______________________________________________________________
From: Barbara Rosenkotter
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2013 11:45 AM
To: Terry Williams
Subject: San Juan Lead Entity Transition
Dear Terry,
As a follow up to my voice mail message…
We are considering moving the fiscal agent for the San Juan / WRIA2 Lead Entity from San Juan County to the San Juan Islands Conservation District. As you may recall, the Lead Entity was originally housed within the San Juan Islands Conservation District when the Lead Entity program was established in the San Juans in 2000. It was moved to San Juan County in 2005.
Due to ever tightening county budgets San Juan County has sought to recoup additional overhead costs at the same time that federal and state funding for the Lead Entity program has been reduced. This has put an ongoing squeeze on the local program. As you know, the Lead Entity Coordinator position was reduced to part time this last year due to the reduction in funding.
The San Juan Islands Conservation District has offered to become the fiscal agent once again to house the Lead Entity program for San Juan / WRIA2. And is offering to do so at about half the overhead costs that San Juan County requires. It seems like a prudent step to accept this offer to move the Lead Entity program back to the local Conservation District. This move will allow for more funding to support the actual program and require less of the funding to be expended on overhead costs.
Based on the Salmon Recovery RCW 77.85 it is our understanding that tribal governments should be consulted regarding the proposed fiscal agent change for the San Juan / WRIA 2 Lead Entity program (see the statutory language below). And in consultation with Lloyd Moody of the Governors Salmon Recovery Office and the Recreation and Conservation Office, who oversees the Lead Entity programs across the state, he has confirmed that tribal governments would need to provide their support by letters or resolutions.
Thus this email to you requesting your assistance to provide a Tulalip letter of support or resolution in support of the change in fiscal agent for the San Juan / WRIA2 Lead Entity.
Please let me know if you perceive any issues with this request and also let me know if there is anyone else at Tulalip that I should work with on this request.
Thank you,
Barbara Rosenkotter
Lead Entity Coordinator for Salmon Recovery
San Juan County / WRIA2
barbarar@sanjuanco.com
360-370-7593
PO Box 947
135 Rhone Street
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
77.85.050
Habitat project lists.
(1)(a) Counties, cities, and tribal governments must jointly designate, by resolution or by letters of support, the area for which a habitat project list is to be developed and the lead entity that is to be responsible for submitting the habitat project list. No project included on a habitat project list shall be considered mandatory in nature and no private landowner may be forced or coerced into participation in any respect. The lead entity may be a county, city, conservation district, special district, tribal government, regional recovery organization, or other entity.
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Wow. Reminds me of the old George Carlin bit about work and jobs...
ReplyDelete"You gotta take charge. Tell 'em, it's MY JOB, I'll do it MY WAY"....
Do any TH readers have a copy of the SJC personnel rules of conduct? Have to think there is something that would prohibit such subversive, backhanded, sneaky behavior.
But then again, maybe its allowed.
From the Summer 2013
ReplyDeleteSJI Conservation District
Conservation Projects Completed!
In 2013, the San Juan Islands Conservation District provided financial and technical assistance to landowners and residents in implementing 12 on-the-ground conservation Projects.
Projects completed include:
Compost facility at the San Juan County Fairgrounds.
Forest restoration and rain garden installation at the Bonnie Brae Community on Orcas Island.
Rainwater catchment and irrigation system for the Orcas Island School District’s Farm to Cafeteria Program.
Improved irrigation systems for multiple farms on Orcas and San Juan.
Improved manure and nutrient management to reduce groundwater contamination on Lopez.
Rain gardens at Lavender Hollow.
Green roof restoration at Orcas Village Green.
And here, in all its glory, read all about it, the website of the San Juan County Local Integrating Organization (LIO) are as known to the local street noise the "Action Agenda Oversight Group." huh? Say wha'?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sanjuanlio.com/?page_id=11
And they shall say unto you all, bad spelling included:
"Recognizing that ecosystem recovery requires local actions to bet effective, San Juan County established the San Juan County Local Integrating Organization, also known in San Juan County as the Action Agenda Oversight Group.
