Putting aside the tiny detail of adequate notice, the Port of Astoria Commissioners have taken steps to renew the 30 year master lease with the State of Oregon for the Oregon LNG site.
The meeting Friday was marked by an emotional outburst by local political organizer Ted Thomas charging that the Port is giving way to blackmail by notifying the state of it's intention.
The issue is not at rest as yet and will not be until the Port actually signs the 30 year lease renewal and a negotiated settlement takes place been Oregon LNG and the Port regarding the various expenses that have been generated by the company. Those expenses are considerable with nearly a half million dollars in attorney fees and various damages that do not take into account the port's own legal bills. As we predicted months ago it's quite a mess. A very expensive mess.
There is little hope that Oregon LNG will throw out many of these damages since the company can't trust the Port in any negotiation to follow through on any promises it may attempt to make in trying to secure a better outcome.
This move on the part of the Port while hopeful for the hundreds of local people who would rather be working and the local businesses that are struggling to survive actually represents little movement on the part of the Port to resolve this issue. They could do far more and far more quickly but continue to drag their heels.
There WAS 24-hour notice, since I learned of it on Thursday via email. Maybe Mr Dominey needs to get on the Port's email list.
ReplyDeleteIt is apparent that Freel has no foresight, not has he understood the basis of this argument. He is either undereducated or fails to understand what he reads. The State could say no to the lease. The Port is just the Middleman in this deal and for Freel, the jobs he seeks has nothing to do with OLNG, only perhaps the revenue for Peter Hansen. The quote below is pure propaganda and has nothing to do about real work. Show us the facts, Freel, What Jobs?
ReplyDelete"This move on the part of the Port while hopeful for the hundreds of local people who would rather be working and the local businesses that are struggling to survive actually represents little movement on the part of the Port to resolve this issue. They could do far more and far more quickly but continue to drag their heels."
Good Lord! Just connect the dots.
ReplyDeleteAnd with the prospect of the opportunity to add The USS Ranger as an asset to our community, what better place to site it than Skipanon Peninsula, exactly where those proposed LNG Tankers would park.
ReplyDeleteWhat a loss of a hugely developable piece of land to give us a hell of a lot more true benefit in the longrun.
This is amazing. Why on earth would the Port's attorney advise not following the ruling from a Federal Judge absent filing an appeal of that ruling? Why on earth would the Port Executive Director recommend not honoring a contract? And, why on earth would the Port Commission not be able to figure out this rather simple thing: the Port made a contract and law demands it be honored, even if it was a bad deal and a stupid deal. If the Commissioners are actually this dumb, they should be required to pay the penalities for not honoring a contract.
ReplyDeleteThe only honorable way to deal with an disliked contract it to not make it in the first place. What do we have on the Port Commission, a bunch of Longshoremen?
Best place for the Ranger is East Basin in front of McGee's home. I will look at the LNG tankers he can look at The Ranger and the deep water (not) Tongue Point industrial facility.
ReplyDelete