Port’s Evans faces conflict of interest accusations at first regular commission meeting
Port of Olympia Commissioner Amy Evans, one of two new faces on the commission, heard conflict of interest accusations during her first regular commission meeting on Wednesday.
The port commission typically meets on Mondays, but Monday’s meeting was delayed until Wednesday because Commissioner Joe Downing was recently hospitalized at University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. He attended Wednesday’s remote meeting and appeared to be in good health.
It didn’t take long for Evans to hear the accusations because they were raised by two residents — Carla Wulfsberg and Lee Riner — during public comment at the top of the meeting. Both called on the port to “investigate her conflict of interest with the Port of Olympia.”
Evans, a commercial real estate broker, faced the same accusations during her campaign because she played a role in bringing Panattoni to the port’s attention.
Since then, Panattoni has signed an option agreement with the port, allowing it to explore development of a 200-acre parcel in Tumwater that is part of the port’s New Market Industrial Campus. Panattoni has an interest in developing warehouses on the site, but has yet to sign a ground lease with the port.
There’s also the question of whether Panattoni moves forward at all because the port and the city of Tumwater do not agree on a development agreement that would guide certain aspects of any potential development of the site.
Still, after public comment, Evans replied that she would welcome a report or investigation as the best way to address the public’s concerns. She added that she is no longer associated with the Panattoni deal and reiterated that she will forego her broker’s commission.
“I have removed myself completely,” she said.
Her fellow commissioners came to her defense.
Commissioner Bob Iyall, the other new face on the commission, said he believes Evans has addressed the conflict of interest charges and called any further accusations a distraction.
“Unfortunately, distractions are only going to take us away from being able to do our due diligence and perform our duties effectively,” he said.
“I want to express my total support for her and the steps she has taken to distance herself from the potential Panattoni lease,” Commissioner Downing added.
During the short tenure of the new port commission, VaLiesha Brown, the port’s legal counsel, said she was not aware of any standards of conduct violations.
“We do not have any activity or actions that have been taken that are known to me as the subject of a potential conduct violation,” she said.
This story was originally published January 13, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
