A combined effort by Clackamas County offices scrapped the Villages at Mt.
Hood following what the county claims was an illegal election in December
2015, followed by complaints from “several citizens” of the local community.
In an apparent turnaround, county counsel Stephen Madkour has agreed to
mediate the county’s decision and will sit down with Villages Chair George
Wilson, and Directors Carol Burk, Ben Bliesner, and Pat Holbrook, plus
Wilson’s attorney.

The fact that the county disallowed Bliesner’s election at the December Town
Hall, and to this point doesn’t believe Wilson had to the authority to appoint
Holbrook as an interim board member, only adds to the drama that surrounds
this standoff between the Villages and the Board of County Commissioners
(BCC), the office of Public and Government Affairs (PGA), and the county’s
legal department.

Madkour told The Mountain Times that the county has agreed to mediate but
no date has been set, citing the busy schedule of county resolutions services.
“We agreed last week (May 16) and must schedule with resolutions
services officer Amy Herman,” Madkour said. “She has first-hand knowledge
of the Villages Board. We look to the opportunity to resolve issues.”

Wilson, who finds all the actions of the county to be arbitrary and unlawful
surrounding the scuttling of the Villages Board, was quick to react to the
mediation scenario.

“My concerns are that Ms. Herman is a Clackamas County paid staff
employee, as opposed to an independent arbitrator, and (her) busy schedule
raises some concerns,” Wilson said. “Are there really that many conflicts
requiring resolution services that our issues must be forced toward further
delay?”

The differences between the county staff and Wilson have more twists and
turns than a failed field sobriety test. But the main points are these:

– The BCC ruled the December 2015 elections invalid, when Bliesner was
elected to the Board.

– Board members Joe Mazzara, Rob Bruce and Gina Royall resigned from the
Board over differences with Wilson, leaving the Villages with only two
members, Wilson and Burk – far short of a four-person quorum – from the
county’s point of view, but with a quorum according to Wilson, including
himself, Burk, Bliesner and interim appointee Holbrook.

– Wilson, through his Welches attorney Gary Linkous, filed a tort claim notice
to Amy Kyle, strategic communications director for PGA, for allegedly issuing
false information to The Mountain Times; and sent a letter to Madkour citing
violations of state statutes, county ordinances, and current by-laws of the
Villages. Both notices sought mediation to resolve these issues.

In defense of the county’s position of suspending the Villages Board, PGA
Manager Gary Schmidt pointed to several citizen complaints. When questioned
by Wilson, Schmidt listed three citizens, Fran Mazzara (wife of resigned board
member Joe Mazzara), the late Bob Reeves (former board member) and Steve
Graeper (Rhododendron CPO President). Again, Wilson questioned the three
people put forward, after which Schmidt admitted that Graeper was
incorrectly listed, leaving only one citizen complaint on the board, that of Fran
Mazzara.

Wilson was, and continues to be, incredulous of the county’s position.
“The actions of Gary Schmidt to invalidate our December 2015 Town Hall
elections were indeed unlawful,” Wilson said. “Mr. Schmidt acted unilaterally
based on frivolous allegations by Fran Mazzara, and without due process for
remaining elected board members. There was never an inquiry into those

alleged complaints ... We were simply denied our opportunity to dispute these
claims, and as a result were denied our right to due process. Had the elections
not been invalidated, we wouldn’t be going through any of these nonsensical
circus acts.”

Madkour, however, defended the county’s actions all the while agreeing to the
mediation.

“There has been dissension among (Villages) board members,” Madkour said.
“They have been unable to agree on anything.”

However, Madkour admitted to “not being aware of the history of the
Villages,” in his interview with The Mountain Times, but stood firm on the
suspension of the board, saying “If the board has only three members, that’s
not a quorum.”

Kyle has indicated the mediation will occur sometime in June.