Expanding the Port Angeles Utility Advisory Committee

Another position might be added to the 5-member Utility Advisory Committee. Nippon has a permanent seat on the committee, which could give the impression of unfairness.

City Councilman Max Mania brought up the fairness issue. He said “for a lot of people, perception is reality.” He also said adding a new position would increase public input regarding utility rates.

The City Council will discuss this at their September 20th meeting.

City Council to Use Shorter Minutes

Starting this coming Tuesday, the Port Angeles City Council will be using shorter minutes. This new condensed version will no longer include council discussions or presentations or comments from staff members.

They say it isn’t an attempt to conceal anything; it’s just to save time and make it quicker for people to see how council members voted.

City Clerk Janessa Hurd said: “It’s more of what happened than what was said.”

The Council will be using these shorter minutes for a 6-month trial period. Mayor Dan Di Guilio said feedback from the public will determine whether these shortened minutes will be a permanent change.

Larry Little Resigns from Port Angeles City Council

Well, that was short-lived. Larry Little was sworn in last Tuesday as a new City Council member. Then two days later he resigned, via an e-mail to Kent Myers and the rest of the City Council.

His wife has cancer and is in the middle of chemotherapy.

“She is stronger than me and I know that she is saddened that I am making this decision to resign. I thought I could do it. But already things have been forced to slide in some of my other obligations. First in my list of priorities is the physical and emotional health of my family. My obligations with the Volunteers in Medicine clinic are second.”

Best of luck to Larry Little and his family.

At next Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council will discuss what process they’ll use for filling the vacancy.

City Council Meeting Tomorrow on Save The Pool

At 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Council Chambers, 321 East 5th Street, the Port Angeles City Council will make a decision on the William Shore Memorial Pool.

Save the Pool PA will try to show the City Council that they’re raising enough money to keep the pool open from April through June. Based on the information they get, the Council will decide whether to complete the process of funding a special election to create a park district. This district — if the voters approve — will provide revenue for the pool through a property tax levy.

The levy would be about 12 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation. The owner of a $200,000 home would pay an additional $24 a year. Save the Pool PA wants the City Council and the Clallam County Commission to place a cap on how much money the park district could levy. Without this cap, the district could levy up to 75 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation, under state law.

If you ever want to see your pool again — be there tomorrow night.

Port Angeles City Council: Violating State Law?

Shirley Nixon, a former Clallam County prosecuting attorney, says the City Council might be in violation of state transparency laws — specifically the Revised Code of Washington.

She first criticized the City Council for their secrecy last May when they created the Harbor-Works Public Development Authority. She said:

“I appreciate the Council calling the special workshop last Tuesday evening to discuss Harbor-Works. I wish I could tell you that the session left me feeling more confident about how and why the PDA was created. Unfortunately, it seemed to raise more troubling questions than it answered.”

And she has the same criticism of the City Council’s selection process for the new Port Angeles City Manager:

“The pitfalls of unnecessary government secrecy are many. Unfortunately, the City Council appears to have once again run afoul of the open government principles by selecting its preferred candidate for a new city manager in a completely closed process.”

The City Council’s city manager selection could become invalidated if the process violated state laws. Nixon said:

“I don't know how, or if, this violation of the Open Public Meetings Act can be corrected, but I am truly sorry that the arrival of a new city manager — a hopefully bright occasion filled with great promise for the city's future — must be clouded by the council's disrespect for state law.”

New City Manager for Port Angeles

Kent Myers of Hot Springs, Arkansas has been selected by the City Council as Port Angeles’ next City Manager. He’ll be sworn in next Tuesday, assuming the City Council approves his contract. He’ll take over the position on January 12th from interim City Manager Jerry Osterman.

The City Council hasn’t released any information on Myers’ salary or other perks. They’ll make this information public next Tuesday when they give final approval to his contract.

Let’s hope the severance package isn’t TOO attractive.

Stay of Execution for the Pool

The Port Angeles City Council voted unanimously to keep funding William Shore Memorial Pool through the end of March 2009.

After that it’ll be up to the voters. Supporters of the pool are hoping to get an initiative on the ballot in May 2009, which would create a parks taxing district for funding the pool.

