By Nicole Montesano • Staff Writer • 

Commissioners clash over priorities

Only online subscribers may access this article.

One-day subscriptions available for just $3. Click here for one-day access.

For all other subscription offers, click here.

Already a subscriber, please .

Comments

Don Dix

It has been some time since the city government put the citizen sentiments at the forefront. As for the county, it appears some are fiscally prudent, while others wish to sell the farm.

golf pro

So Starrett and Primozich consider "a countywide goal-setting session, full compensation and benefit study for employees, long-term space needs analysis, a long-range capital improvement plan" pet projects? No strategic plan, no plan for facilities - all this adds up to no management skills. Olson is right on and needs to keep beating this drum. The county leadership (Commissioners and Administrator) avoid this because then they would be accountable to do something. Too busy making and placing election signs?????

tagup

Carry on Commissioner Olsen.....

GRM

thumps up for Rick Olson.

Mudstump

Let's remember the lack of leadership and apathy by Starrett and Primozich when we vote. This is a perfect opportunity for Yamhill County voters to send them packing and replace them with folks who want to do the people's business instead of enacting their own extreme agenda and ideology. There are better choices available to us.

Don Dix

One example -- Olson was part of the city council when they decided to use 'others money' to purchase the OMI building (which was 3 times the space needed) without consulting the citizens, especially the builders, who were told at a previous meeting that the money 'belonged' to them. And, of course, that structure is no longer on the tax rolls.

With that in mind, it appears that sometimes things are not always a true reflection of the actual circumstances or claims.

Sal Peralta

Goalsetting? Planning? My heavens, whatever for? Refusing to engage in a public process is the opposite of putting citizen sentiments first. Fiscal responsibility should be more than a buzzword.

No one should tolerate public officials who refuse to engage the public in strategic planning or who draw $70k plus in compensation who are working part time. Kellie Menke and Scott Hill do more as an unpaid volunteers than many of our current and past paid commissioners. I am glad to see Rick Olson trying to apply the same model of civic engagement that we have adopted in cities like McMinnville and Newberg to the county commission.

Sheridan Sam

Sal, you are so correct. With the commissioners dumping nearly all their responsibilities on the county administrator a few years back one would think they would have lots of time for really important things like strategic planning. To hear Starrett refer to that as a pet project shows her true colors - she doesn't care. The county administrator should be engaged in leading this type of project. My heavens, $150K and she can't arrange for a goal setting session and strategic plan? Mac has annually held these for years with great success, with the city manager making all the arrangements.

fig tree

Don Dix - Your disdain for the city can always be counted on. The OMI building was desperately needed and was an excellent choice. All the services that were crammed into city hall - it was an awful place for people to work. I think the OMI building acquisition was visionary and was likely decided upon through a thoughtful goal setting and strategic planning process. It will serve the community for decades and is a beautiful facility. Of course the builders (you, Springer, and Seeberger) are always opposed to anything the city does.

Don Dix

Well fig tree, the city 'said' they needed 3000 sq. ft. (OMI building is just under 10,000) But when the city raised the building permit fees 70%, the mayor, council, and building dept, all agreed any excess would be put into a fund that 'belonged' to the builders (to offset future cost and fee raises). I testified that any money left laying around in the 'public though' would be in jeopardy of a raid for any particular reason -- and then ...

Approx. 2 years later, the fund has $250K (permit fee excess over expenses), and the city announces, through the press, that they are purchasing the OMI building, using the fund as the share owed by the building dept.

There was no discussion or contact with those who were told, in an open council meeting, they were defacto owners of said fund. Don't you think the 'thoughtful goal setting and strategic planning process' ought to at least include opinions or ideas from those who built that fund? No one at the city would answer the direct question -- never have.

Mudstump

I wonder if passing Resolution 011415 which opposed Senate Bill 941 (voted for by Starrett and Primozich) would be considered a "pet project?"

yamhillbilly2

Mary’s Resolution 011415 basically amounted to nothing more than a ‘dog & pony’ show by her and her brother bringing in people from ‘four hours driving time away’ rather than primarily Yamhill County folks. Thankfully her ridiculous resolution to demand the feds return the prison in Sheridan to Yamhill County didn’t go very far. Do we need a commissioner working on this worthless crap? By the way, does she really think the trail will only bring in criminals and the homeless? She needs to get a grip on reality.

tagup

C’mon.... knowing when to fly the flag at half mast is important....:)

Williach72

This is a perfect example of why you must not only evaluate each candidate, but the way the commission operates as a whole when you go to the ballot box. Mr. Olson's is entitled to his frustration. Starrett appears resistant (or perhaps doesn't understand) how to do long range planning. And the fact she sees the website as a "pet project" is telling. A functional website is a key to any business or government operation that serves the people. And why on earth is this a board decision it should just be done as Commissioner Olson. This is akin to having the CEO do the postage run. The Commissioners need to be operating at a different level than administrative tasks. The role of a board is to delegate these responsibilities to competent employees. We want our Commissioners working on issues such as those that Mr. Olson is advocating for, especially the benefit and compensations study. This study could go a long way in providing understanding about why we experience such turnover with our County employees. But time and again, Starrett demonstrates that these are not things she values. Instead, she wants us to pay her to work on the foster care problem at the state level. Now I would call that a "pet project". If we want to really be effective in changing the dynamic of this board we need to replace Starrett and Primozich.

Kathleen

Good for Rick Olson! We need to vote the other two do nothings out! We have some excellent choices to replace both of them. Remember to vote!

DG

Thank you, Rick Olson! Get the vote out and get Starrett out! Mother Teresa she is not.

Denise

Keep up the pressure Mr Olson. The citizens have your back.

Starrett and Primozich, we are watching.

Lulu

Half-staff is on land. Half-mast refers to a flag on a ship.
I believe "pet projects" says it all.

Mudstump

Lulu - I think "Petty Projects" says it all.

Bizzyditchaz

Keep up the Fight, AZ2!!!!! BZ for sticking up for county employees! "Pet projects" was piss poor terminology, but then it goes to show her true feelings of the people who provides services this county everyday!

Joe

Olson is the guy who committed us to undefined millions in debt building bike trails through farmers fields and now wants to build a new Commisioners office and that is fiscally responsible how???

Thank Hod we don’t have anymore Democrats running our county or we would be just like Multnomah, what a sick joke for youbto advocate Zolson as fiscally reasonable!

Web Design and Web Development by Buildable