PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Economic Development Council board expects to send ballots within the next two weeks to members asking them to vote on new bylaws for a slimmed-down board of directors.
The board approved the bylaws Thursday.
The new board would have 17 yearlong-term voting seats — with all but one chosen by area governments — compared with the current 27 as part of what meeting participants said was as an effort to be more nimble in fostering job growth and economic development.
The 68 members of the EDC — 59 from the business sector and nine from the public sector — would have 10 days to cast their ballots after they are mailed and emailed, with board selections made in March.
The bylaws will be reviewed by Port Angeles lawyer Chris Riffle before being distributed to the general membership.
The board will make decisions on spending. The approved $415,475 budget for 2015 is mostly public money.
It is predicated on receiving $200,000 in county sales-tax-related Opportunity Fund proceeds for 2015 that are not guaranteed.
In fact, the 2015 budget could be “easily less” than the $178,500 in public money forecast in the projected budget, given the current lack of funding contracts from the Port of Port Angeles and city of Forks, said Bill Greenwood, EDC director, in an interview after Thursday’s meeting.
The EDC also receives $36,725 in private money — dues from EDC members.
Of the 27 current board positions, 12 are represented by publicly funded institutions and area governments, including four from the Lower Elwha Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Makah and Quileute tribes.
The remaining positions are held by representatives of chambers of commerce from Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Clallam Bay-Sekiu, and by private businesses.
Five positions are vacant. They were not filled because of the transition to new bylaws.
The old and new boards would have similar percentages of representatives from the business sector.
The new board would have a single representative for the tribes, the county’s public hospital districts, Peninsula College, the Port of Port Angeles, Clallam County government, Clallam County Public Utility District and individuals from the cities of Port Angeles, Forks and Sequim.
Seven private-business representatives would be chosen by government representatives from Clallam County and the three cities.
An at-large private-sector member would be chosen by the general membership, and the board would include a technical adviser who would be immediate past president.
In addition, the EDC executive committee, which now includes no more than 12 members, would be composed of only the board president, vice president, secretary-treasurer and past president, who would be a nonvoting member on the executive committee.
In another change, the board would meet at least quarterly and more often if deemed “in the best interest of the EDC.”
Board members have been meeting monthly but do not have a regular meeting requirement in their current bylaws except for an annual meeting.
“With board financing at 80 percent from the public sector, it may be a strong position from the general public to be able to engage and understand what’s going on in regards to this entity,” said Forks City Attorney-Planner Rod Fleck, who led board members through the bylaw revisions.
The bylaws were written and reviewed by a committee composed of five board members: Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire representing county government, Ken Hayes representing the Sequim City Council, Brian Kuh representing the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Kaj Ahlburg representing the Port Angeles Business Association and Fleck representing Forks city government.
The board overwhelmingly rejected a motion by McEntire to form a 15-member board under a bylaws option that was notable for having one representative for Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks, rather than separate representatives for each city.
McEntire is spearheading the drive for $500,000 in Opportunity Fund proceeds for the EDC through 2017.
His motion included establishing the 17-member board for 2015 and the 15-member board for 2016.
“My thinking is based on population numbers,” he said, adding that the populations of the three cities is slightly less than that of unincorporated Clallam County.
He said the smaller board would meet the goal of the bylaws committee and the EDC board.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.