Eighth Street Bridges — Railing Height

Cherie Kidd wants the City Council and the Port Angeles Forward Committee to discuss the height of the railings on the Eighth Street bridges. But before these upcoming meetings, she wants to know what you think.

She wants the Council to decide whether anything should be done to prevent future suicides on the bridges. She said:

“I wanted to dialogue about it because it's a current topic. If the citizens are concerned, we as the council need to address it. I need to bring more definitive information to the council. I want feedback from more people. Replacing the railing would be a huge cost. I'm not proposing that right now. I'm just saying what the needs of the city are. We need to look at this.”

What say you?

Chinook Motel Condemned

The Chinook Motel has been condemned by the City of Port Angeles. The motel was cited with numerous health and safety violations during a June 17th inspection.

I didn’t even know the motel had been open all this time, since it looks empty every time I drive past it.

Debate Among Four City Council Candidates

Four Port Angeles City Council candidates debated at yesterday’s meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association. Edna Petersen, Peter Ripley, Max Mania and Rick Burton discussed economic development and government transparency, among other topics.

Max Mania stressed the natural beauty of this area and the tourism this could generate: “We have so many blessings. We need to maximize those resources and turn it into the gold that I think just lies there.”

Rick Burton said the city could promote this area as a travel destination by coordinating better with other local governments: “I understand tourism isn't a year-round thing. It's one of the assets we have.”

He also dismissed most environmental issues: “When it comes to that ecology stuff, I think a lot of it is bunk, to be honest. I think it's another way for the federal and state governments to draw more money away from small cities like us.”

Edna Petersen spoke in favor of providing $10,000 in lodging tax revenue to Kenmore Air. Kenmore is required to use this funding for advertising to promote this area as a travel destination. She said: “That's what helps save a business. Business retention is easier than bringing a new business to town."

Peter Ripley established a link between government transparency and the likelihood of businesses keeping their shops in town. He said:

“I think the key phrase here is transparency. There are clouds of perception that decisions have been made behind closed doors and out of the public eye. I would recuse myself from any executive session that does not adhere to strict adherence to the RCW [the Revised Code of Washington] on executive session.”

The behind-closed-doors decisions he referred to include: selecting Kent Myers as city manager; creating the Port Angeles Harbor-Works Development Authority; and the agreement with Nippon Paper Industries USA on the environmental cleanup of Port Angeles Harbor.

And speaking of Harbor-Works: Edna Petersen said, “With the development of Harbor-Works, we are as close to moving forward than we have ever been, with everybody having a say in the process.”

Rick Burton said the city needs to work with the tribe to make sure no tribal artifacts are unearthed. He also said: “I don't see spending a whole bunch of money on Rayonier until Rayonier does their portion of what needs to be done.”

Max Mania seconded that the city needs to ensure Rayonier’s fiscal responsibility when it comes to the cleanup: “Less is more is probably going to be the realistic view.”

Peter Ripley said: “I think we have to do what is necessary in getting the property cleaned up.” He also said the city should encourage more cruise ships to dock in Port Angeles and that the waterfront should have a railroad again.

Recovery Plan for Lake Ozette Salmon

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a recovery plan which would allow Lake Ozette sockeye salmon to be taken off the Endangered Species List.

This is a voluntary plan which involves eradicating non-native plants next to streams, and replacing them with native species. It also involves placing large debris along stream banks for stabilizing the floodplain.

Another Bond Issue? Now?

There’s an interesting juxtaposition of two stories in today’s PDN.

There probably won’t be any money available next year for maintenance/improvements of streets, sidewalks, trails or parks.

And: There might be a bond proposal for rebuilding Port Angeles High School and for tearing down Monroe Elementary School, which closed in 2004.

I don’t know enough about the school situation to have an informed opinion. But with the budget crunch and the economy being the way it is, I’d guess the voters are pretty unlikely to approve this.

New Port Angeles City Council Website

The City Council agenda packets are now available at this website. These packets have information on ordinances and other items addressed by the Council.

The meeting agendas and packets are in pdf format.

Crime on North Olympic Peninsula

The crime rate decreased on the Olympic Peninsula from 2007 to 2008. The only exception was Sequim, which had a 108% increase in violent crime from 2007 to ‘08. In 2007 there were twelve reports of violent crimes; in 2008 that number increased to twenty-five. Sheriff Bill Benedict said those numbers were too small to indicate anything: “Because the numbers are so small, they can be skewed.”

