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6A • September 22, 2017 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Probe finds Thompson crossed boundary of decorum Incident with county employee occurred in June By Jack Heffernan EO Media Group Clatsop County Com- missioner Lianne Thompson “crossed the boundary of ac- ceptable decorum” when she allegedly placed her hands on a county employee and spoke in a loud and frustrated tone about County Manager Cam- eron Moore after a Red Cross meeting at Fort Clatsop in June, an internal investigation has found. The county employee, who has not been publicly identified, did not feel threatened or intim- idated but thought Thompson’s behavior was “bizarre.” County commissioners will discuss the findings of the inter- nal investigation at an executive session later this month. If the commissioners choose to take any disciplinary action against Thompson, the board would make an announcement during a public meeting. The incident exposes ten- sion between Commissioner Thompson, some of her fellow commissioners, and County Manager Moore that has bub- bled under the surface for sev- eral months. Lianne Thompson Scott Lee Commissioner Scott Lee, the board’s chairman, learned of the incident soon after it happened, though he did not disclose how. Lee then called an executive session in late July with other board members and Portland-based labor attorney Heather Martin. At the private session, the board decided to pursue an investigation and hire Jill Goldsmith of Workplace Solutions Northwest, a Portland mediation service, to conduct the probe. Goldsmith interviewed the county employee who had allegedly been touched by Thompson, a witness to the in- cident, and a county employee who has a personal relationship with Thompson and is famil- iar with the commissioner’s demeanor and concerns about the county manager. Thompson declined to be interviewed but submitted her account through an attorney. The results of the internal investigation were revealed to commissioners during an exec- utive session Wednesday night. “Several staff have raised issues about county govern- ment with me,” Thompson said in an email to The Dai- ly Astorian. “They said they feared retaliation if they went public. I now understand their fears of retaliation.” But Lee insists the internal investigation was a human-re- sources matter meant to ensure that county staff are protected from commissioners, who su- pervise the county manager and staff. “It’s outrageous that she would accuse me of making this issue politically motivat- ed,” Lee said. “I have been following the advice of county counsel.” Official role The internal investigation found that Thompson was acting in her role as commis- sioner during the June 27 inci- dent after a Red Cross meeting at Fort Clatsop in Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. After the Red Cross meet- ing, Thompson approached the county employee and expressed frustration with Moore. She also allegedly said that she “was the only com- missioner on the board who worked.” Thompson, according to the report, at one point became agitated about Moore, stepped toward the county employee and asked, “Do you know what he did?” As the county em- ployee reflexively placed her hands up, Thompson allegedly placed her hands on the em- ployee’s hands or, according to the witness, upper arms near the shoulders. The county em- ployee then took two to three steps back as Thompson vocif- erously repeated her question. After untangling herself, the county employee asked Thompson what she was talking about. Thompson then allegedly expressed her belief that Moore had intentionally scheduled a meeting in May so that she would not be able to attend. The county employee described Thompson as upset and agitated during the con- versation. In the account Thompson provided through an attorney, the commissioner said she has no memory of physically push- ing anyone backward. “She is the first to admit she is some- times loud — a character trait she attributes to her passion for the people of Clatsop County, to her blue-collar roots, and to her hearing loss. She is outwardly demonstrative. She sometimes talks with her hands or touch- es people during conversations (for example, she may place a supportive hand on someone’s shoulder or she might touch someone’s arm while making a point).” ‘Appropriate decorum’ According to board rules, commissioners must com- mit themselves to “ethical, businesslike, and lawful con- duct, including proper use of authority and appropri- ate decorum when acting as board members.” The inter- nal investigation concluded Thompson violated this pol- icy. Lee pointed to an incident in 2014 when he castigated former County Commission- er Dirk Rohne, now a Port of Astoria commissioner. Rohne allegedly complained about staff and former County Man- ager Scott Somers to Port- land-based labor attorney Akin Blitz. “This is not the first time I’ve called out a commission- vwer for failing to understand how to do his or her job, in my opinion, and getting out of their lane with staff,” Lee said. “It’s a very big problem and it’s been something that I take seriously.” David Kramer, Thomp- son’s Salem-based attorney, questioned whether the board has the authority to investi- gate an independently elected official since that power is not specifically outlined in the county charter. He said the board’s rules apply to con- duct at board meetings, “but nothing you allege arguably relates to a board ‘meeting.’” Kramer called the internal investigation “likely political- ly motivated, and it undercuts the political independence of elected public officials.” BUSINESS DIRECTORY L ANDSCAPING Laurelwood Compost • Mulch • Planting MacMix Soil Amendments YARD DEBRIS DROP-OFF (no Scotch Broom) 503-717-1454 34154 HIGHWAY 26 SEASIDE, OR Drumheller was lodging industry leader Laurelwood Farm Drumheller from Page 1A Escape Lodging After graduation from the Carson College of Business at Washington State Universi- ty, Drumheller participated in the Hyatt Hotel management training program before es- tablishing Escape Lodging of Cannon Beach as its chief ex- ecutive officer in 2001. Escape Lodging also owns the Ocean Lodge, The Inn at Cannon Beach and other lodg- ing properties and restaurants in Oregon