Snohomish County Executive Director Brian Parry said a “clerical error” in the county examiner’s office led to postponement of a hearing that likely will determine whether or not a Bothell church faces a $1,500 fine over what the church’s pastor describes as a flag pole.

Parry said he was told by the hearing examiner’s office that someone improperly posted on a county Web site a cancellation notice regarding a hearing over the pole. The hearing was set for Jan. 4.

In the interest of fairness, Parry said the county decided to genuinely cancel the hearing. Parry said officials feared the erroneous cancellation notice may have dissuaded parties interested in the flag-pole issue from appearing at the hearing.

No new hearing date has been set, but the issue likely will be in front of a county examiner in February.

While the question just gained media attention during the recent holidays, the question actually goes back about 15 months. According to Pastor Brad Sebranke, that’s when Snohomish officials first told leaders of Bothell’s Park Ridge Church they needed a permit for a 90-foot wooden pole that sits in front of the Maltby Road church. For his part, Sebranke maintains there is nothing in the Snohomish County codes requiring his congregation to obtain and pay for a permit. He expressed some disappointment with the postponement of the hearing.

“I was kind of hoping the thing would be dealt with,” he said, adding he trusts the county made a genuine error in first posting the cancellation of the meeting.

In previous comments, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon said an investigation into the pole was launched after the county received a formal complaint from one of the church’s neighbors. Reardon said the complaint obligated the county to look into whether or not the pole poses a danger and was properly installed. He added the permitting process is the process by which inspectors would establish the stability of the pole.

Over the holidays, Park Ridge decorated the top of the pole with a large, lighted star. Normally, the pole supports a cross. Though some media reports have played up supposed questions about the religious displays, Reardon insisted they are not an issue.

“The issue the county is obligated to review has nothing whatsoever to do with the display,” Reardon said, “but only whether the pole may be a danger to others — including churchgoers and cars on a neighboring busy roadway — if it was not placed in the ground correctly.”

For his part, Sebranke said he never felt the issue was the cross or the star. He also said his disagreement has nothing to do with the fines connected with the alleged lack of a proper permit.

“I don’t like it when the government intrudes into private business deeper and deeper,” Sebranke has said. Reardon said the county tried for more than a year to settle the issue with the church, contending Sebranke set up meetings with Snohomish officials, but then missed those meetings.

In recent comments, Sebranke denied that allegation.

“The hearing examiner will have the ultimate authority over the county’s decision,” Reardon continued. “She will have the opportunity to assess whether the pole should in fact receive a permit… or if it can remain as-is.”