The day after their former CEO’s resignation became official, Crescent City Harbor Commissioner Brian Stone stood at the podium, faced his constituents and apologized.
Stone referred to a verbal altercation he had with then-harbormaster Tim Petrick over staff’s response to the Del Norte County Civil Grand Jury at the Board’s Sept. 17 meeting. On Tuesday, Stone said Petrick was less than forthcoming and that he was continuously denied information about the former harbormaster “continuously.”
Though he wasn’t able to go into detail about what occurred in closed session, Stone spoke to why the Board of Commissioners didn’t fire Petrick.
“Legally, since we are a subdivision of the State of California, we are unable to just fire someone outright. We have to give them a warning and we have to go through the legal steps,” Stone said. “I cannot tell you what was discussed in closed session, but I will tell you this: Mr. Petrick, upon being confronted decided to resign. Now, that’s up to him. I think what needs to happen is true healing on the part of the community as well as reflection by the Board as to what has happened.”
Stone’s comments came during the general public comment period at the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting. They also come after Petrick tendered his resignation on Sept. 20 following the Harbor District’s release of his expenditures using a district credit card.
According to Stone, it was Harbor District Board candidate Linda Sutter who brought the issues to light. They were also addressed in the Grand Jury’s 2023-24 report, which was released in July.
Stone is one of three on the Board who are not seeking re-election this year. Following a closed session before adjourning Tuesday’s meeting, he and his colleagues hired Mike Rademaker as interim harbormaster for a six-month period.
Members of the public looked to the Board of Commissioners for further answers behind Petrick’s resignation. Smith River resident John Roberts came right out and asked why the former harbormaster wasn’t fired.
Kevin Hendrick, chairman of the Del Norte Central Committee, asked about a negotiated severance agreement with Petrick — saying he was unable to find such an agreement.
“Something like this should be provided to the public and it should be voted on in open session,” he said. “If that hasn’t been done I would at least recommend that you don’t make any payouts until you have it properly approved.”
Some members also questioned whether or not the current Board should be making any more decisions that will affect the Harbor District’s future.
“I understand Mr. Petrick is gone, but surely he didn’t operate in a vacuum,” said county resident Sam Strait. “Somebody must have been aware of the fact that things were not altogether kosher and perhaps should have spoken up prior to things blowing up.”
Alicia Williams, a Del Norte County resident who had been communicating with Harbor District staff, urged the Board to make plain what behaviors are unacceptable and to create an anonymous reporting system so “nobody has to worry about being canned.”She also called for an unbiased investigator to vet such complaints.
“It was through email, but it was a conversation with Tim [Petrick] and I told him specifically that he should acknowledge, apologize and resign voluntarily for his conduct and his part in the mess,” she said. “I did very clearly state that the Board has a very large part in it, but we were talking about him at that moment and his response was to take no accountability and not apologize for anything, so that was very disappointing.”
The current Board of Commissioners also heard from three of the five candidates seeking to replace three of their colleagues. Dan Schimdt, Annie Nehmer and John Evans said they were hopeful with Rademaker taking the helm as the new interim harbormaster.
Schmidt urged the Board to make Rademaker available to each of the five candidates running for the open seats one-on-one.
Nehmer acknowledged Rademaker’s experience “in knowing how the harbor functions.” But, while hopeful for the future, she said she felt like she was stonewalled after three years of asking questions.
Evans said he had full confidence in Rademaker. He also praised Stone for his apology.
“You don’t see that in a lot of people when they make a mistake these days,” Evans said. “That is a huge statement. I for one accept the apology.”
In other Harbor District news:
• Though it’s been a hot button issue since the 4th of July, the Harbor District Board tabled an ordinance prohibiting fireworks in certain areas of the port. Board President Harry Adams said the ordinance, which is modeled on the State of California’s regulations, is a rough draft and he urged people to read it. He said the new Board of Commissioners will likely vote on the final ordinance following the Nov. 5 election.
• Mike Bahr, CEO of Community System Solutions, gave the fourth and final presentation on an update of the Harbor’s 2018 Strategic Development Plan. The plan outlines potential projects and development for Harbor District properties with a focus on serving Del Norte County’s commercial fishing fleet.
The update costs about $10,000 and is being paid for through a $1.35 million Harbor Mitigation Program grant. On Tuesday, Bahr said the goal would be to recruit developers to the harbor who would pay the cost of constructing whatever facilities are needed.
• The Board of Commissioners also tabled a proposal from Advanced Recovery Services, a New Jersey-based energy firm, to audit the port’s utility expenses. According to Interim Harbormaster Mike Rademaker, ARS would keep 50 percent of the costs they recover as a result of that audit. He said other firms often operate on an hourly basis, but he learned from his electrical engineering professor at the California Maritime Academy that they’re focusing on “low-hanging fruit.” Rademaker said the 50 percent cost-recovery stipulation in ARS’s contract is an incentive for them to do a “deep dive” into the Harbor District’s electricity expenditures, but commissioners wanted him to negotiate a lower price.
• Harbor District Board President Harry Adams appointed commissioners Wes White and Gerhardt Weber to an ad-hoc committee to draft a Board response to the Del Norte County Civil Grand Jury. This response follows release of the Grand Jury report in July, which focuses on allegations of credit card misuse. It also follows Petrick’s resignation after the Harbor District released credit card statements that date back to December 2023.
• Finally, Rademaker announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $5 million contract to dredge the federal entrance to the harbor as well as to conduct maintenance dredging of the inner boat basin starting Oct. 15. There will be an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 cubic yards of material that will be disposed near Whaler Island, Rademaker said. He estimated the project to last about six feet. Adams said boats will still be able to access the harbor.
