CDA discusses Smith contract in first meeting after ethics commission’s findings

BOARDMAN – The Columbia Development Authority (CDA) discussed a personal services contract currently offered to current Executive Director Greg Smith at its Tuesday meeting.

The CDA had decided in November to sign a personal services contract with Smith, as opposed to having him be an employee, to alleviate payroll concerns raised by its fiscal agent, the Port of Morrow.

This was the first CDA meeting held since the Oregon Government Ethics Commission found sufficient evidence that Smith was in violation of two statutes in regard to a pay raise for himself that was included in a CDA grant application.

Joel Peterson, who represents the Port of Morrow on the board, proposed a Dec. 31 deadline for Smith to accept the contract. The motion failed 3-2 with Peterson and Morrow County Commissioner Jeff Wenholz voting in favor.

JD Tovey of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation then made a motion to withdraw the personal services contract for Smith until the ethics issue was resolved.

Smith has 21 days from receipt of the ethics commission’s findings to decide whether he will contest them or enter into settlement negotiations. It’s not known if he or his attorney has received those documents yet.

Wenholz mentioned that the Port of Morrow had extended its deadline as fiscal agent with the understanding that the payroll issue would be resolved and that withdrawing the contract would create issues if the Port of Morrow chose not to extend the deadline further

The motion to withdraw the contract also failed 3-2 with Tovey and Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer voting for it.

Also, at Tuesday’s meeting Peterson was elected as the board chair for the next year, with Schafer being elected to continue as vice-chair.

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Elkhorn Media Group