At least four citizens, and possibly more, have filed an ethics complaint with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission alleging conflicts of interest claiming that Fred R Messerle & Sons, Inc benefited from a fee reduction at the Coos County Planning Department.

On or about July 2011, Messerle unilaterally instructed the Coos County Planning Department director to lower research fees charged to applicants from $75 per hour to $60 per hour. This decision jeopardized the department’s self supporting status and the $20,760 shortfall was paid out of the county general fund. Messerle’s company, Fred R Messerle & Sons, Inc., which submitted two applications to the department after the fee reduction was in place personally benefitted from the fee reduction in violation of ORS chapter 244. Attached is a list of benefactors of the fee reduction and major contributors to Messerle’s campaign for commissioner, including John Knutson, owner of Knutson Towboat. See https://secure.sos.state.or.us/orestar/cneSearch.do?cneSearchButtonName=search&cneSearchFilerCommitteeId=15455

Planning department staff state that Messerle informed them that Knutson would be making application to the department at the same time he instructed them to lower the fees. Knutson Towboat then applied to planning.

Messerle admits reducing the fees but did not disclose this fact to the budget committee during this year’s budget hearings

Attachments
Invoice from the planning department for reimbursement from the county general fund for $20,760.
Applicant list during period of fee reductions