Council Legislation

Proposed Resolution No. R2022-114

Title: A Resolution of the Pierce County Council Confirming the Appointment of Two New Members (Robert Batey and Blake Patton) to the Pierce County Ethics Commission.

Status: Passed

Sponsors: Councilmembers Derek Young

Final votes

August 16, 2022
Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye Aye


Documents
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Public Comments

Name Date Comment
Heather Benedict 8/4/22 8:47 PM Great to see Executive Dammeier has made his appointments to the ever-so-important Pierce County Ethics Commission. Before I can support or oppose the proposal, I would ask for the resumes and their district to be made public by the two appointees (note: there are already two members from District 7). Past nominees show the resume online either under the "Initial Submittal" or "Council," as of 8/4/22, and it is void. The one nominee, Blake Patton, does not appear to have a LinkedIn profile, so it is unclear the private sector leadership experience and background. I remain hopeful to the vacancies will be filled with diverse members, including females and at least one of color. Females makeup 50% of Pierce County and should be reflected on the board. Currently, there is no one of color on this commission and only 1 female (only 20%). Thank you.
Michael Haan 8/4/22 11:06 PM There are three branches of government for a reason. Too many "officers of the court" in an executive function. Everything void without a private sector quorum.
Heather Benedict 8/5/22 11:15 PM Until the violating contributions that nominee Robert Batey donated to the Pierce County Democratic Central Committee (as recent as 6/23/22), he is prohibited from having any tenure with the commission because that would violate rule 3.12.070(E)3. This committee donates to candidates for County office. In fact, he is prevented from ever being given any tenure until such time he can prove that these funds are no longer tainting his participation.
Heather Benedict 8/11/22 4:00 PM On 8/9/22, Chair Young became aware that the resumes of the two nominees to the ethics commissioner were missing from this resolution. Since the ethics commission's inception in 1982, resumes have always accompanied the resolution to nominate and appoint members. There should be no exception. How can the council approve individuals with unknown backgrounds? I have called on the Pierce County Equity Review Committee for assistance since my voice is falling on deaf ears. My letter can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/Resolution2022-114.
Leonard Haan 8/15/22 10:19 AM Too many lawyers. No actual vote on candidates. I am interested in Saturday Night skit rights cause this government is a comedy routine. Democracy is dead in Pierce.
Leonard Dewitt 8/15/22 11:28 AM When one person, in this case the Pope...I mean Executive, has all say, not only is it really boring for everyone else, it's completely opposite any North American promise of democracy or justice for anyone. Kinda ironic you're trying to put together an ethics commission on unsolid ground. But sounds like the Bylaws are flawlessly one-sided. Take a lesson from Seattle's ACT.
Demitrius Romaneko 8/15/22 11:45 AM I'm Ukrainian. I have been in Pierce County for a while. It's surprising to realize that this country is far less democratic than everyone is told. Maybe you should let Putin pick the ethics commission members? You fight for democracy in Ukraine and Tiawan but your people here have no voice. My head spins. No bombs but lots of shooting. People can't trust government.
Alice Roberson 8/15/22 2:16 PM I just read the resume for one nominee, Blake Patton, and he lacks the experience for this commission so I oppose it. Only a high school degree, no management or decision-making experience, not from Washington State. Not sure why the resumes are not attached to the resolution as someone else mentioned. I found it here: https://pcethicscommission.blogspot.com/
Shelly Newlander 8/15/22 2:34 PM My friend who graduated from Stanford applied but no one called him or acknowledged his online submittal and resume. He is half Native American and half Hispanic I guess only white people can serve on this board. They should at least tell you that you must be white before you apply to save the time and effort in this kangaroo government. I hope the public agrees. How many applicants were there?
Shawn Roberson 8/16/22 11:05 AM This guy Blake isn't even qualified to shine my shoes. Just a complete embarrassment. Despicable.
Heather Benedict 8/16/22 4:17 PM To clarify, the Ethics Commission has had one member of color, a Native American Female, who was replaced today by a white man. To my knowledge, it has never known a member of African American, Latino, or Asian Descent. The requirement is that 3 of the five members are from the PRIVATE sector; there is no requirement for any member to be from the public sector. Also, there is just the requirement for one attorney, but now we have three. The Bar Association Members hold the majority in this 100% white commission with only one female. Also, does the council plan to upload the resumes of the nominees to this resolution, as it as required in resolution 2021-205, or are white men exempt from public scrutiny and should blindly be trusted to investigate corruption at the county's highest levels?