and Washington state. Drumheller served on the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association Board of Directors, Washington State University Hotel and Restau- rant Advisory Board of Direc- tors and Travel Portland Board of Directors. In 2014, Drumheller and Tom Krueger teamed to open Tom’s Fish & Chips restaurant at 240 N. Hemlock St. Drumheller said in a 2014 interview his goal was to “try to make it really, really cozy, especially during the offseason for the locals.” ERICK BENGEL PHOTO Tom Krueger and Tom Drumheller, the two “Toms” of Tom’s Fish & Chips. Drumheller and Krueger opened a second location in Seaside this summer. “I was very fortunate to have some great mentors I admired and learned a great deal from,” Drumheller said in an alumni magazine profile. “When one of them passed away, it spurred me, along with my future busi- ness partner, to take what I had learned and start my own com- pany. It was both very scary and exciting. The risk-to-reward ra- tio has been better than I could have imagined.” This spring he was induct- ed into the inaugural class of the Carson College of Busi- ness Hall of Fame. The city mourns Friends and family gath- ered in his last days to salute the man they had grown to know and love. Robin Risley was among the founding members of the arts commission when Drum- heller served as chairman. “He was such a fun person to have at the meeting,” Ris- ley said. “He did things with a sense of humor. We didn’t all come from the same place, but he was so inclusive that most of the decisions were made were fair and forward think- ing. I just appreciated him so much. He always had such a twinkle in his eye.” Cannon Beach Police Chief Jason Schermerhorn knew Drumheller as a member of the Tourism Advisory Committee. “When I started with the city five years ago, the city manager at the time said, ‘There’s a list of people you need to meet,’ and he was at the top of the list,” Schermer- horn said. “He always had a smile on his face, and very generous when he gave back to the community.” “He was a huge rock here in Cannon Beach,” said Court Carrier, the executive director of the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce. “He was im- portant — a hospitality exec- utive for decades.” Drumheller and his wife, Christy Lynn, have two adult daughters, Brook Burnett and Britney Drumheller. A memorial service will be scheduled. C ONSTRUCTION B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc . E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs r oad w ork • F ill M atErial s itE P rEParation • r ock owned and operated by M ike and C eline M C e wan 503-738-3569 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302 F LOORING CCB# 205283 y ou ou r r w ep alk ut o at n io n Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com M INI -S TORAGE SPACE AVAILABLE BEACH Online hotel market ‘an evolving area’ CANNON MINI-STORAGE Taxes from Page 1A forthcoming, Sawrey said. Often rooms are sold at a dis- count to these intermediaries, who take their own profit off the sale. Without knowing which rooms are being sold to what booking site, figuring out which booking site to hold accountable for reporting that taxable profit margin is diffi- cult. “It takes more time for us. Are people not reporting? Do they misunderstand? We don’t know the situation if we don’t have numbers in front of us,” Sawrey said. Sawrey and City Attor- ney Tammy Herdener hope to change the ordinance so that companies who don’t file their tax returns will face a fine. In May, AirBnB presented a voluntary agreement to the city of Seaside to collect thousands of dollars of lodging taxes on Seaside vacation rentals. Some saw the agreement as an opportunity reap the ben- efits of previously untapped revenue. Some in the lodging community, however, think the agreement gives the company an unfair advantage over oth- er hotel owners, and ultimate- ly drain affordable long-term housing units to the vacation rental market. “This is an evolving area. Cities all over Oregon are hav- ing trouble with this,” Herden- er said. “But to whoever is lis- tening, it is important to have this in our code so (intermedi- aries) know they are responsi- ble.” Next steps It’s hard to estimate how much more revenue these changes could bring in for the city, because there is so much variation between lodging options. For City Councilor George Vetter, the solution comes from striking a balance between keeping the property owner and the intermediary on the hook. “I’m reluctant to take the burden off the property own- er, because those are the only people we have control over,” Vetter said. Whatever the solution to this issue is may be hard to come by. “No city has figured this out perfectly yet,” Herdener said. City councilors plan to dis- cuss an ordinance change in more detail at the November work session and hope to get more input from the lodging industry in the meantime. Contact Jill at 503-436-2235 Experience Family Dining in a Relaxed & Friendly Environment C ONSTRUCTION Serving Seafood, Pizza, Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer, Wine, Ice Cream and our Homemade Desserts “Helping shape the character of Cannon Beach since 1973” We have a fabulous patio where you can enjoy the weather and your meal. Residential • Commercial • Remodeling New Construction • Storm Damage Repair Full Service Custom Cabinet Shop 503.436.2235 “TO-GO” Orders Welcome 156 N. Hemlock • Cannon Beach www.coasterconstruction.com • CCB# 150126 503.436.9551 P AINTING Owned and Operated by the Cleary Family Cannon Beach’s Best Selection of Oregon and Washington Wine! UPCOMING TASTINGS Shack Hours Sunday - Th ursday 11am to 5:30pm Friday & Saturday 11am to 6pm Tasting Room Hours Saturdays • 1 to 5pm Units Available 5’ x 10’ • 10’ x 10’ Sept 23 • Blind Tasting Sept 30 • Northwest Cellars Oct 7 • Great Fall Wines Oct 14 • Award Winning Wines “Best Wine Shop” - 2016 Reader’s Choice Award 124 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach - 503.436.1100 - www.thewineshack.wine Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB# 89453 Randy Anderson 36 Years Experience Anderson Painting (503) 738-9989 • Cell (503) 440-2411 • Fax (503) 738-9337 PO Box 140 Seaside, Oregon 97138 www.andersonpainting.biz “Custom Finishing” BUSINESS DIRECTORY
