Port of Shelton Executive Director John Dobson(Statement read & presented to Port Commission 5/3/11)
Submitted to Shelton Blog by Amy Davis Mason County Progressive
May 3, 2011
Board of Commissioners
Port of Shelton
W. 21 Sanderson Way
Shelton, WA 98584
RE: Competency Issues
Dear Board of Commissioners:
In legal jargon the word “standing” often refers to the right of one entity to bring action against another, and is usually associated with real or perceived damages.
By contrast, requirements for giving public testimony at Port of Shelton meetings are far less restrictive, falling under the public’s right to be heard. Arguably, the difference between these two approaches to concerns is the measure by which Port operations are deemed to be beneficial to the public.
That said, over the past year the Port of Shelton has been involved in several disturbing actions, most notably a court case brought by a group of citizens; a hearing to recall the Chair; a personal dispute involving the Port’s Director that came very close to culminating in a court case; two controversial motions to reimburse the legal fees incurred by two Port affiliated individuals; and one very long, very arduous and ongoing legal battle waged by the Port of Shelton against the City of Shelton.
If the above events are any indication of the Port’s ability to perform its duties in a professional and equitable manner, then by all reasonable standards it has failed, and any restructure should include the immediate dismissal of Executive Port Director, John Dobson.
Sincerely,
Amy Davis
Shelton, WA
Cc: Brian Sontag, Washington State Auditor
Rob McKenna, AG, Washington State
Photo by Christine
The Executive Director has been problematic and conflicted from the start. As the now former President of the Pilot's Association Mr. Dobson lacked the ability to envision the entirety of the Port Mission statement, choosing instead to represent one small constituency of only a portion of the Port, the pilots. In the meantime the Port business park has remained under utilized, the marina is practically falling down, requiring an estimated $1 million to repair and the fairgrounds have been ignored, poorly maintained and the fair itself all but abandoned. All the while the Executive Director focuses on one small portion of the port operations representing his organization of pilot friends and engaging in wasteful and expensive litigation that penalizes the greatest number of citizens while ultimately serving none.
ReplyDeleteThe Port of Shelton has a mission statement and the Executive Director and Commissioners should be removed and replaced with responsible representatives that will fulfill the mission of the port and fairly serve the needs of the entire community and not just one small privileged group.
Nicely and succinctly stated, Mrs. Davis!
ReplyDeleteClear cut put it well too: These incompetents should be removed and replaced with "responsible representatives" who will fulfill the mission of the port, and who will (for a change) "serve the needs of the entire community and not just one small privileged group."
Why the long face, Seabiscuit?
ReplyDelete