Advisory board told to develop process for historic preservation funds

PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County commissioners have directed the county’s Historic Advisory Board to draft a process for recommending uses for the recently discovered historic preservation funds the county has been collecting since 2005.

Commissioner Randy Johnson suggested the Board of County Commissioners should listen to members of the Historic Advisory Board as the process is developed and that the money should be used to benefit organizations in the community.

“My first recommendation is the Heritage Advisory Board is perfect for this as far as allocating,” Johnson said.

“These people are knowledgeable, they understand what goes on in this specific field, they know all the ins and outs and all of those other good things.”

Johnson said the county should have consistent funding every year and that he believes the money should be allocated outside of the county government.

In April, county Chief Financial Officer Mark Lane told commissioners that for about 15 years the county had been collecting $1 per document recorded in the auditor’s office to be used at the discretion of the commissioners to promote historic preservation and historical programs. That has amounted to about $15,000 each year.

The county has collected $221,612 since 2005, $91,489 of which officials now say has already been spent on historic preservation projects on county property.

Interim Administrator Rich Sill said the county has identified another potential use of those funds: spending upward of $70,000 to make repairs to the county’s law library.

Sill said the county already has had to shore up the floor in the library and suggested there may be better places for the library than in the historic courthouse.

He also said that many of the books in the library are duplicates or outdated. He estimated about half of the books could be removed from the library, which would remove about half of the weight load that’s causing the problems.

“We need to offload those books immediately,” Sill said.

If the county uses $70,000 out of the historic preservation money, the money that has accumulated would be reduced to about $60,000.

Johnson said it won’t be known for about three or four months whether the county will use that $70,000.

“It sounds like where your thinking is currently is that certainly all future revenue from this fund be deployed into the community,” Commissioner Mark Ozias said.

“The existing fund balance, it makes sense to just make sure we understand what the historic courthouse needs are going to be … and then we’ll know how much of that fund we’ll be able to deploy in addition to the annual revenue.”

Judy Reandeau Stipe, executive director of the Sequim Museum & Arts Center, told county officials about the funding several years ago.

She has said that there should be a reserve in the fund and that the money should be dispersed into the community.

“The intent of the money, in the House Bill, was to spread it through your county,” she said.

“As it stands now since 2005 it has stayed right here.”

She said capital projects may only come once every five to 10 years and that it may need a couple years’ worth of funding.

Ozias focused many of his comments on the need to develop a good process for spending the funds.

“What’s important to me is to take the small amount of time necessary to put a good process in place that the Heritage Advisory Board can use year after year,” Ozias said. “I think it’s well worth taking that time.”

Ozias said that it is “the clear intent of this board to put as much of those funds that exist currently and future dollars out into the community.”

________

Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsula dailynews.com.

More in News

KEITH THORPE/PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
June Ward, 10, examines a wooden paddle she is decorating as her father, Jack Ward of Port Angeles, works on his own paddle during a craft-making session on Friday at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center in Port Angeles. The paddles are among the thousands of gifts being created for participants in the 2025 Tribal Canoe Journey, hosted this year by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. The event begins with the landing of dozens of native canoes at the mouth of the Elwha River on July 31 and continues with five days of celebration on the Lower Elwha reservation west of Port Angeles. As many as 10,000 indigenous peoples are expected to take part. The public is invited to help with giftmaking sessions, scheduled daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Heritage Center.
Canoe paddle crafts

June Ward, 10, examines a wooden paddle she is decorating as her… Continue reading

Ralph Henry Keil and Ginny Grimm.
Long lost sailor to be honored at graduation

An honorary diploma will be presented to the family of… Continue reading

Singers to workshop vocal instruments at Fort Worden

One hundred and fifty singers to join together in song

Jefferson County fire danger risk level to move to high

Designation will prohibit fireworks over Fourth of July weekend

Candidate forums to be presented next week

The League of Women Voters of Clallam County and… Continue reading

Port Townsend City Council candidate forum set for next month

The League of Women Voters of Jefferson County will… Continue reading

Jefferson County to host series of community conversations

Jefferson County will conduct a series of Community Conversations… Continue reading

Denise Thornton of Sequim deadheads roses on a flower display at the Sequim Botanical Garden at the Water Reuse Demonstration Park at Carrie Blake Park on Wednesday in Sequim. Thornton, a volunteer gardener, was taking part in a work party to maintain the beauty of the garden. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Rose display

Denise Thornton of Sequim deadheads roses on a flower display at the… Continue reading

Electric rates see big increase

Jefferson proposal approved for 4-year hike

Clallam Transit to receive $4M in grants

Agency to use funds on Strait Shot and other routes

Port Angeles council OKs sidewalk near park

Applicants to receive grant funding for one-third of total cost