At least one chapter has been finished in the bitter feud between Camas County developer George Martin Jr. and county officials that has led to a lawsuit, separate accusations of corrupt conduct and now a flurry of angry words hurled back and forth in public letters.
The Idaho Attorney General's Office has announced it found "insufficient evidence to support or prove criminal charges" leveled by Martin against county commissioners involving allegations of "self-dealing in matters of zoning, land use and development."
The chief of the attorney general's criminal division, Stephen Bywater, wrote that "no further action on this case" would be taken.
Martin's running battle with Camas County officials involves accusations of closed meetings, suppression of information and conflicts of interest in zoning votes.
When informed the investigation had been concluded, Martin said at least four other complaints about county officials had been lodged with the attorney general's office.
However, a spokesman for the attorney general, Bob Cooper, said the office neither confirms nor denies investigations and would have no comment on Martin's claim of additional complaints' being processed .
Martin has scored at least one victory in his fight. Fifth District Judge Robert Elgee issued a preliminary injunction against the county from processing any land-use applications pending a May 20 trial. He criticized Camas Planning and Zoning Chairman Ed Smith and County Commission Chairman Ken Backstrom for "egregious" conduct in voting on zoning matters involving their own property.
Saying he was writing as a private citizen, Camas County P&Z Administrator Dwight Butlin slammed Martin in a letter to the editor in the Camas Courier newspaper on April 9, accusing Martin of "lies, innuendos and half truths (that) have cost the county taxpayers ... $95,000 in attorney fees for legal advice and defense fees for county employees."
Costs are apt to increase as Martin's lawsuit continues in Elgee's court. The Camas annual county budget is $2,880,427.
Since the publication of Butlin's letter, Martin has prepared a response that he has sent to media. In his letter, Martin rebukes Butlin, writing that county officials, not he, are responsible for the legal costs.
"All of this expense to defend unlawful actions by the commission, instead of simply opening the process to the public and admitting mistakes were made," Martin wrote. "If the laws had been followed, no injunction would have ever been issued by the court."
Although Martin declined to say what the legal actions have cost him, he estimated it is in "the thousands and thousands."
Another controversy will face the county when the Planning and Zoning Commission meets Monday, April 21, at 5 p.m. to discuss, among other things, adding an airport overlay to its comprehensive plan. This follows the city of Fairfield's announcement in March that it is interested in sponsoring or cosponsoring a major airport in the county.
Opposition to an airport has been developing since the Fairfield announcement.
Although Fairfield missed a March 31 deadline for submitting its financial and property bona fides to qualify as a sponsor, Cayla Morgan, the Federal Aviation Administration manager of a site selection study, said she talked with Fairfield Mayor David Hanks on Tuesday morning about what the city would be required to submit in writing.
Morgan also said FAA officials and the consultants conducting the site study, Landrum & Brown, would meet to analyze preliminary data on potential sites.
