As previously noted here, a local blogger is inferring a relationship between Concerned Citizens of Coquille, Dian Courtright, the mayor, Steve Britton and a council recall attempt launched in 2003 that does not exist. Eldon Rollins has written the blogger to correct the record.

To (HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED):
In reference to the article titled “The whys” in your news site: I suppose if there’s any connection
between Dian Courtright’s “Concerned Citizens of Coquille”, formed in 2007, and the City Council
recall committee of 2003, it might be me. I am fairly certain the connection is coincidental, although I was concerned then and am occasionally concerned now.
To date, I do not believe the Concerned Citizens of Coquille have involved themselves with the recall of City Council members owing to disputes over the sewage treatment plant. Dian Courtright was not on the recall committee of 2003…

You may read the letter in its entirety for a nice history on the ‘sewage/water treatment debacle’ below.

The history of that recall committee runs about like this:
Dave Owen, as others, was having trouble paying his water bill and his pharmacy bill, and he had major health issues, and he was a bit angry about it, so he decided to initiate a recall. Bill Bradbury’s office, (Secretary of state), notified him he would have to pay a fee of some $ 200 or $300 bucks, and he didn’t have that money either, so Mike Cook and Steve Lyons paid the fee and took over control of the recall effort. They called several people up and asked if they wanted to be on the recall committee, I am one of the people who agreed to. I have never been opposed to having treated sewage, but I do think there’s a lot of shenanigans when it comes to the subject of pricing. I have been opposed to paying through the nose for something we haven’t gotten , as were several of the people on that committee back in 2003.
Please recall that we’ve been getting told since 1991 that rate increases were necessary for the purpose of paying for a new wastewater facility and qualifying for loans and grants. The big 2003 rate increase was supposedly to qualify for loans to be repayed over a 30 or 40 year period, and the grant in question was for about $250 grand, but I found out Coquille didn’t qualify for it anyway. The big rate increase of 2003 provided the City with over a million dollars a year extra revenue. That was 5 years ago. $5 million extra revenue with no Wastewater facility actually built yet, just to qualify for a $250,000 grant we weren’t eligible for in the first place.
When and if we ever see construction on this plant, it will be payed for with loans mostly, not with the money we’ve shelled out fo it over the last 5 years and for the next 3.
Mike Cook’s involvement with recalling the City Council was inspired partly by the fact that his wife Pat’s brother had told the City Council that they could get the Federal Government to pay 75% of the cost of20a new Wastewater facility. This was about 1997 or 98 as I recall. The City Council dragged their heels until the Federal Program was no longer in effect.
I kind of wish I could remember more of the names of the people who were on that committee, and i still have the list somewhere, but not with me. I recall that Jo Teel was on it, and Paula who runs the pet place out by the High School. At the 2nd or 3rd meeting, we were reminded by Mike Cook that Steve Britton and Jan Torbeck had not been on the City Council when all this had taken place, so we took a vote to take their names off the recall list. I do not recall Steve Britton cozying up to me in 2003, nor this year. I did acquire the impression he knew Mike Cook and Steve Lyons.
There were actually quite a few issues of mismanagement surrounding the Wastewater facility and the Water Treatment Plant that were related to all of this as well, as well as instances of sharp points of disagreement between what the City Council and Terence O’Conner were telling people at City Council meetings and what the State Water Board and the Rural Utility District were telling me.
As far as the issues surrounding the recent election: Kathy Hagen was and is ineligible to serve on the City Council at the present time, and Dian Courtright DID receive the next highest vote tally.
The City Charter, which can only be amended by a vote of the people, requires the City Council have a method for selecting people for vacancies, but doesn’t specify what that method is. However, strictly speaking, Dian Courtright isn’t being recruited to fill a vacancy til the end of the present incumbency of Kathy Hagen, she was in an election in which Kathy was ineligible to run, at the time the votes were counted, which means she cannot re-assume the position in January, and since Dian DID have the next highest vote Tally, it seemed fairly logical for her to be declared the PEOPLE’S NEXT CHOICE for City Councilor.
I am told that the Administrative rules that require the City Council accept applications are rules the City Council adopts for themselves and are subject to amendment more or less at their whim, so I’m not entirely convinced of Mr. Trew’s certainty that the City Council has no choice in this matter, although I don’t really know.
Eldon Rollins