PORT ANGELES — Jim McEntire said he and fellow Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman acted “strictly by the book” when they supported a timberland exchange in 2013.
McEntire on Monday defended his August 2013 letter of support for a 4,000-acre timber exchange between the state Department of Natural Resources and Green Crow amid allegations from retired Commissioner Mike Doherty that the board may have violated transparency laws when members signed nearly identical letters without proper notice.
Doherty testified in a public hearing June 23 that he and the public had no way of knowing that the topic was being addressed because it did not appear on any agenda.
Doherty was in California when the letters were discussed in a Aug. 27, 2013, board work session. He joined the commissioners’ business meeting by phone later that morning.
An audio recording of the work session revealed that Chapman and McEntire discussed the timberland exchange and decided to send their own letters of support because Doherty was absent.
Chapman last week defended his actions and asked the state Auditor’s Office to look into the accusation that the board acted improperly.
“The discussion and the later action that was taken by two commissioners was strictly by the book,” McEntire said Monday.
“And so my conscience is clean. I think the allegations was founded in nothing other than the foul blast of partisan politics.
“That has no place here,” McEntire continued.
“I wanted to address the hit on my personal integrity and say that was founded in nothing.
“I wanted to get that on the record as a reaction and a response, and I appreciate my colleague’s reaction.”
McEntire said Chapman has been “diligent” in trying to keep politics out of the commissioners’ meeting room.
“Everything we do here, we do our very best to do according to the law as transparently and in an aboveboard fashion,” McEntire said.
“I think this commission is a model of openness and transparency in all cases. So that’s all I have to say about that.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.