During the Pe Ell Town Council meeting on Tuesday, Town Clerk Terra Oster gave the council notice she would be leaving her position effective Dec. 31. The announcement followed comments earlier in the meeting by Councilor Michael Nichols, who raised concerns about what he viewed as discrepancies between the council’s actions and the written minutes of a meeting.
Oster expressed frustrations with what she viewed as allegations she was falsifying documents as well as what she considered rude behavior at the previous council meeting on Oct. 4 when members of the public spoke out of turn about a proposed RV development project.
“You’re all ugly to each other,” Oster said. “Being kind, that’s what this town is about.”
Oster also told the council the minutes aren’t official until they have been approved by the council and she has made changes to the unofficial minutes in the past to correct errors at the request of councilors. She further stated other members of the council use email to send her edits to the minutes before they are approved at later council meetings, adding she asked Nichols to get an email account before so he could do the same.
After Oster’s announcement, Mayor Lonnie Willey told Nichols he should have come to the mayor privately, rather than raising the issue in front of the council.
Other members of the council spoke up in defense of Oster.
“It was a simple typo,” Councilor Jilona Speer said regarding Nichols’ complaint.
“Terra is the best person in that position I’ve ever seen (in my time on the council),” Councilor Kristi Milanowski said. “We are so blessed to have her.”
Oster is one of two town employees who has a level one water license. Under state rules, two employees are required to have a water license in order to operate a water plant. According to Willey, after Oster leaves Pe Ell’s employment, the city would not be able to be in compliance while operating its water plant unless they were able to hire someone else with a license.
During the meeting, the council also voted to add Juneteenth to the town’s holiday schedule. The council voted four to one to add the holiday to the calendar. Councilor Chris Dodd was the only no vote.