The San Juan County Local Integrating Organization builds on numerous existing committees, non-government organizations, county agencies, and tribes that have taken responsibility for a healthy ecosystem in the San Juan Islands. Together, representatives from these organizations provide recommendations on strategic direction, setting priorities, and funding specific programs and actions."
@10:32
ReplyDeleteThese so called "projects completed"......
A more honest depiction would be "grants obtained". The CD helps people fill out paperwork and get grant money.
This is my tax money. We have incomprehensible federal deficits. How is it a good idea to keep milking the system?
Do you have a clue how close to collapse all of the excessive federal and state spending has pushed us?
When it does collapse, it will be too late. Even then, these folks will blame someone else.
All these Eco mobsters use the word sustainable. Can anyone tell me what the hell is so sustainable about confiscating private wealth and redistributing it through these groups for hobby farming?
Hey, its not all about hobby farming, they did two projects for Lisa Byers.
ReplyDeleteImpressions from The Village, home of the Horrifying Black Coal Ship Monster Thingee from Outer Space.
ReplyDeleteProgram board has the Conservation District this afternoon delivering an informative lecture on progressive prehistoric soil or something. The only person hanging out at the Friends booth seems to be Lovel Pratt. Friends staff are out kayaking with binoculars.
Actually Lovel seems to be wandering around The Village quite a bit, probably has a bunch of appointments. Ron Zee earlier in the day strolling around inside the The Village hands behind his back. What a little tin horn.
Later on, Lincoln Boorman makes a guest appearance at little table, advising on taxcode loopholes for ag open space or something.
In The Village, one gets the sense that its Lovel, Ron and Lincoln sort of nudging things along. Some folks seem to think The Village vanished to the far corner of the fair grounds for a couple reasons. Remember The Village was right in the middle of everthing for a number of years? Sure was last year. They moved away from the Ag Tent now that Lovel lost her seat and some folks want to tone down the connections.
And get The Village out the limelight, circle the wagons because the heat is on and they don't want so much publicity any more.
"Be Seeing You."
I don't see Lovel as Pirate Jenny
ReplyDeleteThe Black Freighter, Kurt Weil, Lotte Lenya. This is what revolution sounds like.
http://youtu.be/aFP3x4bKpZE
Hey, way to spend money on public relations, Conservation District. All of a sudden, its website has "content." But then, that's why they laid off the qualified, competent resources planner and the office manager, because Linda Lyshall can do public relations at an even higher salary than either of them. Oh, and two NEW employees showed up suddenly. I am sure that the hiring was discussed in CD board meetings, and approved by the board. Wonder what they do and who pays? ANOTHER stormwater position? Are you kidding me? We ahve about 1/100 of the "stormwater" that the average town or city in the state has, but we have the most aggressive spenders, for sure.
ReplyDeleteHey, that's DR. LYSHALL to you.
ReplyDeleteI would like to post a correction. Here at the TH comment section, we strive for unbiased accuracy. In a number of our previous posts, we referred to Ed Hale as a "Dolt". After careful review of the best available science and using the DVA (drool volume average) method, we have adjusted our classification from "Dolt" to "Dunce".
ReplyDeleteSorry for any confusion that has been caused.
Good news for morons, idiots, dumbasses, and now dolts, you won't have Ed at your monthly annual meetings.
If you would like a copy of our findings, just give me a few hundred thousand dollars and some additional staff and we will get those right out.
whoa, who is "we" in "We are considering"? The royal we?
ReplyDeleteNaw, just mental damage, split personality caused by a lust for power, sort of like the Golem in Lord of the Rings.
ReplyDelete"We wants it, we needs it, must have the precious!"
