PORT ANGELES — As Clallam County ramps up the work to protect shorelines, it’s asking the cities of Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks to get on board.
The three county commissioners on Monday discussed a draft agreement with the three cities that is intended to save resources by consolidating existing data.
The agreement establishes an administrative structure and lays out tasks and responsibilities for each jurisdiction.
An multigovernment coordination team, including all four planning directors, would meet every two months to focus on the state-required shoreline program.
Regular updates
Port Angeles and Sequim will prepare updates to their respective urban growth areas, with help from the county planners in the Department of Community Development.
“Forks is really at this point requesting more leadership from the county given their limited appropriations, limited shoreline and limited staff,” Clallam County Planning Director Steve Gray said.
Shoreline master programs are intended to maintain existing shorelines, foster shoreline recovery and balance use with protection.
The work is funded by a three-year grant from the state Department of Ecology.
Ecology will give final approval on the shoreline plans.
A stakeholder work group will write the storm Âwater plans based on local conditions and needs.
A finalized interlocal agreement is expected on the commissioners’ desks by next month.
Streamkeepers pact
In today’s business meeting, the board is expected to sign an agreement with the city of Port Angeles to keep the volunteer Stream Âkeepers water-monitoring service functioning in streams near the city.
The agreement expands older agreements the two governments have used since 2002 to collect, analyze and manage data. The group also reports on fecal coliform samples in the Port Angeles urban growth area.
The work is expected to help the city meet its permit requirements for its sewage treatment plant.
It will also help to determine the extent that pollutants are entering streams in Port Angeles and its surrounding area.
“It’s a good breakthrough,” Streamkeepers manager Ed Chadd said.
“It’s very helpful to us because our funding is limited.”
In other news, the county will apply for a state Department of Agriculture grant to install a new public address system at the Clallam County fairgrounds.
The $55,000 grant comes with a 50 percent match, meaning the county’s share would be $27,500.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
