Clackamas County sent a survey on the Villages at Mt. Hood to all village
property owners in April, with results expected to be presented to the
Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) at a meeting on
Tuesday, May 24, according to Amy Kyle, Manager for Clackamas County
Public and Government Affairs. The BCC is also expected to set new elections
for the Villages board of directors for sometime in late June at that meeting.

The survey will be available at the Villages’ website,
www.clackamas.us/citizenin/mthood.html, through Friday, May 13, and Kyle
noted that “a number of people” had already taken the survey by the end of
April.

The BCC dismissed the three remaining Villages board members in February
following the resignation of three others due to concerns over the board’s
chair, George Wilson.

Kyle noted that it is possible for board members who have time remaining for
their terms to fulfill them. Applications are available on the county’s website
for anybody interested in serving on the Villages board of directors.

Wilson, however, contends that the BCC’s dismissal of board members, as
well as the county invalidating election results from Dec. 1, 2015, was not
supported by county ordinance or the Villages bylaws. In a letter dated April 5
to county counsel Stephen L. Madkour from Wilson’s attorney, Gary G.

Linkous, Wilson requests the BCC to rescind the dismissal of the board and
the invalidated election from December, and to allow the board to appoint
temporary board members to fill out the board, followed by formal elections at
a town hall meeting.

The letter requested the BCC accept the proposal or “come back with an
acceptable solution or some effort” by April 15. Wilson did not hear back from
the county and now plans on moving forward with appointing new board
members.

“It’s apparent that they haven’t given much credence to the letter we sent,”
he said. “They had no authority to dissolve the board. Essentially they violated
their own ordinance and bylaws.”

Wilson noted the interim positions will be filled by people who have already
submitted applications through the county and once the board is complete,

they will announce the first meeting and move forward with formal elections.
He added no date has been set to appoint the interim board.

“I think at this point, they’re just hoping that I’m going to let things rest,” said
Wilson, whose term was set to expire this May. “I’m not going to let that
happen. If they decide to challenge, we’re completely prepared to push it to
the attorney general’s office. We believe we have a strong case.”

Kyle noted the BCC has not approved any applicants for the board and any
appointment of non-approved applicants would be against the Villages bylaws.
She added that the Villages board members remaining did not constitute a
quorum, meaning they could not function as such, including make decisions or
hold a meeting.

Applications for the Villages board are available on the Villages’ website. Kyle
estimated the county has received “five or six” applications so far.