From the PDN today:
Sheila Roark Miller, the nation's only publicly elected county community
development director, will seek a second four-year term to the Clallam County
post.
The Department of Community Development, or DCD, is responsible for
comprehensive planning and processing development and building permits.
In addition to the DCD directorship, Roark Miller automatically serves as the
Clallam County fire marshal and building official.
Roark Miller, who resides in the Port Angeles area, said her family's 100-year
heritage in Clallam County provides a “unique understanding of our citizen's
viewpoints and unique cultural and ecological diversity, both from the west to
the east end of the county.”
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So here are my problems with all this.
One: Why is it that whenever you hear a phrase like "only in Clallam County" it's always describing something bad, stupid and backwards? We're the ONLY county that fills this position by election. Do you really think that's because Clallam County knows something all the other counties in the country don't? Or, do you suppose, this arrangement was put in place because, say, the local realtors thought it would be easier to game the system this way? Hmmm...
Two: Having this be a three-in-one position creates an artificial financial pressure to keep things the way they are. Can't you just hear a County Commissioner saying something like, "Well, if we change this, then we'll have to budget for two additional positions! I won't support that!"
Three: I'd say Miller's 100-year heritage in Clallam County is actually a negative, since it absolutely leads her to fall in line with the good ol' boys here, and helps to keep us out of touch with the real, modern world.
Four: From everything I have seen and heard, Sheila Roark Miller is very much a political partisan and very much a bully. And I hear her husband is rotten through and through as well. Whether or not this is due to her "100-year heritage" here, personal disposition, or both, the fact is she has been an unholy terror since taking this position. She has been spiteful, vengeful, and abusive.
So do you think this is a good deal for Clallam County? Do we benefit from, once again, being out of step with the entire rest of the country? Has this set up added to or detracted from our local economy and quality of life? What do you think?
I'd add that there's an inherent conflict of interest in her three positions at times, and that she is not the person to handle such conflicts of interest with integrity. With Sheila, as those of us who work at the county know, everything is personal, VERY personal.
ReplyDeleteExpect to see Dale Wilson at the Port O Call continue his fawning crush on this horrible woman. Do not expect to see unbiased coverage of her there, or in the PDN.
ReplyDeletemay I add: "meow"
DeleteSheila is all about customer service. Need some paperwork backdated to avoid those pesky regulations we all hate? Sheila's there to help!
ReplyDeleteP.S. - I feel that for clarification, I should also say that I was in no way a fan of Miller's predecessor, John Miller. He was a bumbling, scared, do-nothing nebbish. Whenever he had to answer a question or talk to anyone, he got that terrified deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. He was really, really weak - and it showed in just about every way possible. No wonder Sheila clobbered him in the election.
ReplyDeleteI agree with anonymous 7:38AM. From what my friends who work at the county say, the phrase "reign of terror" comes to mind. Sheila is petty and holds a grudge.
ReplyDeleteLiving proof that, yes, women can be good ol' boys.
ReplyDeleteOut of step is out of step. Having a position that is appointed every other place in the country be elected here is, at best, bizarre. And no, I don't believe it's because we have some secret knowledge here about why this is THE BEST way to do this.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, if it were an appointed position, would we be any better off here? Considering the yahoos we get as county commissioners, it's not difficult to imagine ending up with someone even worse than Roark Miller - someone's brother in law or some sort of BS.
Of course, the good part about that bad part is that, if they're appointed, then they can, in theory, be fired if need be. As an elected official, Roark Miller has to be recalled or voted out - both of which require lots of time, effort and an informed populace. (I think the weak link in that chain is the last item BTW.)
So, once again, we here in Clallam County end up with some rickety system that's sort of propped up and sort of works some of the time. It would be nice if we did stand out for being innovative or something positive. But no, we're noteworthy for our backward ways, our bulldozer rampages, and our branding of children. Wonderful.
Right. Why try to keep up with the standards and norms of the modern world when we can all pretend we're living in a log cabin in "the good old days" before all these outsiders came in with their strange ways.
DeleteSadly, the only way Clallam County seems willing or able to compete is in a race to the bottom.
Having this be a three-in-one position also creates a serious problem for voters in the future. We either have to hope that someone honest and qualified in all three fields runs, and wins - OR - make do with someone who is totally unqualified in one or more of these areas, in fact, being in charge of them.
ReplyDeleteHow is this sensible in any way?
