U.S. Navy ships stopping in Astoria as part of Fleet Week in June. • The Port Commission adopted a whistleblower pol- icy to protect employees who report improper govern- ment actions from retaliation. The policy, being adopted by many local governing boards, came from state statutes. The Port’s attorney said the agency was already four months behind in establishing such a policy. In a separate email, Ful- ton said he has disclosed this potential conflict of interest during Port Commission dis- cussions in the past, and that his opposition to the Port’s bond measure is based solely on the agency having other alternatives that don’t require taxpayer money. “The Nygaard property in the city of Warrenton south of the airport currently has long-term restoration require- ments that make it unavailable for development,” he said. 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