Nine Ocean Shores residents have applied to replace Peggy Berry, who recently resigned from the City Council. (Now eight, after one dropped out.) The North Coast News invited the applicants, who will give oral presentations to council on Monday, to summarize who they are, and why they want the job.
Daniel Overton responded on Tuesday, too late for the newspaper edition; his reply is below. Bruce Leven did not reply. Here are the responses:

Email from a councilor, yesterday: “there will be a town hall meeting on March 20 2011 at 3PM at the Convention Center with no City staff present.  Citizens and the Council will interface on any subject for as long as necessary  to hear from all.”

I emailed back, asking: can the vote on a City Administrator be delayed, until after a Town Hall gives people a chance to ask questions/voice opinions?

His answer: “Probably not.”

It’s time for another of our popular “study sessions,” in which City Council and the Mayor of Ocean Shores ponder various topics. The public is invited to watch and listen to the governmental minds at work, but, alas, no public participation is generally permitted.

From the agenda for the City Council meeting on  Monday, Feb. 7: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Ocean Shores, Washington, creating the position of City Administrator . . . city admin ordinance

Gallup? We don’t need no stinkin’ Gallup! Who needs a multi-million dollar agency? Let’s do our own “Gallop Poll.” Topic 1:

How is the Ocean Shores government doing? Rate the following, from 0 (lowest, duh) to 10 (highest, double-duh):

City Council (Rate individually, or as a whole, or both):

-Peggy Berry

-Gordon Broadbent

-Dave Creighton

-Bob Crumpacker

-Jackie Farra

-John Lynn

-Dick Skewis

Mayor:

-Garland French

The seemingly contradictory “special regular” meaning the usual meeting, but on a different night (Wednesday instead of Monday). Settlement with former Fire Chief Hodges highlights a busy night:

City of Ocean Shores Special Regular City Council Meeting

Press release from Ocean Shores Mayor Garland French:

It is my pleasure to announce that Mr. Steven Ensley has been selected as Finance Director. Steve and his wife Carol have been long part time residents of Ocean Shores and full time residents and registered voters for the last six years.

Steve has successfully undergone an extensive interview process with me, other staff, Mike Folkers and council members, Bob Crumpacker, Dick Skewis and Gordon Broadbent. I also discussed the selection individually with every council member.

This week’s North Coast News has an article on the work, and fees, of Art Blauvelt, the contracted city attorney for Ocean Shores. Here are a few sample invoices from a public records request, click on any of the three to see in larger size, if that’s still not big enough to read, try holding down the “control” and “+” keys simultaneously to expand (white space are “redactions” by the city clerk):

This coming Friday marks the third anniversary of one of the most momentous (to use a cliche‘) City Council meetings in Ocean Shores history. At the Jan. 14, 2008 meeting, council unanimously approved $24.5 million in interim financing for the Street LID project; and unanimously approved a resolution to set the Mayor’s salary at $500 per month. And, by a 3-2 vote (Creighton and Crumpacker, opposed), it approved the $4.7 million Fire Station. Excerpts from the minutes:

Related to a story in today’s North Coast News, on how some salaries have risen more than 30 percent, in less than five years. As noted in the story, Mike Styner has been the Fire as well as Police chief for more than a year; and the new Library director, based on how new hires are compensated, is paid significantly less than what Judy Stull (who retired at the end of 2009) would have been making :

exempt salaries 2009

Exempt Employees Contract 4-27-09-1

Exempt Employees Contract 08-09 9-12-07

Exempt Employees Contract 2005

Exempt Employees Contract 9-22-04

exempt salaries 2004