" family's 100-year heritage in Clallam County" is exactly the point. Big deal 100 years. That is only a couple of generations. If my father were alive, he'd be 100 years old. This is the problem with the mindset of this area: no sense of history, no sense of perspective. So, a bunch of backwater loggers came here in 1914, and settled on a mudflat? A picture of 1914 Port Angeles: http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/curtis&CISOPTR=75 compare that to Boston 1914, or San Francisco. Please. How many Ivy League scholars were here? How many manufacturing jobs? How many people who held patents on anything at all? This isn't a town that was started by big, deep, or creative thinkers. They were uneducated red-necks, who's spawn now claim themselves to be our cities leaders and visionaries. Please. Red neck mud flat dwellers tend to not have a vision higher than where their next buck is coming from. Working class is working class, and they don't get that this country was created by some of the most educated, most creative, and mercantile geniuses. It's not about money. It's about CLASS. The reason Clallam county keeps clinging to these stupid concepts (that don't work anywhere) is because they are inbred with the arrogance that comes from stupidity.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you that I really like that last sentence. Inbred, arrogance, stupidity - Clallam County.
DeleteWhat's ironic (there's a word that confounds the rednecks) about these "rough cut" types around here is that their big macho posturing is just a painfully transparent act to hide how afraid they are of the world outside, the world as it is. So they devote all this time and energy to maintaining the none-too-convincing illusion that things in Clallam County are the same as they ever were.
DeleteThat's how we get the dying fingers clinging to the mills, mills, mills. That's how we end up with such hostility to the environment and environmental protections, even when they would mean money for the community. That's how we end up with so many obvious closet cases who are married in name only to people of the opposite sex.
These are people who know they can't cut it outside of here, so they're threatened when outsiders come here. These are people who are greedy and shortsighted, but are willing to pass up the money if it means the illusion is maintained. They are scared, small people, and they have created a scared, small town. And their fear will only make it shrink more and more and more.
...that's the norm in any conservative area. Except here they are too chicken to hook up. They try sometimes, and it's comical. Once, a couple of them, in the same week, accidentally sent me their names using the CL system, thinking they were conversing with someone else, and then I never heard back from them. TFF. But, yes, they do sort of hog the MFM listings on CL albeit pointless.
DeleteIt's stuff like this that really drive home how behind the times this place is. Gay marriage is being accepted by a sizeable majority of people, gay rights are moving forward at a brisk pace in the U.S., and in Clallam County...The Closet.
DeleteJust one more example of how this place doesn't keep up with things. Just one more example of how scared the people here really are. And having scared, unsophisticated, uneducated people making decisions for a community isn't exactly the path to success, is it?
And here we are. With a low standard of living and elevated rates of substance abuse.
The 3-in-1 makes total sense for some of the outrageous, egregious oversights of the National Building Code that I've seen around here. I guess one only must follow the "guidelines" if one isn't related to some of the pioneer families in this area. That's the case, right? "Hey, cuz, look the other way." "No problem, bubba."
ReplyDeleteTo whomever sent in the...revealing picture of Sheila Roark Miller. Yes, it looks like it could be her. No, I am not quite crazy enough to publish or distribute it. Good luck with that.
ReplyDelete???
DeleteThank you for your discretion, I guess.
DeleteSigh...
at least give us a hint...was it some compromising position?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBut...
DeleteNo hints here. No publishing here. If you ever see it, you'll know it, believe me.
DeleteA few years back Matt Randazzo was shopping around a photo he said could swing an election. I never saw it, never wanted to, and don't know if this is related, but it did remind me. Things get so ugly here.
DeleteWas this before or after he sabotaged Linda Barnfather's campaign for county commissioner? Was this before or after he took money to "manage" Sissi Bruch's city council campaign then did nothing to help her? Was this before or after he sabotaged Dale Holiday's campaign for county commissioner? Was this before or after he had Patsy Feeley pushed around and abused?
DeleteMy point is, Matthew Randazzo has a long history of undermining and attacking women. If he at one point had set his sights on Sheila, I wouldn't be at all surprised.
Yes but, isn't Matthew Randazzo in Olympia fucking things up on a state level now? Does he still have ties here? Does Melissa still own a house here?
DeleteAnd don't forget how Randazzo also has women do his dirty work for him, like Jack Slowriver. She was the one who sent out the hit piece email. Melissa has historically been the one to pay the bills while he goes off scheming and pushing his latest con. Even when he got fired from the North Olympic Land Trust, he called his mommy to threaten to sue them. Oh yes, he also ripped off poor Jaye Moore at the Raptor Center in Sequim. Yes, Matthew Randazzo does seem to have some issues with women, doesn't he?
DeleteJust a gentle note to point out that we're getting some "topic drift" happening here. Take things where you want to, but I did feel I needed to at least point this out.
DeleteAnyway, carry on.
If you really want to "unearth" the things that have made Clallam County such a terrible place, then you need to talk about all the backroom deals and unethical behavior that's come out of the local Democratic Party in the past decade. And if you're going to talk about that, there's no avoiding talking about Matthew Randazzo's part in that, or "Jack" Slowriver's. To do otherwise is to simply be part of the conspiracy of silence.
