Timeline set for Port of Port Angeles position

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 13, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioners Connie Beauvais and Colleen McAleer formally accepted the resignation letter of former Commissioner Steve Burke, beginning the process outlined in state law to fill the District 2 vacancy created by his May 1 departure.

Under the timeline presented Tuesday by Jenna Riley, the clerk of the board, the port will accept applications May 12-20, announce the applicants at its May 26 meeting and then post a formal notice of vacancy for 15 days, during which additional applicants may apply.

Commissioners will review applications and conduct interviews June 12 through July 3, with the goal of making an appointment on July 14.

They have until July 30 to appoint a replacement before the authority for that decision would shift to the Clallam County Commissioners.

Applicants must be registered voters who reside in District 2. The appointee would serve until the 2027 general election, when the seat next appears on the ballot. That person could choose to run or decline — but whoever wins that election would serve the remainder of Burke’s term through Dec. 31, 2029.

McAleer said a candidate’s willingness to seek election would factor into her decision.

“It’s important to me that any appointee would be willing to run in 2027 and 2029,” McAleer said.

She also said she wanted finalist interviews conducted publicly and that background and employment history checks should be part of the vetting process, all of which Beauvais agreed were essential.

Burke resigned after he declined to do so during an April 28 executive session in which Beauvais and McAleer introduced a motion to formally censure him. Beauvais and McAleer cited public trust and reputational concerns tied to state Auditor’s Office findings involving the Shore Aquatic Center, where Burke served as executive director. Auditors identified more than $40,000 in expenditures that improperly benefited him, including self-insurance payments, tax refunds and credit card charges, as well as inadequate internal controls.

He has been on paid administrative leave from the pool since Oct. 28.

Burke was appointed to his seat by Beauvais and McAleer in March 2016 to fill the vacancy created by Jim Hallett’s resignation. In November 2017, Burke was elected to complete the remainder of Hallett’s term; he won elections to full four-year terms in 2021 and 2025.

State audit

Commissioners received the results of the port’s 2024 accountability audit from the state Auditor’s Office, which covered a period when Burke was serving on the commission. It found no concerns with the port’s internal controls, reporting its financial oversight systems were working properly, including checks designed to ensure public money is handled correctly.

“Just to be clear, the port has had a clean audit,” McAleer said. “We have strong internal controls, and there were no findings.”

The report will be available Thursday on the state auditor’s website.

During the audit, the office did find issues that it noted are still under investigation. A representative from the Auditor’s Office said they were following its protocols for due diligence and that not every investigation leads to the issuing of a report.

Port approvals

Commissioners approved a $71,423 amendment to the port’s contract with Tetra Tech for continued work on the remedial design plan for the Western Port Angeles Harbor sediment cleanup site. The amendment increases the total contract amount to $561,168 and covers additional engineering and regulatory work needed after the draft remedial design plan was submitted to the state Department of Ecology.

Senior Environmental and Planning Manager Jesse Waknitz said the work is part of the long-running cleanup of contaminated marine sediments in the harbor. Costs are shared among six parties, with the port’s share reimbursed through liability insurance.

Commissioners also approved a letter outlining the port’s concerns with proposals to uncover portions of Valley Creek along Valley Street from underground culverts to an open channel. The letter states the port supports restoration of the creek but believes the current alternatives don’t sufficiently address fish habitat restoration, truck and emergency access through the area and impacts to nearby businesses.

The commission also approved a letter supporting a $359,000 Clallam County Opportunity Fund request from Dry Creek Water Association to relocate about 1,600 feet of water line along Edgewood Drive to make way for road and infrastructure improvements.

Candidate timeline

• May 12 — Call for applicants who are registered voters in Port of Port Angeles District 2.

• May 20 — Deadline for application packets.

• May 26 — Commissioners announce applicant names.

• May 27-June 11 — Official notice of vacancy, including applicants and call for additional applications.

• June 12-July 3 — Applications reviewed; public interviews.

• July 14 (tentative) — Appointment of District 2 commissioner.

• July 30 — Deadline for appointment to be made.

• 2027 general election — District 2 Port Commission seat returns to the ballot.

Application packets can be found on the port’s website.

Completed application packets, including a resume, should be emailed to Jenna Riley, clerk of the board, at jennar@portofpa.com.

________

Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.