PORT ANGELES — The most used phrase was “to move forward.”
And that seemed to be the thrust of Wednesday night’s two-hour public forum at City Hall.
City Council members seemed anxious to move past City Manager Mark Madsen’s resignation and his allegations of an “untenable, hostile work environment” at City Hall caused by issues with council members.
“It is my desire at this time to move forward,” said Mayor Gary Braun.
“We have a chance hire someone to come in and do something different now — and hopefully that happens.”
Council member Dan Di Guilio: “Every council member has only the best interest at heart — just different ways of getting there.
“We need to respect each other and move forward.”
Added Deputy Mayor Betsy Wharton:
“I don’t think I can know all the whys and wherefors [of Madsen’s resignation], so we are left to move forward.”
All the council members also stressed that they were accessible to the public at any time — “I’m in the book,” several of them said — and urged the public to attend the council’s semi-monthly meetings.
All the council members also said they would adhere to their July “mea culpa” statement — that communication with each other, the public and the future city manager were now top priorities.