DeleteThank you. There's enough sleazy business to deal with here, without throwing sleazy photos into the mix. Or trolls. Or both.
ReplyDeleteYou ask, "Has this set up added to or detracted from our local economy and quality of life?"
ReplyDeleteI can tell you that, from the perspective of a new resident coming in to Clallam County and trying to figure out what you can and cannot do with your property, it has been very confusing. Different people in the DCD will tell you different things. I have had staff there treat me with respect and I have had staff there ignore me to keep talking to their co-workers. There is little I have seen in consistency of service, at the very least, and much I have seen (as someone from "out there") that just makes my head spin.
So to answer your question, the DCD has certainly not enhanced my quality of life, but they have added to the amount of paperwork (sometimes duplicative) that I have had to do. I suspect other newcomers from "out there" also feel shut out or confused by the slipshod way the department seems to be run.
welcome to the kangaroo court which the area is KNOWN for. If it doesn't make sense, that's because "its how we have always done it". As Buggs Bunny would say: maroons
DeleteA group that is totally complicit with the, shall we say, irregular approach to planning and permitting that the county takes, is the realtors here. 99% of them will lie lie lie and tell people whatever they think they want to hear, in order to sell them a piece of property.
DeleteI have heard so many cases where what the realtors tell them doesn't at all match what they then get told at the county. So people get soaked buying some land, then get jerked around paying for permits they were told they didn't need. Meanwhile the good ol' boy local realtors just laugh and move on to their next sucker, while the county gives the go ahead to almost any crackpot thing those same good ol' boys want to do.
The newcomers can be forced to jump through numerous hoops just to build a house on property zoned residential, while "real" locals can do the most outrageous things without worry of punishment. From what I can see, Sheila has been perfectly happy with this being the status quo, no matter how unfair or dysfunctional.
Maybe a good approach to adopt in life is to never vote (again) for people who have had to be investigated for whistleblower complaints? Or never vote for people who have admitted to falsifying documents? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteThis situation does present an interesting series of questions. The first being: Why would "appointment" be a better option for a public official than "election"?
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I'd say one is inherently "better," per se. Both are fraught with some kind of peril, to be sure.
DeleteBut the appointment route is the standard, and I see no evidence to support the notion that having it elected is indeed "better" in any quantifiable way.
Also, elections are subject to supply and demand. If only, say, Peter Ripley, signed up to run for DCD director, well then, Peter Ripley would be our DCD director - for four years. Also known as UH OH!
In theory, someone who is considered for being appointed to the position has to have some sort of relevant experience. Someone like that can be vetted by both the public and the governmental people doing the choosing. IN THEORY. (See also: "Rich Sill" for how the appointment process can go horribly wrong.)
Finally, I'd just say that, overall, Clallam County is just SO out of step with things already, that we don't need to cling to things that keep us in that position. Barring conclusive evidence that this oddball way of filling this position is an improvement over the standard way of doing it...I'd say why are we being so willfully foolish?
I still don't see how "appointment" is better than "the peoples' choice". I don't really care, I'm just trying to see the real logic, either way. "Appointment" relies entirely on the character, integrity etc of those doing the appointing. If we really do believe in "democracy", then why support appointments that preclude direct citizen involvement? If we're afraid of the "Peter Ripley Effect", why have any elected positions?
DeleteNow, I also see this as (at least) two separate issues. The position heading 3 different departments seems a stretch, too. THAT really doesn't make a lot of sense, other than cost cutting. If the sole goal is "cost cutting", then why stop at the DCD ? Why not combine the Dept of Corrections with the Sheriffs Dept, and Port Angeles PD? Why not combine the County Commissioners with the Port of Port Angeles and Port Angeles City Council? Health and Human Services with the hospital board, etc, etc, etc..
I don't care how you do it, elect one, appoint one, and have one hired...split the job into three parts, and see how far some of this b.s. flies.
DeleteThe ONLY candidate I would support for DCD director is one who makes a solemn pledge to, if elected, do everything they can to switch this back to being an appointed position. Short of that, I will do as I did last time, and write in NONE OF THE ABOVE.
ReplyDeleteI'll second that.
DeleteI so strongly disagree and am amazed at the support for the 'appointee' standpoint when the two ruling commissioners are so much the 'olld boys' you rail about. Throw in a Jim Peach, former Rainier employee also Republican and you want THEM to appoint a DCD?
DeleteMary Ellen Winborn should she win might bring some fresh air to this screwed up and backstabbed department. I am HAPPY that an interdependent and elected DCD person .will be able to stand up to this incompetent group of commissioners. Throw in an Auditor who will be a female (Shoona I hope) a Treasurer who despises the entire lot including Jim Jones and finally a commissioner candidate Sissi Bruch -- it is the end of the 'old boys network.'
