PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Economic Development Council’s fate lies in the hands of its 73 members this Friday.
The council’s board meets at noon Friday at Point Hudson Marina Room, and a membership vote that could determine the end of the job-creating agency is scheduled to take place.
At stake is whether the agency, which has been in political turmoil at times during the past 20 years, officially dissolves or takes an alternate course.
Jefferson County’s three elected commissioners have already moved in to assume economic development functions, an action they took after development council Executive Director Tamer Kirac resigned in February.
Kirac, citing lack of development council and executive board support, accepted a U.S. State Department job in Baghdad, Iraq, as an economic development adviser to 18 war-torn provinces. Kirac quit after 16 months on the job.
Members must decide fate
The development council board on March 3 voted 11-5 to dissolve the agency, but the nonprofit organization’s bylaws state that the final decision must come from the dues-paying membership.
“We are trying to give discussion time for alternatives, just like we did at the last meeting,” past council president Mark Jochems said.
“I am hopeful that we have a quorum show up.”
A development council board quorum at present would be 16 members.
The board would take a tally of members present and vote.
