Pierce County sends mixed message to business
ROBIN DOWNEY; Executive director Pacific Coast Shellfish Association Port Townsend
Re: “Geoduck harvest in limbo, (TNT, 3-28).
Shellfish growers across the region are scratching their heads, trying to understand Pierce County’s about-face decision regarding the Taylor Shellfish permit expiration for its Foss farm geoduck operations.
Shellfish growers, like any business, make investments based on available information and market trends. Testimony and documents from Pierce County representatives make clear that the county assured Taylor Shellfish that its permit for Taylor’s Foss farm did not expire. Taylor made significant investments based on those county assurances.
In addition to the environmental services provided by the shellfish we grow, shellfish growers have been providing jobs and income in the Puget Sound region for more than 150 years. We appreciate our good relationships with local governments and rely on the information that they provide to us regarding permits and other rules and regulations to guide our business decisions.
Recent actions in Pierce County suggest that other forces and dynamics are at play in the county’s decision-making process. In order to foster a climate that’s good for investment, the county must provide the business sector with clear and concise information. And the county’s actions must then be consistent with that information.
That did not happen in the case of the Taylor Shellfish permit. This decision should be a warning sign for any companies that do business in Pierce County.
