By ERIC ANDERSON

Guest Comment

In a contentious September 2011 work session, the Troutdale City Council discussed conducting a thorough and independent investigation into the building of a structure on Mayor Jim Kight’s property. On Nov. 8, 2011, the council unanimously took action formally authorizing it. My thoughts that night when I strongly advocated for this investigation, and every day since, have remained the same: that a fresh set of eyes would look into this entire process to determine how it happened, what went wrong and how to fix it so it never occurs again.

Any good investigation accomplishes that, and this investigation certainly meets that criteria. Beverly Russell, the sole investigator, singlehandedly reviewed hundreds of pages of documents and numerous sets of plans, interviewed more than 40 people and summarized her findings in a comprehensive report that took six months to assemble. This report revealed duplicity, deception, fabrication and manipulation of Troutdale’s building and permitting process along with the community development, planning and building departments.

Proving this investigation was not targeting the mayor specifically, it also reveals multiple flaws in the internal process the city uses to accept, review, evaluate and approve construction permits. Rather than call attention to the flawed process as elected officials who are well-versed in city policy should, Jim Kight did just the opposite; he exploited this flawed process for his personal gain.

After reading this report multiple times, it is clear to me that Mayor Kight orchestrated an act of deception on a scale of which this city has never seen. Russell’s report does an excellent job of breaking down this deception, when it occurred and how a 768-square-foot shed on concrete became a 2,032-square-foot building with plans, which are readily available for anyone to see, clearly labeled “great room,” “bedroom 1,” “bedroom 2,” “kitchen” and “bathroom.”

The report reveals obvious intent on the part of the mayor that this is, and was always intended to be, a house. In fact, I would go as far as to suggest had this investigation not been done, the mayor would have a fully furnished residence and all without paying the applicable system development charges or property taxes that go along with any residence in this city. I would challenge anyone who has seen the building and reads this report objectively and in its entirety to arrive at any other conclusion.

I realize the investigation is a two-part process. Part one has been completed with the release of the report and the resulting flaws in process, judgment and ethics it exposes. Part two is fixing these problems as that is the expectation of the residents of this city and the duty of this council.

With that, I call on City Manager Craig Ward to use his full license and authority to research and enforce any and all legal means at his disposal to remedy the problems with this structure that this investigation revealed.

Furthermore, I would ask that Craig conduct a thorough review of the process, and every component thereof, the city uses to approve any construction project.

Of gravest concern is the conduct of the mayor that is revealed in this report. Mayor Kight’s blatant disregard for this city’s building codes, its staff and fellow councilors is appalling. Most egregious, however, is the disregard for our citizens, who should be embarrassed and outraged at the findings the report reveals. It is conduct such as Jim Kight’s that causes the public to generally distrust politics and those in elected offices.

During Jim Kight’s term, the Troutdale City Council has rewritten the ordinance that governs reimbursable expenses for elected officials, drafted this city’s first censure resolution of an elected official in recent memory, if not ever, and took the unprecedented step of amending the city charter, a 105-year-old document, as a result of him.

This investigation and its aftermath will be an embarrassment to our fine city. In a year where we have made significant progress in business growth and economic development, spending priorities and our overall livability, I openly wonder how much that progress will be overshadowed by this report.

As elected officials, we live here, raise our families here and do business here. Speaking for myself, I would never jeopardize the trust of our residents or place our city at risk for my personal gain. I value this city, this office, and most of all its citizens, too much. In 2008, however, 3,057 of our citizens found that they liked and trusted Jim Kight enough that they elevated him to the office of mayor. As this report illustrates, while Jim was campaigning to earn those 3,057 voters’ trust, unbeknownst to them, he was also engaged in a strategic plan to elevate himself without regard for the rules and processes of the city in which he serves.

As a result of this independent investigation and the 3,057 violations of trust just mentioned, I am left with no choice but to call for Jim Kight to resign as mayor effective immediately. In my opinion, it is the right, just and honorable thing to do.

Eric Anderson is a member of the Troutdale City Council.