Today the Port of Olympia Commissioners addressed how to go forward with the issues around Port Executive Director Sam Gibboney and her leadership.
In a Port of Olympia Commission Work Session today, Commissioner Joe Downing read this statement aloud:
This statement is being read on behalf of the Port Commission.
We support our Executive Director Sam Gibboney. Sam is a thoughtful and smart administrator. She has led the Port through the difficult COVID period and overseen the changing of personnel who did not support the direction the Port was taking.
We believe that Sam Gibboney is the right person to continue to lead the organization. Under her leadership, we have had many new initiatives that bring economic development to the area. We have an organization made up of folks with increasing morale and a love for their work. We trust Sam, and believe she exemplifies high ethical and moral standards. We want to thank our Executive Director and Port staff for moving the Port in a good direction with visible results.
Port of Olympia Commission President Amy Evans Harding told The JOLT, “I respect that the commission operates as a body, and I will continue to respect that. And I will move forward with the commission body as a whole.”
“I think that having a strong leadership is fundamental to the running of an organization. Dissent is healthy, it’s part of democracy, and working together as an organizational body is critical,” Evans Harding said.
“I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners to do what we were elected to do, which is what we think is right,” said Evans Harding.
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psterry
So will Gibboney be able to compose her own performance review? What other organization permits this nonsense?
Monday, April 17, 2023 Report this
Bobwubbena
Thank you, Port Commissioners, for your statement of clarity in support of the Port Commissioners, the Executive and all of the staff working as a team for the good of our Thurston County community. This is what we all should expect from you, and we in turn should respect the work of others. We don't need disgruntled staff (former and current) creating conflict using the JOLT as a "Dear Abby Column". We don't need former Commissioners from Idaho second guessing team leadership and acting as "Dear Abby", and we don't need union antagonizers from California disrupting planned negotiations in Thurston County. Our citizens and leaders in Thurston County are professionals and good people. Let them lead. Some basic fact checking supports the above.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Report this
JW
It's hard to know what to believe when you have one side talking about how great she is for the team and the other side portrays her as the under secretary to Satan himself.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Report this
TonyW33
One does wonder when and where the decision was made to produce this document, and who wrote it? Why did Amy cave to the pressure whatever source?
Also, as a point of reference on state law, the preamble to RCW 42.30, the Washington State Open Public Meetings Act, says this:
"RCW 42.30.010 Legislative declaration. The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed and informing the people's public servants of their views so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. For these reasons, even when not required by law, public agencies are encouraged to incorporate and accept public comment during their their decision-making process."
Now two of the current commissioners weren't involved then, but a few years back the Port of Olympia was well and thoroughly schooled on the OPMA by Arthur West. Perhaps it is time to do that again or to initiate a recall on the one commissioner who should remember the pertinent events.
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Report this