Since the beginning of 2009 there’s been a slight increase in crime in both Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Most of the increase has been in property crimes.

Clallam and Jefferson Counties had thirty major crimes reported for every thousand residents. Throughout Washington State, the rate is forty per thousand.

Port Angeles Air Quality

Maybe I was the last person to know this, but the cause of our Godawful air quality in the last week and a half — with southern California-style visibility — is a fire in British Columbia that’s been raging since May 29th.

The fire is near Lillooet, B.C., in the Cariboo Region north of Vancouver. As of three days ago, the fire had consumed 15,000 acres and was nowhere near being contained. There are also several other fires raging in British Columbia, including a much larger one near the Yukon border.

In addition to the air pollution, there seems to be a sticky sap-like residue on our porch, just in the past week or two. Has anybody else noticed this?

New Stormwater Regulations from Department of Ecology

As you’ve probably read, the State Department of Ecology (under mandate from the federal government) has issued new stormwater regulations which will take effect this coming November. The most talked-about rule is that you won’t be able to wash your car on a hard surface — your driveway, the street, etc. Cars will have to be washed on a permeable surface — a field, or your yard. Or at a car wash.

This is to cut down on the pollution that washes into nearby waterways.

According to the PDN’s online survey today, this isn’t going over too well.

The question is: "Should government be able to tell you where to wash your car on your private property?"

With 777 votes cast so far, the responses are:

No — 82.0%
Yes — 14.8%
Undecided — 3.2%

What say you?

Port Angeles City Council Candidates

Out of the ten candidates who’ve filed for the city council races, one person in particular seems to echo exactly what Port Angeles residents have been grumbling about for months.

Rick Burton (whom I’d never heard of before reading the PDN article) says the city should prioritize its spending better. In particular, he mentions spending $6.1 million on Gateway, and then being “unable” to fund William Shore Memorial Pool.

“They spent money on The Gateway transit center and turn around and want to form a tax district for the swimming pool. It doesn't make any sense to me.”

He also doesn’t think the city should have formed the Port Angeles Harbor-Works Development Authority; but if this public development authority is what the public wants then he’ll support it.

Aren’t these the exact things you and your friends and acquaintances have been saying all along? Or the conversations you overhear around town — if they’re talking about local politics, that’s probably what they’re saying.

A city council candidate who actually speaks for us.

In other words, he doesn’t stand a chance.

Port Angeles Farmers Market to Try Gateway Pavilion

The Wednesday Farmers Market will be at the Gateway pavilion on June 17th and 24th. Depending on how things work out, the market might continue using the Gateway pavilion on Wednesdays for the rest of the summer; and they might even relocate to Gateway for their year-around Saturday market.

According to Market Manager Michele d'Hemecourt, the city is not charging them any fee for these first two Wednesdays at Gateway. During this two-week test period, the Saturday market is still being held at the Clallam County Courthouse parking lot.

The Gateway pavilion is supposed to open late next week.

More information about the Port Angeles Farmers Market is available here.

Victoria Might Finally Stop Sh#tting Into the Strait

It’s a first step anyway. A regional planning agency has voted 11 to 3 to build four sewage treatment plants.

The cost is about $1.2 billion and the plants won’t be operating until 2016. These four treatment plants will tentatively be in Saanich, Esquimalt, Victoria and the west shore.

Currently, the Strait of Juan de Fuca gets about 31 million gallons of raw sewage dumped into it each day.

New “Welcome” Sign for Port Angeles

A new “Welcome” sign will be unveiled this Friday. The sign will be at the corner of Laurel Street and Railroad Avenue, on the wall of a warehouse owned by Black Ball Transport Inc., which operates the M.V. Coho.

The sign will be showing art work from an 1865 map of Port Angeles. The sign was created by Jackson Smart of Jackson's Sign Art Studio. It’s 8 feet tall and 16 feet wide, and shows a view of the harbor, Ediz Hook and a 19th century ship.

There’ll be an unveiling ceremony on Friday at 4 p.m. featuring coffee and refreshments. The ceremony is being organized by Edna Petersen and Rian Anderson, Port Angeles district manager for Black Ball Ferry Line.