Hoodsport retains commissioner

Kirk Boxleitner | Sep 23, 20210

Port of Hoodsport voters might notice some peculiarities on their ballot for commissioner elections this fall.

Port Operations Manager Kathleen Wyatt explained during the commissioners’ Sept. 15 meeting that no one filed for Commissioner Karen Booth’s position during the open filing period in May, nor had anyone filed for Commissioner Port Commissioner Lori Kincannon’s position, which Wyatt had not realized at the time was open.

“We haven’t had this situation before in the 11 years I’ve been here,” said Wyatt, referring to the position of an appointed commissioner being up for election during an odd year.

During a special filing period conducted in August, Cody Morris filed for Booth’s position, so he will run uncontested on the ballot, while no one filed for Kincannon’s position. She will fill out the remainder of her term, for two more years, until 2023.

Wyatt noted that Morris’ term will be “the typical six years,” and invited him to the Sept. 15 meeting “to see how we operate” before acknowledging that COVID-19 has precluded the Washington Public Ports Association from conducting new port commissioner training.

Booth expressed surprise that the WPPA hadn’t already used Zoom to conduct such training, while Wyatt repeated the possibility that this training might be conducted as early as October or November. Kincannon said the WPPA would prefer to wait until after the fall elections, especially so they can get a more accurate number of how many port commissioners might require training.

Commissioner Terry Brazil said the training is valuable, especially on matters such as the rules of quorum as they apply to three-member boards.

“I cannot call Karen and talk to her about port-related business because we would have a quorum of two,” Brazil said. “It limits what we can do legally.”

“Everything has to be done in a public meeting, if there’s more than one commissioner,” said Wyatt, who added that even email correspondence among port commissioners should be directed through the port operations manager.

“It can all come to me, for you all talk about it at the commission meetings,” Wyatt said.

Kincannon asked whether Morris owning a business — Potlatch Brewing Co. — meant his fellow port commissioners would be unable to patronize the establishment. Brazil and Wyatt reassured her that it simply means the port commissioners can’t talk port business during such visits.

Morris told commissioners he’s fascinated with local governance “and how people can pull together, and essentially affect change, to make life more pleasant.”

By learning the mechanics of local government, Morris said he hopes to make Hoodsport “a more livable, chill place to be.” With more than a decade of running his own businesses, he promised to bring experience with, and understanding of, finances and projections, and a love of making spreadsheets which he said he looks forward to “applying to the public good.”

Morris volunteered his business to serve as a space for public meetings, which Wyatt agreed would be useful, considering the port’s offices are “a glorified filing cabinet.” The other commissioners said they believed Morris’ beer-tasting room would be a more popular venue than the library or fire hall.