Ed --
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing untoward going on here. The tribal governments, among other entities, are required to approve the transfer of the lead entity function from one place (San Juan County) to another (Conservation District). Barbara asked me for the addresses of the tribal governmental contacts, and I provided them to her as a courtesy. I would do it again if asked and if I knew the information. Even as a private citizen I would do that.
The legal requirements for who has to approve the lead entity are in the Revised Code of Washington in the Salmon Recovery Act. It is all available to you online.
I would be happy to discuss this publicly with any of you at any time and place that is mutually agreed. Other than that, I would appreciate it if you folks would leave me out of this. Thank you.
-- Kit Rawson
Where do you see "we are considering"?
ReplyDeleteLike the old saying "we can't all be fiscal agents"
@ Kit Rawson
ReplyDeleteI'm not Ed, but I don't think you're a central part of the story here, Kit, but there is something untoward going on here. Whether it is purposeful on Barbara's part or not, she is a county employee contacting other governments without the council's consent about an important policy and funding change. That's not just "untoward," that's outrageous.
If you want to stay out of the news, Kit, then conduct yourself in accordance with your objective. It's not the TH's fault you got swept up in these events. These are public records, and if you want to remain private, then live a private life.
I'm not the Editor (Ed) either but from what I have observed over the years, as if this blog had never existed, I see that Kit has played a pretty important role around here, promoting the interests of outside governments on our local government. I would doubt that hardly anyone understood the extent of influence (approvals?) tribal government brings to bear on these programs here, until the TH pointed it out. That Kit's name appears as a player in this current controversy isn't too surprising. What would be helpful would be if Kit could inform the public and the County Council (who didn't even receive a courtesy copy of this correspondence) a little bit on the background of tribal involvement and influence on local policies. I don't think we know much about that, and we have a need to know.
ReplyDeleteOr if this whole MRC LIO was even 20% related to actual efforts to save and increase salmon population, there should be an open dialogue about stopping the destructive "tribal" or "native" fishing practices.
ReplyDeleteSeriously. Here is an idea. Take the million dollars of next years Grant's and buy salmon with it. Institute a 1 year trial ban on all tribal fishing. Let's do that and see what the population of the salmon looks like.
Here, I'll speak for the fish......"help help help. These nets are wrecking the entire floor of the sound. Please stop these crazy fisherman that are decimating our homes"
Oh wait, the aluminum dock with 6 piers in the water is probably the problem.
Nothing says honoring your native land and traditions like wrecking the salmon runs under some PC guise.
Nothing says honoring your native land and traditions like building a casino and gas station in the tidal flats.
Nothing.
@ Kit
ReplyDeleteWhen "Native Americans" or "First Peoples" clean up all the garbage, junk, trash, and general mounds of shit and broken cars off the res come talk to us "Europeans" about the San Juans; and when they stop indiscriminately wiping out whole runs of salmon and just dump then on the beach come talk to us about environmental concerns...you're disgusting hypocrite of the worst kind.
The more you know, the more you know the CD must be shut down, closed.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the person who supplied the 12 projects accomplished by the CD in twelve months, but these small doings just don't seem to me to justify this mini government continuing and trying to make itself a whole lot bigger.
This entity has a taxing authority over every man, women and child in San Juan County. Is it justified, I think not.
Dump it.
Well the CD could accomplish more if we had more money!
ReplyDeleteThe CD "accomplishments", at least several of them, simply involved obtaining USDA grants for people. Acting as the "fiscal agent".
ReplyDeleteHow many shovels do they have in their office? How many pick up trucks with rakes, soil sample augers do they own?
I personally feel the key is here...
ReplyDelete"The San Juan Islands Conservation District has offered to become the fiscal agent once again to house the Lead Entity program for San Juan / WRIA2. And is offering to do so at about half the overhead costs that San Juan County requires."
The "tribes" are responding to this plea w/absolutely no information whatsoever about what "..half the overhead costs...." are.
That is the key. The basic overhead costs are a pittance. But that is not the message Miss Barbara wants to convey.
Correct?
