Worried that the Greenbank Farm Management Group has hired a “spin doctor,” Port of Coupeville commissioners told the group to be ready for a financial audit within two weeks.

Commissioners are concerned about the farm management group’s approval in July of a $10,000, four-month contract with Paul Samuelson. Samuelson was hired as a community relations advisor for the management group.

The call for an audit was the latest volley between the port, which owns Greenbank Farm, and the GFMG, which has a contract to manage operations at the popular tourist attraction. The relationship between the port and the management group has been strained since farm director Laura Blankenship quit in April and proposed on-then-off negotiations on a new GFMG contract.

Like the August announcement about the unexpected early end to contract talks, this week’s warning about the upcoming audit of the management group’s books was delivered via a formal letter from one side to the other.

While GFMG president Tom Baenen sat in stoic silence, port commission president Benye Weber read the letter at the commission’s meeting Wednesday.

She began by noting the farm group’s abrupt ending of negotiations on a new management contract between the group and port.

“This Board accepts your decision to bring to a close the expensive and frustrating distraction about ‘early termination’ that you initiated,” Weber said, reading the letter to Baenen.

Weber said the port has heard numerous comments from the public about the need to spend public monies prudently.

“Your letter of Aug. 7 reports the hiring of a consultant on community relations and fundraising. This Board will view with utmost concern the expenditure of public funds for this purpose,” Weber continued.

She said the port commission was concerned that income from the farm would be mixed with private funds, which would make it hard to determine if public money was being diverted from the management of the property.

Weber said the management group’s books and records on Greenbank Farm would be audited by the port, and she also asked for the group to provide detailed quarterly reports at the port’s regular meetings.

“The previous executive director (Blankenship) made it a practice to provide a written report on the status of services and other activities, including financial balances, in advance of our monthly public meetings,” Weber said. “We request this helpful practice be renewed.”

After asking for the letter to be formally signed and sent to the GFMG, Weber then turned to executive director Jim Patton.

“Within 14 days you and an auditor will review Greenbank’s financial records,” she said.

Patton said later he understands his role.

“If they can’t demonstrate to me that they haven’t spent public money on a spin doctor, there will be another real problem for them to consider,” Patton said.

The management group hired Samuelson in July.

Samuelson has a long history of community involvement; he served on the South Whidbey school board, on the board of directors for the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, and was recently appointed to a seat on the Langley City Council.

Baenen said Thursday the management group is not opposed to an audit.

“I know of no instance where we are not in 100 percent compliance with our management agreement with the port,” Baenen said.

“Yesterday was a complete shot across the bow by them with no warning; Paul is doing exactly the work for which we’ve contracted,” he added. “But the port has the right to audit and we have no objections.”

Paula Willstatter, the management group’s treasurer,

said the group had good reasons for hiring Samuelson.

“The board, all volunteers, hired Paul to help us figure more and better ways to raise funds for the farm,” she explained.

“We also want to get a lot more people involved as volunteers and we think Paul can help us with that,” Willstatter added.

The Port of Coupeville next meets at 10:30 a.m., Oct. 11 in Coupeville.

Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbeyrecord.com.

SIDEBAR:

In 1995, Chateau Ste. Michelle decided to sell the Greenbank property to developers; this action prompted local residents to start a campaign to save the farm, aided by a $1.5 million capital projects state grant.

The national non-profit Trust for Public Land negotiated with Chateau Ste. Michelle to sell 522 acres of the Greenbank Farm two years later to Island County, the Port of Coupeville and The Nature Conservancy for $2.8 million.

The Port of Coupeville owns and is responsible for the farm’s operations.

The Greenbank Farm Management Group formed as a nonprofit board of directors comprised of Whidbey Island residents who meet regularly to ensure that the farm serves its owners — the residents of Island County — with the primary mission of preserving the aesthetic character, economic value, and community use of the Greenbank Farm.

Six commercial operations are in place; the farm also stages a variety of annual events to bring visitors to the complex. The Loganberry Festival in June and the Wine Shop art tour are Greenbank Farm-generated projects.