Editor:

It’s true, contrary to precedent, protocol, and procedure as verified on the SnoPUD Commission Website, Sid Logan on Dec. 1 voted for himself again as president of the Snohomish Public Utility Commission; 2021 would make the third year as president, clearly prohibited by commission procedures.  According to the stated policy on the SnoPUD Commission website, the commissioners rotate positions each year so that no one is president more than one year at a time.  In 2020, when it was her time to rotate into the president role, Commissioner Tanya (Toni) Olson declined the position, turning over her rotation to Sid Logan, who had already been president for one year. Commissioner Rebecca Wolfe, new to the commission in January 2019, was secretary for that first year, as expected in the 2020 rotation, Commissioner Wolfe then moved to vice president and Commissioner Olson to secretary.

At the Dec. 1 meeting, the commission was to identify the officers for 2021, which should have been President Rebecca Wolfe; Vice President Tanya Olson, and Secretary Sid Logan.  However, Commissioner Toni Olson had apparently agreed to nominate Logan for the third term as president of the SnoPUD Commission, when it was clearly Commissioner Wolfe’s turn to be president in the rotation.  Commissioner Wolfe objected, saying that she was looking forward to being President next year, as was appropriate.  She was completely ignored, and Logan, who should have called the motion “Out of Order” because it was contrary to commission procedures, instead called for the vote, during which he voted for himself (he should have at least abstained) and Olson voted for him, Wolfe voted against. Logan voted for himself along with Olson, making it 2 to 1. As president, he chaired the meeting, and called the discussion over. Clearly Logan sees himself as permanent president and will go to any length, legal or illegal, to retain that position.

This procedure clearly violated the stated rules listed on the commission website, and protocol of the commission, but was not called into question either by General Manager, CEO John Harlow or Commission Attorney Anne Spangler. Their lack of objection was clearly disappointing. As a customer and usual supporter of SnoPUD, I was watching the meeting on Zoom, and was appalled at what had happened and how two commissioners apparently colluded to break the rules to try to force Commissioner Wolfe from her legitimate term as president. It is actually illegal for commissioners to work with one another outside of public meetings, so this entire set of actions is illegal. I raised my hand via Zoom, to speak, but Logan did not call on me. I expected Haarlow and Spangler would at least object to the illegal actions and to stop the proceedings, but they did not. Maybe they were as shocked as I was.

The people of the PUD Edmonds/Lynnwood/Mountlake Terrace District 2 voted for Wolfe as Commissioner and expected her represent them, which included serving as president in the agreed-upon rotation. Such inappropriate behavior by Commissioners Olson and Logan was not only against procedures, unconscionable and unprofessional, but also a betrayal of the responsibilities of their positions.

I hope to see that this illegal action has been corrected at the PUD Commission meeting Dec. 15.

Gayla L Shoemake
Edmonds