Rabid: having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something.

A single engaged citizen, reviewing a replay of a public meeting with zero attendance, caught comments that reveal a troubling pattern in Clallam County governance: when public testimony changes outcomes, it is labeled “misinformation,” “abusive,” or “rabid.” Dr. Sarah’s careful attention underscores why community oversight matters — especially when decisions are being discussed without the public present.

Dr. Sarah, CC Watchdog’s West End correspondent, was listening to a replay of a recent Clallam County Planning Commission meeting when something caught her attention.

The meeting itself was sparsely attended — no members of the public were present in person or online. But during the discussion, Department of Community Development (DCD) Director Bruce Emery recounted the day before, when public testimony forced county commissioners to reject proposed land-use changes and reopen discussion on existing code that restricts RV living, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and vacation rentals that many residents rely on to survive.

What stood out was not simply that public engagement worked — but how it was characterized afterward.

“There was a pretty substantial, what I would characterize as a misinformation campaign against it,” Emery told the Planning Commission.

Emery said some members of the public believed the county was proposing new regulations on short-term rentals, when he said the intent was to expand them. He also said the county was attempting to expand regulations around RVs, rather than tighten them.

He went further.

“It was close to three hours of complete and total abuse,” Emery said, describing the public testimony that ultimately led commissioners to pause the ordinances.

The Clallam County Planning Commission is a citizen advisory body that reviews and recommends land-use policies, zoning regulations, and comprehensive plan updates to the Board of County Commissioners. It does not have final decision-making authority — but its work shapes the rules that affect how people live on their property.

One planning commissioner asked what, exactly, the controversy had been.

Emery replied that the current code is “untenable” — a point many residents would agree with. Large portions of the existing code are difficult or impossible to enforce. But Emery then attributed the public backlash to outside influence:

“I think it was CC Watchdog got ahold of it and said that we’re proposing all these draconian rules and we’re restricting free use of your property and just really spelled it out.”

He continued:

“It didn’t matter. These people were rabid. I honestly was a little nervous about the whole thing.”

He added that commissioners ultimately decided the Planning Commission should re-examine the entire proposal.

Emery also dismissed specific public comments:

“One comment from a gal who was adamantly opposed said, ‘Maybe you should have a regulation that controls generators.’ That sound familiar? It has that… In other words, they didn’t even read it.”

A planning commissioner summarized Emery’s assessment by saying the “well-organized crowd” wasn’t as concerned about living in RVs as they were about renting them out. Emery agreed.

Another commissioner suggested that, going forward, the county should produce a one-page summary of proposed ordinances to prevent what he described as outrage fueled by word-of-mouth.

“People want to be outraged,” he said.

“That, for me, is the takeaway,” Emery replied.

Yes, there has been confusion.

But concern about short-term rental regulation did not emerge in a vacuum.

At a Clallam Bay–Sekiu Advisory meeting last month, Commissioner Mike French explicitly urged residents to contact Bruce Emery if they supported regulating short-term rentals:

“If people do have thoughts on short-term-rental regulation, it’s not enough to just talk about it here… You’ve got to send emails to Bruce Emery. He’s the guy in charge of that.”

He added that regulations could be geographically targeted and need not be countywide.

So when a commissioner publicly encourages residents to lobby DCD leadership for new regulations, it is framed as civic engagement. When residents flood meetings to oppose regulation — and succeed — it is framed as misinformation, abuse, and rabid behavior.

That framing is especially striking given how county leadership has articulated its view of property rights.

Commissioner Mike French has stated:

“The basis of property rights is productive use, so if people are not using their property productively — when they are harming the productive use of adjacent properties — I really hope that we are using those tools that are available to us, that are legal, so that we gain the most leverage that we can to ensure people are not being destructive to their property or harming the productive use of an adjacent property.”

Except when it is the county’s land harming the productive use of the public and neighboring property owners.

That disconnect matters.

It also explains why mistrust runs deep.

Under Director Emery’s leadership, the Department of Community Development played a central role in the Lower Dungeness Floodplain restoration and Towne Road relocation. In February 2023, commissioners defunded the reopening of Towne Road after the Jamestown Corporation intentionally breached the Dungeness River dike ahead of schedule, exposing downstream residents to flooding.

Residents later learned — accidentally — that plans were underway to convert a public county road into a trail, aligning with Jamestown Corporation’s interests. That information was not proactively disclosed. For many, this marked the beginning of deep mistrust in county leadership.

Add to that:

* The Cultural Access Tax, advanced by Commissioner Mike French with the intent of imposing it without a public vote — an effort that has not been abandoned, has never been formally withdrawn, and only became public through leaked emails.

* Ongoing, undisclosed discussions between Commissioner Mark Ozias and Jamestown CEO Ron Allen about transferring management of the Dungeness Recreation Area, one of the county’s most beloved parks, to a sovereign nation.

In each case, the public did not learn through transparent governance — but by chance.

Layered on top of this is how county leadership speaks about the public.

Ron Allen, CEO of the Jamestown Corporation and a major campaign donor to both Emery and Ozias, has referred to concerned residents as “whiners and complainers.”

Commissioner Mike French has dismissed follow-up questions about a $4 million allocation to Peninsula Behavioral Health as “micromanaging.”

Charter Review Commissioner Paul Picket called public commenters ignorant racists for supporting communication between the county and the federal government.

Former Charter Review Chair Susan Fisch infamously shouted “mute her, mute her” when a public commenter criticized Fisch’s close associate, Jim Stoffer.

The pattern is unmistakable: public scrutiny is tolerated only when it is quiet, controlled, and ineffective.

Which is why Dr. Sarah’s role matters so much.

This exchange did not happen in a headline-grabbing hearing. It happened in a low-attendance meeting, discussed casually, after the fact. Without one engaged citizen watching a replay, it likely would have gone unnoticed.

It is also worth noting that Bruce Emery is not merely a hired administrator. He is the only elected Department of Community Development director in the United States. His current term expires at the end of this year, and if he chooses to run for reelection, that decision — and campaign — would take shape this spring.

“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” — Thomas Jefferson

Public participation works — but only if the public stays engaged, even when officials wish they wouldn’t.

Dr. Sarah, thank you for paying attention when most weren’t looking.

Oh, and if Director Bruce Emery truly finds public participation uncomfortable — even “abusive” or “rabid” — the Charter Review Commission has concluded its work, and Jim Stoffer’s taxpayer-funded private security detail is presumably available, should the Director require protection.

At some point, local governance may come to view the public as an asset rather than a liability.

Readers are encouraged to watch the first 15 minutes of the January 21st Planning Commission meeting here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.ccwatchdog.com