65 million dollars in federal grant money for the state of Washington is up for grabs, courtesy of Sen Murray and the ecomobsters on the federal level.
ReplyDeleteOle Murray sure brought home the bacon with that one. Hell, she only asked for 31 milly. Must have been payback for something else too.
To quote a previous poster.....Step right up and see the amazing Rosenkotter! Watch as she magically transforms your hard earned money in to spent grant funds. Step right up!!! Anyone want to bet that the current council has a big chalk handprint on their backs? Courtesy of Zee and Rosentrotter.
We are fighting for our survival as a nation and it will only come through cumulative victories in the battles on the local level.
Take notice. Our inconsequential "anonymous" "angry" "street noise" blog made casual mention of a petition to dissolve the CD and they mobilized quickly to put on a dog and pony show in order to speak in favor what was presented as simply a legal thing that was necessary for compliance. For the first time in council history, the trotted out a call in line. Wow.
Good work folks. I've got some more powerful stuff for the fight against the CD, but we don't want to tip our hands to the machine.
Curious that the next week meeting is scheduled for Shaw. They will be reviewing the FOSJ stooges that got rammed into the MRC slots. Hopefully Bob and Rick fully vett these clowns and bump a few of them off.
Wonder if the video stream will be live?
Bob & Rick, if you read this, please approach your service with the idea that you will only serve one term. Do everything you can to right this ship. This will take tough and unpopular choices. The machine will scream as you work to pry the fingers of Zee and the FOSJ loose from their "fiscal agentry". Cut off their funding, they will shrivel up.
I'd say something different to Bob and Rick: don't worry about re-election! You got elected because people saw through the Lovel Pratt BS and were sick of it. Kepp asking questions and refusing to accept BS answers from staff. Keep making logical choices. Re-Election will come naturally.
ReplyDeleteMr Rawson,
ReplyDeleteYou say, "I would do it again if asked and if I knew the information. Even as a private citizen I would do that."
I´m afraid you have it backwards. It has generally been understood since the magna carta that a private citizen is less constrained than his public counterpart.
Perhaps a brief review of a middle school civics text is worthwhile.
Mr Rawson,
ReplyDeleteYou say, "I would do it again if asked and if I knew the information. Even as a private citizen I would do that."
I´m afraid you have it backwards. It has generally been understood since the magna carta that a private citizen is less constrained than his public counterpart.
Perhaps a brief review of a middle school civics text is worthwhile.
So next council meeting Buffum has home court advantage. Wonder what kooky krap she has been brewing in order to convince the council that all of her stooges should remain on the committee (MRC).
ReplyDeleteI hope Bob and Rick have been doing homework and vetting these clowns.
Here is a tough question, who is more despised, Buffum or Hale?
Just follow the money, peeps.
ReplyDeleteIn these interesting economic times, what is the single replenishing funding source across this region to support the ongoing local implementation of the PSP Action Agenda as the federal and state money dry up?
Aw, c'mon. It's not that hard.
Tribal casino money.
There ya go. That's what's happening. Now you understand the flurry of correspondence, why the council was kept out of the loop, why Wannabe Rawson pipes up out of the ether again to tell us to move along, nothing to see folks.
This isn't some bizarre conspiracy. It's just a racket.
It's just business.
Mr. Chair Jamie Stephens, sets the agenda and gets plenty of calls at night, moves the council meeting over to Shaw to Friendly territory, out of the public spotlight, to deliberate on the important matter of MRC membership suitability.
ReplyDeleteYup. Uh huh. As Mark Twain once said:
"Why even the burglar couldn't have done that better."
Didn't Kit offer to help bring over to San Juan County, a group of tribal leaders ... chairmen ... to actually sit down and meet our Council in an open, joint session? Similar to what the Council and the Town of FH do from time to time? Come on Kit, give us hand here. If these folks have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear right? Why so secretive about all this?
ReplyDeleteMy impression is that the tribes are possibly unaware that Barbara R is doing this behind the council's back.
