The first story I ever wrote for The Columbian was an account of how the La Center City Council evaluated its ordinance about cleaning up nuisance properties during a regular council meeting. Back in those days, local newspapers like The Columbian tried to report on every city council and school board meeting.
Those days are long gone; the internet and social media permanently broke the business model that provided local newspapers with the financial wherewithal to afford that kind of coverage. But reporting on the daily routine of local government remains important. Having these reports helps citizens engage with their communities. And more important, studies show that knowing someone is watching and reporting keeps local officials honest.
That’s where people like Jackie Lane come in. She was a former art major who spent most of her career as a banking technology manager, but her retirement hobby is attending and publishing meeting notes from virtually every Clark County Council meeting and work session. Although The Columbian still does a pretty good job of covering county government, she goes way beyond what we can do. Her work provides an important public service, and her insight — she’s been doing this for more than five years — gives her a good view of what’s going on.
Lane agreed to meet me for coffee after last Tuesday’s council meeting and, as expected, had some interesting observations.
First off, although her work is published on Facebook pages including the Forum for Clark County WA. Citizens and Clark County Citizens for Good Governance, she does it as part of the League of Women Voters’ Observation Corps. She’s been active in the league for years, plus some progressive groups like Friends of Clark County.
“I try to be as unbiased as possible,” Lane said.
Most of her reportage is routine, like the council agreeing this week to let the state Department of Natural Resources use Camp Bonneville to replenish firefighting helicopters. The state will pay rent, which will be used to maintain camp buildings.
Because a majority of council seats are up for election this year, I asked her opinion of the incumbents. “It’s a thankless job, and most people are trying to do the right thing,” she said.
Lane also shared some individual observations.
She noted that Michelle Belkot often attends remotely and sometimes appears to be distracted or multitasking. In one case, Belkot ended up voting for a tax increase that she had said she opposed. Lane also said Belkot rarely attends work sessions, where attendance is not recorded.
Lane said Sue Marshall, who is not seeking re-election, works hard as chair to keep the council working together and on track. Wil Fuentes is learning a lot in his first term, Lane said, and is an effective member of the council. Marshall and Fuentes usually vote in synch.
Glen Yung will often concur, although he “waffles a lot,” Lane added. Finally, she said Matt Little seems to listen carefully to developers, a stance she doesn’t personally agree with. In a split vote, she says, Little and Belkot tend to agree, leaving Yung as the swing vote.
I asked her about County Manager Kathleen Otto, who is rarely quoted in news stories. As the county’s chief executive officer under the charter, Otto plays an important role in managing day-to-day operations of departments not led by an elected official, such as planning, public works and public health. Lane’s impression is that the county’s workforce is more stable and morale has improved under Otto’s leadership. “It has been a lot of work trying to recover the county from past garbage,” Lane said, remembering the days when staff were directly beholden to elected county councilors.
The council election will be a big issue this year, but Lane also foresees sitting through a lot of meetings about housing density and public safety staffing.
“I’ll keep watching,” she said.