PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will assemble a committee to review the applications of four potential hearing examiners, commissioners decided Monday.
The county has been without an official hearing examiner since Mark Nichols was sworn in as prosecuting attorney Nov. 25.
Hearing Examiner Pro-tem Lauren Erickson will continue to adjudicate land-use hearings until the three commissioners select Nichols’ successor in late January or February.
In a Monday work session, board Chairman Mike Chapman directed staff to ask the Clallam County Bar Association to rate the qualifications of four candidates who have applied.
“I think there was some criticism that we didn’t do that last time,” Chapman said.
The bar association already rates the qualifications of judicial candidates.
Chapman asked Human Resources Director Rich Sill for an update on the membership of the committee in the second week of January.
“Do it right,” Chapman said.
“Lauren’s there. We can extend her contract for a month.”
Commissioners Jim McEntire and Chapman picked Nichols to serve as hearing examiner in February.
Commissioner Mike Doherty objected to the appointment because it took place without the county advertising for the job, saying it violated the spirit of equal-opportunity hiring and open-government.
Doherty will retire at the end of this month.
“Obviously I won’t be here, but I did have a lingering concern earlier, as I stated, about the prosecuting attorney and a judge sitting on a selection committee and not having the bar association, which represents a broader base of practicing attorney,” Doherty said.
“But that was up to the board.”
Doherty suggested that Department of Community Development Director-elect Mary Ellen Winborn review the hiring process.
“I agree,” Chapman said.
The soon-to-be-assembled committee will review the proposals and qualifications of the applicants, check references and flesh out their pricing requirements.
“I guess I’m a little reluctant just to have the board do it based on the extreme criticism we received last time,” Chapman said.
Armed with a recommendation from the committee, Chapman, McEntire and Commissioner-elect Bill Peach will select the next hearing examiner.
The quasi-judicial official will preside over land-use hearings and make rulings on conditional-use permits in accordance with local, state and federal law.
This year, Nichols and Erickson will have combined to hear 29 land-use hearings, the most in recent memory.
There were 20 hearings in 2013, 11 in 2012, nine in 2011, 16 in 2010 and 2009 and 19 in 2008, County Administrator Jim Jones has said.
Officials attributed the spike in the number of hearings to conditional-use permits for recreational marijuana businesses under state Initiative 502.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.