ReplyDeleteShe's using them as much as she's using us.
Could be wrong but... thoughts?
It is possible, but if I were reading official correspondence I would always glance down to see the Cc because I'd want to know how the letter was being circulated.
ReplyDeleteSo, no not really. I think whoever is reading the correspondence on the tribal government side is well aware that the San Juan County Council is being blind-sided.
That just seems so Admin 101, you know?
It may be that the San Juan County Council really has no say in where the Lead Entity Program winds up. That would help explain why the Council (with the likely exception of Jamie Stephens) is sort of out of the loop on this.
ReplyDeleteRemember the larger objective is to move all these programs as far away from local control and public oversight as possible. That's why the Conservation District is such an ideal consolidation play.
I think that may be incorrect. At a recent meeting Barbara R was asking the council about the CD and Rick Hughes and Bob both questioned her and set it aside. Barbara acted surprised and put out.
ReplyDeleteSo...seems the council has the say.
Anybody? confirm?
I meant the say in decisions...
ReplyDeleteI completely agree w/your
"Remember the larger objective is to move all these programs as far away from local control and public oversight as possible. That's why the Conservation District is such an ideal consolidation play."
Really scary people these fish speaker types.
Nothing untoward? Just think of the fussing and howling that would have happened if the shoe were on the other foot. What if the San Juan County Council were working with a staffer at the tribal governments to take away tribal programs and funding?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that Rawson, Rosenkotter, and the rest of them never think anything untoward is going on. That's the problem. They treat public business as if it were their private business. They just don't get it.
What the Dorf do these dorfholes not understand about the fact that this is OUR tax dollars?
ReplyDeleteI should have made more clear in my "Projects Completed" post-this was an Email I just received and included upcoming and past workshops, soil testing services available with the projects. The timing is interesting, I don't remember receiving an Email from the CD before. The excited energy of a new manager, or response to targeting by an underground group?
ReplyDeleteWhich underground group? The Machine sure seems to like dark, damp places. If you make it to the County Fair, be sure to take a stroll through The Village ... Wow.
ReplyDeleteBut I am sure the new manager is pretty excited right now, no doubt about it.
Lincoln Boorman removes taxes on property that must then be made up somehow. Right? And then supports loopholes for farmers that often may not need jobs if they can afford enough land here to farm in the first place. Right?
ReplyDeleteThen he supports the Fs etc...who gobble up money like crazy. Has he not thought this through? Where is the money supposed to come from?
I don't understand all of this!
@Kit Rawson
ReplyDeleteApologies for the delayed response. Yes, I understand the RCW requirements, but these posts have more to do with the span of authority of the Council (and staffers) over policy decisions affecting the County. Not being an elected official, Rosenkotter is not in a position to set County policy. She can recommend; she can warn; she can encourage; she can consult with her management and (after following the chain of commend) the Council too. However, she did not do that. She unilaterally took action, and if her management (i.e., Rene Beliveau) sanctioned her activities, then Rene is just as much to blame. In fact, Rene's position is rather untenable either way, since not knowing what his staff was doing is just as bad as knowing for this case.
This is a matter of public policy and good governance, and knowingly or not, you inserted yourself right smack dab in the middle of it. As @5:24 said, if you want to live a private life (and I can understand the desire for personal privacy), then you can and should do that.
Rosenkotter says "it is our understanding that tribal governments should be consulted regarding the proposed fiscal agent change for the San Juan / WRIA 2 Lead Entity program" but somehow she forgot to consult with her employer, the county?
ReplyDelete@7:50
ReplyDeleteYou really think Rosentrotter didn't consult with the county? Jamie knew full well what was going along. They were trying to slip this by with a "nothing to see here" vote. Thankfully Bob and Rick were paying attention.
Watch the video again from the day this transpired. Jamie was not happy that things weren't going according to the plans and wishes of his overlords. Barbara was miffed too, having to answer questions.
