Large crowd expected at C-TRAN Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, April 15

A large turnout is expected at the April 15 C-TRAN board meeting, where public input and a key vote on light rail funding will follow the recent removal of Michelle Belkot.

Reform Clark County asks supporters of Michelle Belkot, who was removed from the C-TRAN board last month, to show up and be respectful in their public comments, and the tabled vote on language regarding the funding of light rail is on the agenda

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

It has been a month since a series of events led to Michelle Belkot being removed from the C-TRAN Board of Directors, and many of her supporters are expected to attend the next board meeting.

Reform Clark County sent a release to its members asking them to show up early, pack the house, and always be respectful in their comments for the Tuesday, April 15 C-TRAN Board of Directors meeting. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at 10600 NE 51st Circle in Vancouver.

Last month, Belkot, also a Clark County council member, had said she would vote against C-TRAN footing the bill for the extension of Oregon’s light rail transit into Vancouver. Before that vote took place, though, it was blocked when another Clark County council member, Sue Marshall, asked to table the vote and Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle seconded it, and the rest of the board voted to pause.

The next day, Belkot was dismissed by the rest of the Clark County council from the C-TRAN board of directors. They installed Wil Fuentes into Belkot’s seat on the C-TRAN board.

Some have claimed that those actions were illegal, including Reform Clark County founder Rob Anderson. He sued the four other members of the council. Belkot also filed suit against the county, claiming her civil rights were violated.

Reform Clark County’s email notes that there will be an attempt to officially seat Fuentes and have him cast the deciding vote to fund light rail at Tuesday’s meeting.

Reform Clark County is hoping the board will table the vote again to allow the legal process to proceed. The first hearing, Anderson said, is scheduled for April 17.

In the meantime, those against light rail and for light rail are expected to attend Tuesday’s C-TRAN meeting. Last month, public comment lasted almost two hours. That was before the vote was tabled, starting this chain of events.

The vote that was scheduled to take place last month is on Tuesday’s agenda: The C-TRAN memorandum to the board of directors regarding the modified locally preferred alternative for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program proposed language change.