Downtown Association Passes City Audit

City Hall has decided that the Port Angeles Downtown Association is in compliance with its contract with the City, but that there is room for improvement.

This was the conclusion of City Manager Kent Myers and Finance Director Yvonne Ziomkowski. The City's audit itself was the result of 81 downtown business owners signing a petition expressing their dissatisfaction with the Port Angeles Downtown Association's leadership and effectiveness.

The City's audit did recommend that the Downtown Association board members communicate better with the membership by meeting at least once a year with each member. And the PADA's regular board meetings should be held in a downtown public location, e.g. a restaurant, instead of the PADA's tiny cramped office, which appears to make non-Board-members unwelcome. And the audit very gently and indirectly suggested that maybe the PADA could make a tiny, uh, effort to obtain some of the tens of thousands of B&O tax dollars that are available to the downtown of all members of the Washington's Main Street program. To date,the Downtown Association has NOT done this.

The PADA executive director said these recommendations will be considered.

Downtowners' Meeting, April 25th: NOT!

OOPS! There's been a change, or a "misunderstanding," or something. Turns out April will have a standard Morning Mingle after all. Same time, same station: Landings, 8 a.m. on Wednesday April 25th. We'll try to get this new evening format started in May (hopefully), pending PADA Board approval.

Thanks to all of you who responded in support of a new format. We'll let you know as things progress.

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EVENTS THIS WEEKEND:

The Port Angeles Kayak Symposium, April 13th through 15th at City Pier and Hollywood Beach. For more information click here and here.

Check it out. And let's hope this brings a big influx of people into downtown Port Angeles this weekend.

Downtown/Gateway/Parking/City Council/ PADA

Things are heating up again in Downtown Port Angeles. Gateway Center construction will be starting soon, and the downtown parking situation will be Godawful. As you probably know, there's a disagreement (to put it mildly) between the Downtown Association and the City Council, regarding the parking situation.

In a nutshell: How much of a priority is it to provide parking for customers shopping downtown?

There have been long-term agreements between the City Council and the Downtown Association, stipulating that the Gateway construction will cause no net loss of parking spaces downtown. But several downtown parking lots have already been condemned (to make way for the Gateway project) and sold. This has created a loss of parking revenue for the Downtown Association, not to mention the huge loss of parking spaces for downtown customers. Just think how much worse it'll get when the construction actually starts. What happened to those agreements???

The Downtown Association wanted to go through the mediation process with the City Council to work out their disagreements on downtown parking. This mediation was to be an alternative to litigation. The City Council turned down the mediation request. So, where do we go from here? Litigation? There might be a meeting between the City Council and the Downtown Association — will this meeting be public or private? Will it be on the record or off the record?

What do YOU think should be done?

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UPDATE: The Port Angeles Farmers Market will be returning downtown on Wednesdays. This will begin in early June. They'll be using the parking lot at the corner of Laurel and West First Streets. Saturdays are unlikely any time soon, at least for that particular parking lot. However, the Farmers Market WILL be downtown (at that same parking lot) on Saturday, April 21st. That's because the Courthouse parking lot, where the Market usually sets up, will be closed that day for a car show.

So come on, Port Angeles residents, be sure to come into town on Saturday April 21st, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to check out the Farmers Market at West First and Laurel. It'll be just like the good old days. And be sure to do lots of shopping and dining and strolling while you're here.

Port Angeles Downtown Association

OK, our newly-elected PADA Board members are: Catherine Harper, Bob Lumens and Michael Lenox. Congrats.

The complete list of PADA Board members is available here.

Now, PADA members who are concerned about the PARKING SITUATION downtown, please attend this IMPORTANT MEETING:

Monday, January 22nd

6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Elks' Ballroom.

There are major parking problems downtown (as you know) and they will soon be getting much worse. Important decisions need to be made. We need the input of all members of the Port Angeles Downtown Association.

UPDATE: 57 PADA members attended the meeting at the Elks' Ballroom. Thanks to everybody who showed up. A very productive meeting.

UPDATE: The PADA Board members will meet on Monday, January 29th at the Downtown Association office, 208 North Laurel St. at 6:15 p.m. They usually meet on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month; this meeting will be in addition to their regular twice-a-month meetings.

PADA members, PLEASE come to these PADA Board meetings. Everyone agrees that there is a lack of communication between the PADA Board and the downtown at large. This is a 2-way street. If you can't or won't attend their meetings, you have no right to complain about secrecy and lack of communication. We all need to be involved in decisions that affect downtown Port Angeles. Please attend these meetings.

Welcome!

Welcome to residents of the North Olympic Peninsula. This site deals mostly with Port Angeles issues, but all area residents are welcome to participate. This is YOUR FORUM. This is YOUR chance to vent; to rant. Tell us what YOU THINK:

Population growth

Environment

Economy

Crime

Traffic

Gateway Center and how it will affect downtown Port Angeles

Who is most concerned about the welfare of Port Angeles: Chamber of Commerce? City Council? Downtown Association? Other_______________

What do you like/dislike about Port Angeles?

What does the city need more of? Less of?

And any other local issues you're interested in.

OK, Ready? Just click on "Comments" and start ranting.