By Nicole Montesano • Staff Writer • 

Group files Berschauer recall petition

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Comments

Erin C.

Good. Lindsay Berschauer is a liability to Yamhill County. She clearly cares more about her own political career than the well-being of the people who live here.

treefarmer

What a relief! I will be signing the petition ASAP and donating to the cause. I am deeply grateful to the "Save Yamhill County" organization. The citizens of this county deserve better than what this unethical self-serving person has delivered. Many thanks to the N/R for keeping us informed.

yamhillbilly2

What do you bet the two BS commissioners try to sell the right of way to Lidsay’s political contributors before the recall can happen? The only reason Mary isn’t also looking at a recall is, she can’t run again. Thank you ‘SYC’!!

john fritter

Why is it nobody questions why work was started on a project that was never approved in the first place? Would we still be out the money if they had waited until everything was approved and signed off? Through this whole thing, that is the one biggest fact that I don't understand. Why would you start excavating and building a bridge BEFORE you had a signed final approval? I just hear my mother in the back of my head "that's why you don't count your chickens before they hatch"!
I understand she was the final nail in the coffin for the trail so to speak. Is she truly the one that cost us money or was it those that decided to break ground before they should have?
Not trying to divert the article or stir anything up, these are honest questions that I do not know the answers to.

thunderbolt

IMO, this didn't just start with her as a commissioner. When she was a member of the Newberg Rural Fire Board, she voted to join TVF&R. Her live in boyfriend (member of her household) was an officer and employee of TVF&R who stood to benefit financially from the merger. A clear violation of state ethics laws. Berschauer's campaign was bank rolled for one reason alone, to empower Starrett. So grateful for this recall. We can do much better than this for a county commissioner.

Rotwang

LOL. More like coalition of the woke. My house is up for sale.

Don Dix

Wow! Interesting twist here.

From the article -- "The press release alleges that “Berschauer’s political campaign collected campaign contributions from trail opponents who personally benefited from her actions.”

Now fill in these blanks -- __________'s political campaign collected campaign contributions from ___________ who personally benefited from her/his actions.

Does this apply to all or just a select few? If one standard for impeachment is this simple allegation, there should be millions in the cross-hairs, right?

Treehouse

John Fritter,
I believe the county's project for a bridge over Stag Hollow Creek, which was funded by grants from ODOT and State Parks, was approved, several times. As was the purchase of the right of way for the Yamhelas Westsider Trail. But a group of neighboring property owners hired lawyers and sued to stop the project and challenge the various construction elements. That was ultimately unsuccessful, although the process dragged out for a while. That's how our land use process in Oregon is, under state law. There are multiple levels of judicial and quasi-judicial review available. So the neighboring property owners got behind a candidate for the commission who would more or less promise to vote to cancel the project once elected. And here we are.

So I don't think it is correct for you to assert that the project "was never approved in the first place".

john fritter

Treehouse, I am very sorry for my mistake. I will should have never asked these questions here in the first place. I will seek my information from the correct sources from hear on out. Again I apologize.
J.F.

yamhillbilly2

JF, Seems like Treehouse answered one of your questions. What is the ‘correct source’ you are seeking? Or is it that you don’t care for the answer?

maddiesdaddy

Rotwang, how about you move to Eastern OR where the majority of Trumpers live & where the virus is running rampant.
They seem to align with your views.
By the way…do you even know what woke means LOL

Rotwang

You should know, from me writing these things for years, that I never voted for Trump.

LML

I will sign the petition but you can't blame her for the bridge fiasco.

David S. Wall

@John Fritter

From my recollections of several years ago...here are some answers to your questions.

"Why is it nobody questions why work was started on a project that was never approved in the first place?"

*The Yamhelas Westsider Trail (YHT) started out as an Economic Development project (2016-2017) but as such, the YHT project could not get grant funding.

*The majority of the BOC changed the YHT project into a Transportation project and as such, a Transportation project could receive grant funding.

"Would we still be out the money if they had waited until everything was approved and signed off?"

*The fatal flaw for the YHT project was the defective permit for the YHT which is thoroughly discussed in the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) decisions.

*The YHT permit was defective and therefore the entire project was doomed from the start. So, I would say YC taxpayers would still be out of the "money."

*Starrett opposed the YHT from the beginning to the end. No surprise here. However, Starrett did not publicly voice her concerns as to the obligations attached to the Grant money.

*But, the plot gets thicker how Berschauer was recruited by Starrett...Berschauer voted the way she publicly campaigned on the issue and to the satisfaction of some big money donors whose names appear boldly on the LUBA decisions. No surprise here either.

Go to Post #2

David S. Wall

David S. Wall

Post #2

@John Fritter

"Why would you start excavating and building a bridge BEFORE you had a signed final approval?"

*Ask former Yamhill County Commissioners Primozich and Olson why they voted to commence and continue the doomed project; and Commissioner Kulla (who is campaigning to be Governor) why they all voted; to accept Grant money and continued to spend Grant money without first; publicly discussing the financial obligations and correcting the defective YHT permit.

Commissioner Kulla has some tough explaining as to why he voted for the YHT only to have the process thrown back into his face.

"I understand she was the final nail in the coffin for the trail so to speak. Is she truly the one that cost us money or was it those that decided to break ground before they should have?"

*Yes, both Commissioners Starrett and Berschauer officially (and thoroughly) killed the already doomed project but, the YHT should never have been started without a legitimate permit.

*For the record, I am still opposed to the YHT for some of the reasons raised by the farmers.

*Were hazardous chemical contents of 'Railroad Tank Cars' flushed out or emptied slowly over the tracks for decades?

*To my knowledge, there were 'No' environmental sampling conducted on the railroad property before it was purchased.

*YC is a 'poor' county and the costs to maintain the YHT and the requirement of the Deputy Sheriff's costs to patrol the YHT to protect the public's safety make the YHT untenable.

Once the YHT became official, the adjoining cities might use the YHT as a pretext to expand their Urban Growth Boundaries (UGB).

*In my opinion, the YHT should have been sent to the Voters with all the information needed to make an informed decision (only with a valid permit).

David S. Wall

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