The Jefferson County Public Utility District appointed three new members — Gary Rowe, Sebastian “Seb” Eggert and Dan Taylor — to its citizens advisory board Dec. 11.

There were nine applicants for the positions: three for District 1, one for District 2 and five for District 3.

Gary Rowe of Nordland was the sole applicant for District 2, district commissioner Kenneth Collins said. Rowe’s application letter cited his career in county government, as well as his background in public works management, procurement, budgeting and public policy.

“He is qualified, and I’ve been informed he plays well with others,” Collins said. “Also, he apparently knows a lot of our state legislators.”

District 1 Commissioner Jeff Randall nominated Eggert, who was present at the commissioners’ Dec. 11 meeting. Randall said Eggert has a history of attending PUD and CAB meetings, runs his own small construction business and leases an electric car.

“What’s critical for the citizens advisory board is to be able to discuss these issues with those who have a diversity of backgrounds,” Randall said. “When there was some tension within the community over the proposed smart meters, Seb was a very good representative of folks’ concerns. He’s very well-connected in the community.”

Eggert’s application letter noted he moved to Port Ludlow in 1977 and has been a licensed general contractor in Jefferson County since 1978, with work that includes the main entrance of the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Eggert’s letter added he also served on the executive board of the Economic Development Council, on the board of directors for the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, and as chairman of the Historic Preservation Committee for the city of Port Townsend.

“I strongly believe that this organization should be totally transparent,” Eggert wrote. “As an independent advisor to the (PUD) board and the manager, the CAB plays a critical role in connecting the public with the Public Utility District.”

Wayne King, board vice president, described all five of the District 3 candidates as “excellent” and advised his incoming successor, Dan Toepper, to retain their names for future use, but King ultimately nominated Dan Taylor, who lives in Uncas at Discovery Bay.

“His family has been here since the 1890s,” King said. “He’s got his own power generator at Snow Creek. I knew his dad. He’s a big union guy.”

Taylor’s letter touted his 20 years as a union employee representative who “bargained literally hundreds of agreements,” as well as his father helping to build his hydro energy plant in the mid-1970s, making it “the first operational privately owned power plant in the state to put power back on the grid.”

Taylor’s letter noted he’s also seeking a seat on the Jefferson County Civil Service Commission, but he believes he’s capable of handling both roles at once.

All three nominees were approved unanimously by the PUD commissioners Dec. 11.