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Wednesday

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PENINSULA DAILY NEWS February 24, 24, 2016 | 75¢

Port Angeles-Sequim-West End

County hires special attorney Lawyer to help resolve dispute with treasurer BY ROB OLLIKAINEN PENINSULA DAILY NEWS

PORT ANGELES — Clallam County has hired a special attorney to help resolve an ongoing conflict among elected officials. Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Olympia lawyer Dale Kamerrer as a neutral attorney who will review accusations from Treasurer Selinda Barkhuis that the board has fostered a hostile work environment.

No claim for damages or litigation has been filed. The amount Kamerrer will be paid will be negotiated by Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols. “The manner, mode, form and content of the advice that he provides to the organization has yet to be determined,” Nichols told commissioners. “That’s something that he’ll develop after he reviews the record.” Commissioner Mike Chapman

called for a full investigation into Barkhuis’ “very serious allegations.” “I welcome it,” Chapman said. “I want to know what we’re doing wrong. I’ll apologize if I’m doing something [wrong], but we’ve got to be investigated.” Accusations against other elected officials have triggered past investigations, Chapman said. “We need someone to let us know what, if anything, we’re doing wrong to create such a hostile work environment,” he added. “That’s what I’m being told by one elected official, that this is a hostile work environment with harassment, threats and retaliation to the point where she can’t even meet with one commissioner

ALSO . . . ■ Clallam commissioners extend contract with EDC/A7

and the auditor in a statutorily authorized meeting.” Barkhuis has canceled a March 10 county finance committee meeting that was key to the board’s consideration of a Carlsborg sewer construction contract and an Opportunity Fund grant to help reopen the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center. Chapman has said he would not vote to approve the sewer contract or SARC grant until the finance committee recommends such action by majority vote. Commissioners Bill Peach and

Mark Ozias also have requested a financial analysis of the projects but have not spoken in public meetings about whether they would vote on the contracts without it. Barkhuis, who chairs the finance committee, announced that the meeting was off in a Feb. 17 email to the board. “Until such time as the commissioners have adequately addressed and resolved their own staff and fund management issues, I will refrain from putting myself in situations (including chairing the finance committee meetings) that are likely to provoke further acts of intimidation and retaliation against me,” Barkhuis wrote. TURN

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MEETING/A6

Citizen of the Year is named Sequim volunteer Rychlik receives honor BY MICHAEL DASHIELL OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP

MICHAEL DASHIELL/OLYMPIC PENINSULA NEWS GROUP

Louie Rychlik, right, is congratulated Tuesday by Bill Littlejohn, chairman of the Citizen of the Year committee, after being named the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Citizen of the Year.

SEQUIM — On four yellow pieces of notebook paper, Louie Rychlik had penned his acceptance speech. It featured one sentence: “I don’t walk on water.” Clearly, he is a man who prefers action to words. On Tuesday, the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce honored Rychlik, a longtime businessman and volunteer, with its 2015 Citizen of the Year award. Owner of Louie’s Well Drilling of Port Angeles, Rychlik gained kudos from the organization thanks to his philanthropic and volunteer endeavors throughout the community. He aided the Sequim Museum & Arts Center addition of an elevator at the Dungeness Schoolhouse, the city of Sequim’s Music in the Park series, local Sequim festivals, construction of a BMX track and various other community efforts. TURN

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CITIZEN/A6

Retiring police chief talks crime, addiction Swan song after 31 years on PA force years on the police force. Gallagher said Tuesday’s presentation was his last speaking PORT ANGELES — Police engagement as a public employee Chief Terry Gallagher knows after more than three decades in first-hand the results of car uniform. prowls. A few weeks ago, his vehicles Interim chief parked in his driveway were illeDeputy Police Chief Brian gally entered. His garage door was activated and tools were sto- Smith, who has applied to succeed len, he said Tuesday at the weekly his boss, will be the interim chief breakfast meeting of the Port during a process of selecting a new department head that GallaAngeles Business Association. That’s not good news for a gher said could take several man who plans to spend more months. Gallagher, who succeeded fortime remodeling his house after March 4, when he retires after 31 mer Police Chief Tom Riepe after

BY PAUL GOTTLIEB

PENINSULA DAILY NEWS

serving as interim chief, has been the city’s top cop for 8½ years. But all that police experience doesn’t mean crime can’t hit home. “If you are smarter than me, it’s less likely you will be a crime victim,” the Port Angeles native quipped during a presentation to two dozen meeting participants. “Most cars that get broken into do not get broken into at all; they just open the door and take your stuff,” said Gallagher, 62. “What we tell people is, ‘Just lock your car, and the crime rate would go down dramatically.’ ” The car-prowl rate sped north last year, hitting 330 incidents by Nov. 17 after an average of 155 a year from 2011-14.

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But overall, crime in the city has gone down incrementally year after year, Gallagher said at the meeting. “We are not going to hell in a handbasket, with the exception of vehicle prowls,” he said. Gallagher was puzzled over that increase, speculating it might be driven by drugs — heroin use in particular. Gallagher acknowledged the country has an addiction problem, with an overall drug and alcohol dependency rate of 10 percent. “I would expect to see it reflected here,” Gallagher said later. Juvenile addicts go through treatment an average of three Port Angeles Police Chief times before it works, he said.

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