PA United Proposes Merger of Port Angeles Business Groups

We'll see if this goes beyond the talking stage.  Leaders of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Port Angeles Business Association and Downtown Association will present this proposal to their memberships for a vote.  Todd Ortloff, president of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce and station manager at KONP, said:

“This is no longer three separate groups. This will be a group.”

Bob Lumens, president of the Port Angeles Downtown Association, said:

“If we could get all the things from having an efficient, organized, cooperative group, would we blow up these organizations and be in a better place?  I think the answer is yes.”

If the merger is approved, the Port Angeles Business Association and Chamber of Commerce would be dissolved and their functions would be divvied up into five task force committees.  The Downtown Association, being affiliated with the Main Street Program, can't be completely dissolved.  Parts of the organization will probably remain an independent 501(c)3. 

Port Angeles Sustainable Business Association

Howard Sprouse of the Port Angeles Sustainable Business Association will be the guest speaker at Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association.  He'll be introducing his plan for repurposing the former Peninsula Plywood site.

Howard Sprouse is or was (I can't tell if this website information is current or not) the President and CEO of The Remediators, which offers on-site cleanup of contaminated property using “the natural ability of micro-organisms to dissolve organic compounds.”

Port of Port Angeles Commissioners Oppose ONP Wilderness Plan

Port of Port Angeles Commissioners have sent a letter to Olympic National Park officials, stating their opposition to the Park's proposed wilderness plan.  (Big surprise.)

Port Commissioners said the wilderness plan would reduce access to the park, thereby reducing the economic benefits generated by the park.  Park officials are taking public comments on the wilderness plan through May 17th.

Sequim School Bond Measure Defeated

Voters have rejected a request for a $154 million bond for renovation of Sequim schools.  School Board president John Bridge said:

“That's shocking. That's a disappointing number.  What are we going to do now with these needs that aren't going away?” 

According to Tuesday's first ballot count, the measure was losing, 56.5% to 43.5%.  It needed a 60% majority in order to pass.

Derek Kilmer to speak at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

Rep. Derek Kilmer will be the guest speaker at tomorrow's meeting of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Pay Raise for Sequim City Council?

The Sequim City Council might vote itself a pay raise.  The raise would not take effect until after the next election for each individual council position:  2016 or 2018, depending on which position.  Councilman Ted Miller said the raise would be “really not a pay increase, but more of a pay simplification.”  He also said:

“People respect people on the basis of how much their wealth is and how much their income is.”  He also said the council's current pay, “one fifth of what a burger flipper down at McDonald's gets,” is “embarrassing.”

The Sequim City Council also voted to extend the city ordinance limiting signs in strip malls.  The ordinance had a sunset provision written into it, and the ordinance has automatically expired.  City Attorney Craig Ritchie wants to make the ordinance permanent:

“We just want you to reinstate the thing that seems to be working.”

PABA to discuss Merger with PA United

At this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association, the subject will be whether the PABA, Downtown Association and Chamber of Commerce should merge with PA United.  There's supposed to be a final decision on April 29th.

Port Angeles Utility Customers Might Have Less Time to Pay Utility Bills

The City of Port Angeles might reduce the length of time provided for utility customers to pay their bills.  The City Council will be considering this proposal at their meeting next Tuesday.

County Commissioners Postpone Decision on Flow Control Ordinance

After two and a half hours of public testimony, Clallam County Commissioners decided to postpone their vote on a proposed flow control ordinance.  This ordinance would require that all garbage in central and eastern Clallam County be taken to the regional transfer station in Port Angeles.

The public consensus was that the ordinance would create a monopoly on garbage disposal, and everyone's rates would be forced too high.

Aquaculture (i.e. Factory Farm) Executive to be Guest at PABA meeting

At this Tuesday's meeting of the Port Angeles Business Association, the guest will be Alan Cook, vice president of aquaculture for Icicle Seafoods of Seattle.  Icicle Seafoods is the parent company of American Gold Seafoods, which operates fish farming pens in Port Angeles Harbor.

For more information about fish farming, click here.

American Cruise Lines to Visit Port Angeles on April 15

American Cruise Lines' "American Spirit" will be nearly full when it comes to Port Angeles on April 15.  American Spirit will be making ten visits this spring to Port Angeles and Port Townsend, and ten more visits to each city during the fall.  The cruise ship is expected to dock at Port Angeles City Pier at 2 p.m., Tuesday the 15th.

Port Townsend Paper Corp. Cancels Biomass Expansion Plans

Port Townsend Paper Corp. has abandoned a $54 million project that would have upgraded the mill's biomass cogeneration plant.  Company President Roger Hagan said:

“It's not a financially viable project.  It is not our intention to proceed with the project or ask for another extension.”

He said the company's decision was based on environmental challenges, the expiration of federal tax credit incentives, and the fact that natural gas is much more competitively priced.

Olympic Resource Protection Council to Fund Lawsuit over Dungeness Water Rule

The Olympic Resource Protection Council has decided to fund a lawsuit against the state Department of Ecology.  The organization is opposed to the Dungeness Water Rule — which regulates water usage in the east end of Clallam County — because this water rule violates the “property rights” of developers.

Peninsula Daily News Reverses Course, Will NOT Charge a Fee to View PDN Website

The Peninsula Daily News was planning to start charging a subscription fee in order to surf the PDN website.

But the owners of the Peninsula Daily News — after a recent meeting with a highly paid out-of-state consultant — have changed their minds now.  This meeting was private and heavily guarded by an elite security team.  But a few details of the meeting have been leaked.

According to an anonymous source, the consultant had some painfully blunt advice for the PDN owners, telling them:

“Do you really think your readers are going to PAY to look at this stuff???  LOL.  How much of a laughingstock do you want to be?  I hope you people have some marketable job skills to fall back on when this hare-brained scheme backfires and the PDN goes belly up.  Whatever you've been smoking, I want some of it!”

Apparently the advice was taken seriously.  And so, at least for the time being, the PDN website is still free.