man-dies-in-flood-001When Commissioner Stufflebean convinced fellow commissioners, Nikki Whitty and John Griffith, to agree to terminate 60% of the road department New Year’s Eve public outcry and concerns for public safety were widespread and loudly voiced. Again and again people asked the Board to reconsider but the public were ignored and labeled a vocal minority by Nikki Whitty. Recent editorials have criticized a recall effort headed by former roadmaster Larry Van Elsberg to which he answers here addressed to recall opponent, Jim Bice.

March 21, 2009

Dear Mr. Bice,

Twice in the last month you have criticized the Stufflebean Recall. Your March 20th article also criticizes my performance as County Roadmaster before I retired in 2007. I am disappointed, but not surprised that you never talked to me to get my side of the story.

As Roadmaster I served at the pleasure of the County Commissioners. I always kept the Commissioners, County Counsel and Human Resources informed about everything my department did. If they weren’t happy with my performance the Commissioners could have fired me at any time.

Your article quotes Joe Stralh’s Public Works Management report and by the way it is not PXX, it is PWM. I worked with Joe during the County’s natural gas pipeline project that turned into a legal quagmire. I recommended Joe’s company to the County Commissioners when Kevin’s reorganization of the Road Department was made public. Unfortunately Kevin had already implemented this plan long before Joe was hired.

This is a quote from Joe Stralh in a report submitted on September 15, 2004. “County Road Crews should be very proud of the work they are doing on the Wagon Road.” “It would have been very difficult and expensive to describe the job the County crew is doing in a set of contract documents. Having the County perform this work, instead of bidding it out, appears to have been the best strategy for road restoration that could have been selected. The engineering cost was almost totally eliminated and the quality of the work being done is very high.”

As Roadmaster I had to balance having sufficient personnel and equipment to maintain county roads. In 2003 budget problems forced me to issue layoff notices to some employees. The layoffs were stopped when the County Budget Committee and Commissioners provided more funds.

man-dies-in-flood-0011Your March 20th article states I mistakenly chose personnel over equipment and material. This is false. We updated equipment as needed, but I wasn’t going to gut personnel and endanger the public. The recent drowning near Arago might have been prevented if the Road Department still had enough employees to barricade roads during high water. We were always able to do this when I was Roadmaster.

The Recall committee has repeatedly said Commissioner Stufflebean’s Road Department cuts endanger the public. Sadly I believe time is proving us right.

Larry R. Van Elsberg
Chief Petitioner – Recall Stufflebean

Will Bice send his condolences to the Caudle family I wonder?

Photos courtesy of Mary Schamehorn, Myrtle Point Herald