I'll go back thru that video and get some good quotes.
Which is worse? Management that is wholly unaware of what their staff does, or management that allows unfettered subversive activity to exist?
I can only imagine that if someone had managed Hale better,maybe the outcome would be better. It literally couldn't have been worse.
I hope Bob and Rick are doing their homework and reviewing the proposals more thoroughly before approving stuff.
Imagine if the Sheriff was working without consulting the council to transfer authority over to homeland security?
Or if a public works employee was working to transfer control of all road work to a private contractor who happens to be a donor to he party that they campaign for. That's what BR has done. This should be grounds for termination, or at the very least, a severe reprimand.
Call or write an email to your council member or the new county manager. Tell him he was hired to put a stop to this sort of inmate running the asylum behavior.
Anyone ever read 89.08.200 RCW about supervisors. Zee being one of them.
ReplyDeleteIt says they can be removed from office for "neglect of duty or malfeasance of office, BUT FOR NO OTHER REASON".
Wow they really protect their own.
Time to read up on malfeasance and see which of Zees activities might qualify.
Big stretch, but sure why not?
ReplyDeletehttp://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/malfeasance
malfeasance n. intentionally doing something either legally or morally wrong which one had no right to do. It always involves dishonesty, illegality, or knowingly exceeding authority for improper reasons ... can apply to corporate officers, public officials, trustees, and others cloaked with responsibility.
"Cloaked with responsibility" is great term. The opposite could be "cloaked in secrecy."
Couple of things: (OK, maybe a bit more)
ReplyDeleteThe County Fair "Green Gulch" is the most negative bit of grandstanding literally yelling at people that doom and destruction is coming next week.
(No mention that currently hundreds of ships quietly pass our islands WEEKLY and have for many years.)
I think this cake has been baked and is now about six months past the sell date. The black plastic bags with all the political signs was more than a bit over the top. You had the signs from the last march and had to use them again?
This negative approach is going nowhere. Again, FOSJ stalwarts; YOU NEED NEW MANAGEMENT! Herein, thinking people, wish FOSJ and your existing management, goodbye.
Secondly, Why does San Juan County need the Conservation District? Land Bank money could be spent on major environmental projects fully vetted to actually expect a environmental benefit. Yes, the LB needs to stop buying land.
It is pragmatism we need. It is pretty damning when a ferry has to go to three islands to get the fire fighters necessary to put out a structure fire three block from the Town of Friday Harbor Fire House.
Without an economy that works you are not going to have people fit enough to put on 65 pounds of turn out gear to fight a fire. This should concern us islanders a whole lot more than what is falsely orchestrated by the network at the "Green Gulch."
Get ready, that Black Freighter is a political campaign for 2014. No coal. No oil. We're to blame. So we must vote for rich out of touch bullies masquerading as Democrats, especially in Whatcom County. The money is already pouring in.
ReplyDeleteDo you realize that 300 MILLION PEOPLE were lifted out of poverty in China within ten years? Yes that took a hell of a lot of energy. Yes, that messed up our trade balances. Real sustainable development needs to 1) Get China off of soft high sulfur coal as they proceed through a long term energy transition and 2) The US needs to rebalance the trade deficit.
A market for hard, low sulfur coal isn't ideal but it actually reduces carbon emissions by off setting the high sulfur coal currently being burned, and it goes a good distance to rebalance trade.
Those are pretty big forces to contend with. Let's hear it for progressives opposing progress.
I don't like coal. I don't like oil. I don't like massive trade imbalance.
I DO like 300 MILLION souls lifted out of poverty within 20 years! I like that a lot!
Any projects by the CD in the last year were not done by the people who are at the CD now. It has been overtaken. There is no intent to do any actual projects with actual farmers. There are too many secret meetings to attend to find out where the next gravy train is and who to partner with.
ReplyDeleteThere does not need to be any $ paid by taxpayers to the CD. Protest it with the County on your bill.