The City Council voted on this measure after hearing the plan presented by Krista Winn, chairwoman of Save the Pool PA.

Bubble Building Still Looking for a Home

The Port Angeles City Council has voted to postpone a decision on where to put our “free” albatross, the Bubble Building. It probably wouldn’t look right to finance a portable indoor arena for a few hockey moms while William Shore Memorial Pool — used by hundreds of residents — is in danger of closing.

Karen Rogers made the motion to postpone the decision because there are still too many unanswered questions. She said “I’m perplexed frankly why it was brought specifically to us, knowing these questions are not resolved.”

James Schouten from Friends of the Fieldhouse said all of the City Council’s questions had been answered or would soon be answered. Mayor Gary Braun then declared Schouten out of order for interrupting the City Council’s discussion.

The Bubble Building is still in storage while it waits for a home. Erickson Park is the most likely location if and when funding gets resolved. Other possible locations include Volunteer Park near the airport.

Port Angeles City Council: “Vote Down Our Trillion Dollar Pool?? We’re Gonna Teach You a LESSON”

William Shore Memorial Pool is probably going to close at the end of this year. The City of Port Angeles has its priorities, and closing the pool looks like their way of balancing the budget for 2009.

The Mayor and City Council are saying the closure isn't definite, but pool manager Jayna Lafferty said she was told last Thursday that the pool would be closed either December 31st or June 30th.

The City Council will be holding a meeting on the budget this Wednesday at 5 p.m. The meeting will be at the council chambers, City Hall, 321 East Fifth Street, Port Angeles. There won't be any public comments allowed at this meeting, but pool supporters will probably be attending.

There will be public hearings on the budget on November 4th and 18th.

In November 2006, voters turned down a $13.8 million bond issue to build a new hi-tech pool with every bell and whistle imaginable. Is this payback?

The Port Angeles Train Wreck

The Mayor, City Council and City Manager all seem to agree: the entire city government is F#$!’d up. They only disagree on who the culprit is. They're all pointing to each other. “I’m a guardian angel and everybody else here is a F#$%$!in’ A$$#%&!” could be their motto.

There's nothing new about sleaze like this of course. Governments in general are corrupt and just out for themselves.

Maybe all of this public finger-pointing and soul searching (whether it’s real or not) will lead to some changes. And maybe that public meeting on August 27th — 6 p.m. at the city council chambers — will reveal some new information.

One can hope.

Downtown Bypass for Port Angeles

This idea has been kicking around for about 25 years, but with the nightmare traffic in downtown Port Angeles, the bypass has gotten a lot more appealing. But remember not to call it a bypass; it'll be the Truck Route.

The Port Angeles City Council and the Port Angeles Forward Committee are studying the feasibility. They're hoping for a short-term route that would use existing streets. The long-term route, if it's ever constructed, might connect the Deer Park area with the intersection of Routes 101 and 112.

Larry Williams, who serves on the City Council and Port Angeles Forward, said "we've beat on this issue as far as we can go."

Mayor Gary Braun said "hopefully this study will move the effort forward and it won't just sit on the shelf."

Do you think this is a good idea, or could it jeopardize downtown businesses by siphoning too many people away from downtown Port Angeles?

New Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Port Angeles

On January 15th the Port Angeles City Council will select the next Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Port Angeles.

I've lived here 3½ years and I never knew the mayor was selected by the city council and not the voters. I guess it should've been obvious, since I've never seen any posters or banners for Karen Rogers, or “Vote for _____________ for Mayor.”

Any speculation on who they’ll select?

Does Port Angeles Have Too Many Utility Workers?

Yesterday’s Peninsula Daily News reported that Port Angeles’ new budget — passed unanimously by the City Council — will be paying for a new position: City Planner. And at the same time, one electric utility lineman position will be eliminated. They're also eliminating one administrative assistant position and two summer internships.

Are these the right priorities? When hundreds of local residents are sitting in their cold dark homes during a power outage, perhaps they're thinking “we have too damn many utility workers out there. What we really need is a city planner.”

Have you ever thought that?

Inflatable “Bubble” Field House for Port Angeles

A “bubble” field house (not to be confused with the Bubble Boy) has been awarded to the Clallam County YMCA. People will be able to play soccer and tennis indoors year-around regardless of the weather.

