Update 9:45 a.m. Aug. 10 (see below) – Chris Henry
The Kitsap Sun’s environmental reporter Chris Dunagan has apparently found a new fan in Seattle talk show host Dori Monson.
On Wednesday, Monson and his KIRO radio guests discussed Dunagan’s story that ran Sunday about the removal of geese from the Tracyton waterfront, a move that angered at least one resident.
Today Monson picked up on Dunagan’s story about Karcher Creek Sewer District Commissioners, who have agreed to pay back $2,700 in expenses they incurred at the end of an 18-day European trip to investigate advanced sewage-treatment systems.
The announcement of the repayment was made Wednesday after Gene David Hart of Bremerton filed a complaint about the expenses with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office.
Apparently Kitsap County is fertile ground for stories that are off-beat (yet issue-oriented) enough to appeal to Monson and his fans.
Update: In a follow up story, Chris Dunagan wrote about state Auditor Brian Sonntag’s take on Karcher Creek Goes to Europe. Read the story here.
According to the report below, “Larry Curles, general manager for Karcher Creek, said the commissioners have discussed the issue at length. They are aware of their responsibility as well as perceptions. But there has been a lot of misinformation, he added.”
My God, those Karcher Creek Sewer District Commissioners, Susan Way, Jim Hart and William Huntington still don’t get it.?
According to the Washington State auditors’ report, Susan Way, Jim Hart and William Huntington didn’t notify the public they would be meeting together in Europe. Does that represent “…a lot of misinformation”, breaking the Open Meetings law, or something else?
According to the Washington State auditors’ report, Susan Way, Jim Hart and William Huntington rang up thousands of dollars in hotel and per diem charges to the public without doing public business. Does that represent “…a lot of misinformation”, breaking a lot of laws, or something else?
Okay, let’s put aside “…a lot of misinformation.” – the six, yes six, written news reports about the European trip, about using public money for personal and private expenses, and about the Washington State auditors’ report.
Let’s dig down to the truth. The truth is, I’m not a lawyer, auditor or investigator. But I am a reader. And my reading of the Washington State auditors’ report and Washington State laws tells me Susan Way, Jim Hart and William Huntington violated the public trust and a lot of Washington State laws. And as the commissioners continue down their path, I see they duck and weave, hem and haw, and now spin, using the phrase “a lot of misinformation”, to cover-up the seriousness of what they have done, failed to do and refuse to do.
Sincerely,
Gene
State Auditor Questions European Sewer Trip
By Christopher Dunagan
cdunagan@kitsapsun.com
Thursday, August 9, 2007
PORT ORCHARD
The perception of public expenditures can be as important as actions themselves, State Auditor Brian Sonntag said, questioning a European trip taken by Karcher Creek Sewer District commissioners.
“This is less an auditor speaking than someone who has been in public service for 35 years,” Sonntag told the Kitsap Sun. “I think we need to be aware of the perception of our stewardship of public dollars.”
The three Karcher Creek sewer commissioners and manager of the district’s sewage-treatment plant spent more than two weeks in Europe investigating a new technology with potential applications in Kitsap County.
State auditors who reviewed the district’s books did not question the trip itself, but they raised concerns about the commissioners’ arrival two days before official business started and their departure two days after business was over.
The three sewer commissioners have repaid the district nearly $900 each for expenses that the auditors identified after business was over.
Sonntag’s personal comments went beyond the findings of his auditors.
“My question as a citizen and taxpayer … is, why does it take three commissioners to spend 17 days in Europe?” he said. “We have to respond to the public view of how this looks.”
Because the commissioners are elected officials, they will have to justify the trip to their constituents, Sonntag said.
Larry Curles, general manager for Karcher Creek, said the commissioners have discussed the issue at length. They are aware of their responsibility as well as perceptions. But there has been a lot of misinformation, he added.
“We have discovered a new (sewer) technology that is being processed for approval in Washington state,” Curles said.
The technology, called membrane biofiltration, could replace failing septic systems and open the door to a new era in water conservation, Curles said. The investment could be significant, but the payoff could be huge.
“We need to make sure that it works the first time, every time, all the time,” he said.
Curles noted that a different group of Karcher Creek commissioners undertook similar fact-finding trips, with travels to Japan and Canada, before approving a state-of-the-art treatment plant, now in operation. That plant produces possibly the cleanest effluent of any plant in the state.
Curles said it was important to talk to plant operators in Europe, not just the salesmen who travel to the United States on behalf of various companies. He noted that one of the commissioners, Jim Hart, has undergone formal training as a wastewater manager. The other two, Bill Huntington and Susan Way, are working hard to understand the advanced systems.
“This technology is promising; it is exciting; and it is truly worth the opportunity to review it,” Curles said.