Two months after Claire Hall’s death, Lincoln County commissioners name four applicants to fill her position

By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/ Lincoln Chronicle

Two Lincoln County commissioners are one step closer to filling a board vacancy after months of inaction, choosing four applicants Wednesday to move forward into the interview process.

It’s been two months since Commissioner Claire Hall unexpectedly died Jan. 4, and her seat is still vacant.

The two remaining commissioners – Casey Miller and Walter Chuck – have been  unable to agree on a process to fill the vacancy and have been caught up in the interpretation of several Oregon laws that guide their decision making. Now, as originally suggested by Miller, both have each selected two applicants with plans to interview for the $98,000-a-year job later this month.

Originally 23 people applied to fill Hall’s empty seat. Miller and Chuck could not agree on a process to fill the vacancy and when they revealed their top five applicants there were no commonalities between them. Unsure of how to proceed, commissioners floated two ideas – either they both put their top two picks forward or they go back to better understanding the state laws guiding the decision making and obligations.

Miller originally proposed moving forward with their top picks while Chuck favored assessing Oregon law. In the end, the two agreed to go back and look at the statute.

County counsel Kristin Yuille said an Oregon law tells commissioners they must select someone within 30 days of the vacancy, but different agencies have varying takes on the Oregon law.

Gov.Tina Kotek’s office recommended that the board fill the vacancy within a 30-day timeframe, while the Secretary of State put forth a different interpretation – that commissioners had an obligation to find a replacement but were not constrained by a time limit. That guidance means that if commissioners could not pick someone the position could be empty until January, when a candidate elected in either the May primary or November general election is sworn in. 

During Wednesday’s often-contentious meeting, Yuille stood by her interpretation of the Oregon laws governing the vacancy.

“My reading is that you are required, you must fill a vacancy … the two remaining commissioners shall appoint a person to perform the duty of the office,” Yuille said. “So, as Commissioner Chuck has indicated, it’s been 60 days. It’s irrelevant at this point regarding how much time has passed. But 30 days have passed.” 

Chuck suggested that he and Miller bring their top two applicants forward in the interview process. Miller, who originally championed the idea at a previous meeting, felt that commissioners should be more active in the selection process and should have a say in the questions or topics for the interview.

Miller advocated for letting candidates know the topics beforehand but both Yuille and Chuck said that would erode the integrity of the process – which is essentially a job interview.

In the end, Chuck chose Cristen Don of South Beach, a former Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employee and Matthew Harwell of Newport, a retired Environmental Protection Agency employee and scientist. Miller chose Marci Baker, a Lincoln City council member and restaurateur and Chris Chandler of Newport, a former Economic Development Association of Lincoln County executive director. Chandler is currently a member of the Oregon Coast Community College board.

The four applicants will be interviewed the week of March 16.

During the meeting’s public comment period several community members were critical of the process and length of time it was taking commissioners to fill the vacancy. A few commenters called for Yuille’s resignation based on her interpretation of the Oregon law that had guided their decision making. Several audience members yelled from their seats and some were told not to direct their comments to staff but to address the board with their concerns.

Rhonda Gokey a Seal Rock resident who was a proponent of the recall election of Hall, urged Yuille to resign.

“She is giving you bad legal counsel, and she has a history of that,” Gokey said.

Sheahan Griffitts, who served as the county’s human resources director from 2010-15 and applied to fill the commission vacancy, said that she respected the county’s selection process but did not agree with applications being shared online, as this could open the county up to legal issues. Last month, Miller published the applications on his personal website.

“Personally, as a taxpayer and a prior departmental director, it’s embarrassing and saddening to see this process unfolding in Lincoln County,” Griffitts said.

• Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, Newport, education, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at [email protected]