Inland Port chairman asks commissioners to name a member to five‑person oversight committee to review port contracts

Jim Hawkes, chairman of the International Port of Plains, asked the Lincoln County commissioners to consider appointing a county commissioner to serve on a five‑member oversight committee intended to review contracts from the port operator and guard against conflicts of interest. Hawkes said the proposed committee would include the port chairman (himself), the port treasurer (Mike Steele), a contracts‑experienced member (Dwight Porter), a layperson (Gary Pearson) and one county commissioner.

Hawkes told the board the accountability and disclosures staff had reviewed the proposal and that an oversight committee was the recommended safeguard. "We have no preference who that is," he said, inviting the commissioners to select a member they believed appropriate.

Commissioners discussed possible candidates—two commissioners already serving on the inland‑port oversight functions were named as possible choices—but also raised Open Meetings Act and quorum concerns if multiple commissioners participated in the recommendation process. Chair and commissioners agreed to consider the appointment and, if necessary, allow the chair to designate a representative year‑to‑year.

No final appointment was made at the meeting; Hawkes said the port would be comfortable with a decision at a later meeting and stressed the committee's role would be to review contracts and ensure consistency before contracts reached the board.