SCDC executive director, Sandy Messerle, continued the organization’s unprofessional policy of railing on anyone who doesn’t agree with its narrow view by wrongly accusing them of being anti-business. Even though a hearing is scheduled next Monday to discuss a possible lease with ORC, Messerle, who is also married to the board chairman, Fred Messerle, rallied ORC supporters to attend Tuesday’s BOC meeting claiming an early show of support would be included with public comments at the official hearing.
Several people showed up in support of the county signing a lease with chromite strip miners, ORC, but none addressed the details of the lease itself, or its possible impact on the county should the ailing company file bankruptcy. Instead comments were emotional pleas to bail out the company or accusatory toward the board for not moving faster on the lease. The company set the pace for negotiations, not the county, when it dug in its heals over whether the lease was assignable and stopped communicating with the board for months.
Like others speaking in favor of a deal with the county, Mrs Messerle ignored details of the lease choosing instead to discuss the charitable contributions made by the company and to scold “anti-business” opponents for not appreciating how important business is to the community. First, this has nothing to do with whether entering into a lease agreement with a company that even Bank of America would not do business with is in the county’s best interest. Second, many opponents of a lease own businesses themselves, and Messerle is too deaf to listen to the very valid business reasons given for not risking public assets on such a risky venture.
There is no question that business is a powerful agent of change and many responsible companies recognize its importance in establishing social and economic justice. Read Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World
Jody McCaffree commented that people are not objecting to mining but are concerned that terms of the lease, such as it being fully assignable, leave the county open to expensive problems. Further, the nonrefundable sum of $11,639.25 (465.57 acres x $25) made to the county only when mining commences and the subsequent annual rental in the amount of $2.00 per acre paid over the eleven year term of the lease probably doesn’t even cover the county’s outside attorney fees much less much less any other costs that arise from doing business with ORC. McCaffree pointed out that it was ORC that would not agree to certain terms that have delayed the signing. At this point, Messerle announces that ORC fully agrees with the terms of the lease now under discussion, what he didn’t mention is that key protections for the county are no longer in place. One of the major sticking points in the past is that ORC wants to be able to assign or transfer the lease to unnamed entities which this new lease allows*. Of course the company accepts the new lease, it is practically a gift.
Considering the company’s financial condition and the minimal amount of money the county stands to gain from the lease, you might wonder why the board is bothering at all. Ethel Petrie asked the board this same question.
PETRIE: I just have one question on ORC. I don’t understand why a county, and I have asked this question before and still haven’t gotten an answer that I can understand. The question is, why would a county put its money in a company that doesn’t have any viability? …
Board chairman Fred Messerle tried to pass Petrie off by simply say “okay” as if that would be construed as an answer and she would leave the podium, but Petrie would not be swept aside that easily.
PETRIE: I would like an answer of some sort, even now, or I could speak with you later.
MESSERLE: Omay
PETRIE: So what is that?
MESSERLE: We can do it later.
Now, why would Messerle want to defer this answer? Why not just tell everyone?
PETRIE: Thank you
MESSERLE: Sure
Petrie waited through the rest of the meeting and when Messerle closed the meeting without answering her question she jumped back up to the podium. Unfortunately, the camera did not record this exchange but according to witnesses, Petrie reminded him he had promised her an answer and stood waiting. The commissioner whispered to counsel and then advised Petrie he meant he would answer her “one on one”, rather than publicly.
Watch the meeting here
*Coos County has leases on county forest with the now bankrupt Methane Energy Corp. The deforested land has not been replanted and the leases are in the hands of federal bankruptcy trustees.
For the BOC to give in to this untenable corporate blackmail would be a betrayal of their oath to serve the people of this county.
The county has NO responsibility to help ORC and should make no further deals with them. It is a scam. Our commissioners are being played for the yokels they are by the corporate big money types. Wise up.
Let’s just hope that the people who show up at Monday’s hearing have actually read the lease and comment on the lease, which is the whole point of the hearing.
Read the comments on the lease that are posted at the Coos County Watchdog web site and then understand why signing the lease as written is the wrong thing to do.
And, Toland, ORC is really a company called IDM who do business solely as ORC in Oregon. They are an Australian company. They stopped trading on the Australian Stock Exchange in late October when their stock dropped to less tha 4 Australian cents. They have been losing money for years, not months as the World paper wrote.
And, if you think this crap is bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Stay tuned to MGX for a few days.
The meeting needs to be delayed.
It is my understanding that an ancient Coquelle burial ground has been unearthed during the test drilling phase by ORC & that it has been covered back up by the driller himself. As I recall your Port President was the contracted driller, WCC. Hmmm he is also the contract fly by night miner being sublet all labor for mining operations performed by ORC.
The county should test drill for themselves, why do you think ORC has been so persistent? Remember past threats? “We can go anywhere up & down the coast for mining sites.” They are just trying to do the county a favor.
Land owners in Alaska take a 25% cut of all precious metals. Watch “Gold Rush” even poor people in Gana Africa take 25% – 15% royalty payments. I would tell ORC they took a gamble & lost.
Pound sand ORC!
Greed all about greed.
How in the hell did Fred Messerle & Cam Parry do this???? Why haven’t the Forest been replanted? Why are they and their supporters trying to save this nondefunct business? I understand they are not listed at the New York Stock Exchange anymore? Does Messerle & Parry own stock in there companies. Do the other well meaning, but largely deluded so called business folks in our county own stock in this company? Why are they willing to sell out County Services to GIVE this Company leases? This is unconscionable and must be stopped. Even our business community must understand that one does not invest in a fly by night company and give away a large part of our main revenue to a foreign company? I guess the services provided by county departments are not felt to be necessary when it comes to them trying and I do mean trying to make a profit? I encourage any and all to attend the meeting on Monday to decide this. We have two lame duck Commissioners, at this point Fred Messerle and Cam Parry. I submit there is no need rush into any deal. It should be left to the new Commission taking office in January. This Commission has NOT proved itself to be up to the task. Hopefully the next Commission shall be. .
Does Sandra Geiser Messy have one days experience owning, operating, or even supervising employees in a “business” that qualifies her to be our local business expert? It appears that neither she or her husband are familiar with leases or failing businesses.