Grays Harbor residents had local issues in mind, including struggles facing small businesses, and the Navy’s plans for electronic warfare training on the Olympic Peninsula, when they got a chance to address Congressman Derek Kilmer at his town hall gathering Saturday afternoon in Westport.
Attendees filled about two-thirds of the 100 seats set up in Ocosta High School’s commons room. The stop in Westport was the last of the Democratic congressman’s six town hall meetings over the last two weeks.
“I think it’s important for elected officials to make themselves available and accessible and accountable to the people they represent,” Kilmer said before taking the podium. “I’ve made it a priority to do meetings like this so folks can be heard and they can hear what I’m working on.”
The town hall began with a slideshow showcasing progress — or lack thereof — in Congress surrounding the economy, employment and work across party lines.
Kilmer didn’t mince words when expressing his feelings about Congress’s recent sessions.
“‘Sequestration’ is a Latin word that I believe translates to ‘stupidity,’” Kilmer said, inciting laughter among supporters.
Kilmer was also critical of lawmakers’ tendency to add provisions to bills just before sending them to a committee. “Congress has to stop doing things at the last minute. It’s not good for business.”
After his presentation, Kilmer opened the floor for public comment, giving constituents an hour to voice concerns to him directly.
Among the first issues raised was flood relief, and whether Kilmer has the capacity to help with efforts to restore Grays Harbor following its worst natural disaster in recent years. He urged anyone with property damage to have that damage assessed as soon as possible. Doing so, he said, leads to progress toward getting any assistance from FEMA.
“Part of the trigger for support out of FEMA is it has to cross that threshold of seeing a significant amount of damage done,” he said. “That means that folks who were impacted can be part of the solution by getting their damage assessed.”
Local and state officials said this week that they don’t expect FEMA funding to be a large part of the recovery effort.
Help for struggling local businesses also sat at the forefront of discussion on Saturday. Among those concerned was Carol Glover, who owns Mermaid Deli & Pub in Westport.
After opening her restaurant at the height of the Great Recession, Glover said she hasn’t been able to keep up with the numerous federal, state and municipal regulations. With Westport’s status as a seasonal town, Glover said she continually hires an influx of workers for the summer, but is forced to lay them off during the winter months. As a result, she said she’s hit with an unemployment rate every year.
“That is ridiculous in an area like this,” she said during public comment, adding that her outreach to the Small Business Administration didn’t yield any solutions. “We have no support from anyone. … The one time we contacted them, they said they only loan to businesses that are profitable.”
Kilmer, who had a background in economic development before going to Congress, said that although the Small Business Administration does offer valuable programs, its response to Glover “didn’t make sense.”
“This is something that the state has grappled with with regards to seasonal employment,” he added. “I’m not sure that the state has appropriately threaded that needle, and I think your business is a fine example of that.”
Grays Harbor College President Ed Brewster was at the gathering and said Kilmer has been an important resource for small business locally. He pointed to Kilmer’s help keeping the local small business development coordination office from closing its doors a year ago.
“He, frankly, personally was the one who turned around the closure of that center,” Brewster said. “He doesn’t just talk about things, but he takes action and has done specific things to help the community.”
Kilmer also fielded comments from supporters and opponents of the Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range project on the Olympic Peninsula. Though the issue remains divisive, Kilmer said the most glaring mistake has been the Navy’s lack of outreach to gather public comment on the plan.
“I think they’ve done an inadequate job on engaging the public on this,” he said. “The Navy has said they informed 100 public officials. Frankly, I’ve not talked to a single one.”
The meeting came to a close with Kilmer congratulating Westport Mayor Michael Bruce on the city’s centennial in 2014. The congressman had originally planned to speak at the ceremony last year, but was unable to attend due to a family illness. Kilmer gave Bruce a flag flown at the U.S. Capitol, a gift Bruce said he had previously asked for, having never been able to go Washington D.C. himself.
After the town hall, Bruce lauded Kilmer for his accessibility to constituents.
“I’ve never had an issue that Congressman Kilmer and his staff wouldn’t get to the bottom of,” Bruce said. “I may not have always been happy with the answer, but they do listen, and he’s very responsive.”
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