I remember during a debate between John Miller and Sheila Roark Miller, she stated that she didn't think anything - anything - should require a building permit. The question had started as one about should someone have to get a permit to build a new wheelchair ramp as an add-on to an existing house. She said no, and then expanded by saying that she personally thought that no one should have to get a building permit. It was a stunning moment. She was really playing up to the (many) local yokels in the crowd, but I think she meant it.
ReplyDeleteNo permits, no regulations, no restrictions. Perfect for the sprint boat redneck high school dropout crowd. For those of us who actually aspire to live in a civilized society, it's a very worrisome perspective for someone in office to have.
If she's responsible for planning on a county-wide basis, how come everything here seems slapped together without rhyme or reason - that is to say, without a plan?
ReplyDeleteThe city, county, port, etc. all talk a great deal about planning and economic development. But the truth is, there are few rules here; those that there are are enforced erratically and based on who you know. Our economy continues to, at best, stagnate, and job creation efforts here are laughable.
So if Sheila is responsible for planning and permitting, she's certainly falling down on the planning part, while on the other hand, all sorts of outrageous things are permitted (either officially or otherwise).
Sheila Roark Miller or Mary Ellen Winford are NOT responsible for 'County Wide Planning.' The Cities have their own planning laws and do not need to follow any guidelines the County provides. They work under STATE guidelines. The present City Hall in Sequim would never pass the many criteria (landscape buffers, parking) that an entity would face trying to build the same sq.footage on property in the county. The PUD would also never allow that sq. footage of windows either. As I see it, the PORT can do anything it pleases.
DeleteThat said after being backstabbed by the commissioners and Jim Jones the department is a wreck.. Throw in the 8 planning commissioners that report to the three district commissioners you have another chain of command. Then you have two hearing review members, one judicial that can throw it all back in her face. Do it over! If not done it goes to Superior Court.
that's how MY HOUSE was built. No permits, not to code, and when I purchased it the papers said it was "to code" and no modification had been made without permits. When I found out, to the contrary, a local attorney told me "oh well, huh?" Seriously.
ReplyDeleteNo, no, you misunderstood. What they said was that your house had been built by rednecks "on codeine." Sorry if you misunderstood.
DeleteAnd if you have a problem with that, might I suggest that you "go back to California"? Thank you ever so much.
Yours truly,
Rough (Cut) RIders
I've always wondered why the local high school football team continues to use a common sexual slang term for painful, dry sex. And, the Port Townsend mascot was offensive!
DeleteYeah, you're right, I must have misunderstood "to code" when it was just a remark about the weather "yeah, it gets cold here".
Gee, do ya think Sheila would really work to not allow the type of situation that the poor folks in Oso find themselves in? Do you really think she'd say no to a developer or property owner who wanted to build somewhere kind of risky? Really?
ReplyDeleteIt's a race to see which falls in the drink first: Our dump, our hospital, or our expensive new waterfront. A bonus body might be Cutler's Turd Tank.
DeleteStay tuned for further developments...From the Department of "Community" Development.
You mean clear cutting? yeah, right.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, what is the deal with the highway widening project between Sequim and Port Angeles being built through an obvious wetland. We've all watched as the equipment has dug out that black muck on the western end of the project, and even before the rains started, the cut slopes on the southern side were slumping.
ReplyDeleteI thought wetlands were protected. Federally, and locally.
Is this another "I know nothinnngk" Shultz-Miller deal?
The 101 widening is A) totally unnecessary, as there is very little traffic on that road 363 days out of the year. And B) obviously being done to create yet another venue for our local legislators (Steve Tharinger, Kevin Van DeWege, etc.) to approve a make-work project that allows them to line their pockets, and appear busy.
DeleteAs for need of utility, this project has neither. It's a farce.
If you expect the DOD to act responsibly you are crazy. DOE is a neutered entity. The Carlsborg to Sequim Sewage plan is a 15 million dollar screw up. Just love the idea of pumped sewage going over the Dungeness, but 'outside' environmental experts said it was better than building s site (all downhill-not uphill) in Carlsborg.
DeleteThe city of Sequim just is drooling about that extra sewage.
Heh, but that is this county, and I am sure we are going to be paying reparations on the 'Graving Pit' fiasco for decades to come. As for the huge costs associated with the upgraded beaches to the marina - good luck Hope you get the money back before the sea level rises take it out. Mike Doherty, at least addressed that issue suggesting that we stop or slow down developments in such areas. Three Crabs Rd. in Sequim for example. Flooding and tidal surges will be affecting a great many areas around here.