Facing the opportunity to land the biggest oil terminal in the Pacific Northwest, the Port of Vancouver wanted to manage a highly lucrative lease deal with Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies as smoothly as possible. The port settled into exclusive negotiations with the companies and moved the controversial project through public meetings.
On the evening of July 22, during a special public meeting on broad elements of the lease, the port fumbled.
That’s when port commission President Jerry Oliver told a hearing room overflowing with opponents of the controversial oil-by-rail plan that he, Commissioner Nancy Baker and Commissioner Brian Wolfe would discuss their public testimony in private — an apparent violation of Washington state’s open public meetings law, according to experts.