This is nice, but should this be a top priority for Port Angeles? In today’s PDN, a letter to the editor reminds us that Port Angeles voters shot down the high-tech bells-and-whistles YMCA pool, and that the city already has enough trouble maintaining the William Shore Memorial Pool.

The Port Angeles City Council has already voted unanimously in favor of this project. But three of those council members are no longer on the City Council. How will their replacements vote?

Should the public have a say in all of this? What do you think?

Closing Off Cherry Street

On October 6th a commenter at this post asked me if I knew anything about closing off a block of Oak Street downtown and turning it into a parking lot. I replied that I hadn’t heard anything about it.

Now it turns out that on October 9th the Planning Commission approved a request from the City of Port Angeles to close off Cherry Street from the alley (near the Peninsula Daily News) north to Front Street. The City Council will be discussing this on Tuesday, October 23rd.

Whatever the advantages or disadvantages to this idea, some questions come to mind: something about the Farmers’ Market and how it got run out of town on a rail because they couldn’t close off one block of Laurel Street for three hours just once a week. And yet just two blocks away they can close part of a parallel street and everything will be just hunky dory.

Any theories?

Port Angeles Budget Cuts

A “bare bones” budget will be facing the Port Angeles City Council in 2008. Even though the city will have about a quarter of a million dollars more than they did this year, 2008 will be tighter because of cost of living increases and unfunded mandates.

The City Council will decide on October 9th which areas will need to be cut — parks & recreation, roads, personnel, etc.

What do YOU think should be the city’s spending priorities? What should be cut?

Get Rid of the Port Angeles Skate Park?

One of the candidates for the Port Angeles City Council said yesterday that Port Angeles is developing as a retirement community and he’d like to see services going toward that population. He didn't say the S word but I think he meant we should be more like Sequim. "I wouldn't mind seeing us filling in the skate park and making it a slab of concrete to hold barbecues that seniors would enjoy."

Uh, do what now??

It took years of wheeling and dealing and finagling and teeth-pulling to get that skate park built. The park is heavily used. Where would you rather see these people skateboarding? Up and down the sidewalk in front of YOUR house?

At least the people on skateboards are getting some exercise. You hear all these anecdotes about teenagers who weigh 300 pounds and can't do a single pushup. This is clearly not the case with the people you see zipping along on skateboards, bikes and roller blades.

I don’t think this candidate is destined for the City Council. Skateboarders might not vote but their parents do.

Gateway Groundbreaking Ceremony

The Gateway groundbreaking ceremony was right on schedule this morning at 9 a.m. About fifty people attended. Speeches were given by Mayor Karen Rogers, City Manager Mark Madsen and Kevin Thompson, President of the Downtown Association, among others. The event was also attended by:

Members of Clallam Transit, Primo Construction, several former Port Angeles mayors, members of the City Council, Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Association; and representatives from the offices of Norm Dicks and Patty Murray.

According to the City of Port Angeles website, the construction chaos won't start getting worse until around mid-August. Their website will continue to provide updated information on Gateway. This site also has photos of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Gateway Center: New Information

This Wednesday, May 9th at 7:30 a.m. there will be a meeting of the Port Angeles City Council and Clallam Transit, in the City Council Chambers. They will be providing updated information about Gateway Center.

If you live, work or shop anywhere near downtown Port Angeles, the Gateway Project is going to affect YOU.

Please attend this meeting. Forewarned is forearmed.

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UPDATE: There was a meeting at the City Council Chambers this morning. The meeting included personnel from Clallam Transit and Primo Construction, the company handling the Gateway project.

They stated that right now there are still more questions than answers, but there will be periodic meetings to keep everyone updated. Tentatively there'll be another meeting in June. They're expecting to start construction next month, and they're hoping to be done by “late summer” of 2008.

The project will include a 2-story parking garage, bus lanes, a clock tower, a plaza area, and a transit terminal building with restrooms. AND, they also said the entire project is funded.

The City has plans for mitigating the parking problems. This includes creating temporary additional parking spaces on Oak and Cherry Streets, and running a trolley during peak periods. The trolley would take people from the parking areas to downtown shopping, the ferries, etc.

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.