EYE ON CLALLAM: Concern over vigilantes prompts meeting

Peninsula Daily News

Clallam County commissioners will discuss public safety and law enforcement at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

The virtual work session can be viewed at www. clallam.net/features/ meetings.html.

Board Chairman Mark Ozias invited Sheriff Bill Benedict to discuss public safety and law enforcement capacity in the region, including how the Sheriff’s Office works with fellow agencies and where the line is drawn between protected First Amendment speech and speech that crosses a legal threshold into harassment, intimidation or incitement to violence, according to an executive summary.

“A number of county residents have reached out to the commissioners in recent weeks to express concern regarding groups or individuals who take it upon themselves to act as vigilantes, and with more general concerns about public safety during a time of such significant activism and division,” the summary states.

“The BOCC and the Sheriff believe that the more information county residents have, the more confident they will be in the professionalism and capacity of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department.”

In other discussion, commissioners will receive the first of three recommendation from the Charter Review Commission.

The recommendation is about affordable housing and homelessness in Clallam County.

“The Charter Review Commission recommends that the Clallam County Board of Commissioners immediately take active leadership to reclaim and renew their primary leadership role in engaging a group of public and private organizations and businesses to creatively increase affordable housing availability, apply forward thinking ideas proven to be successful in communities that have reduced the experience of homelessness effectively and report progress back to the community every six months,” the recommendation states.

Other discussion items for the work session include:

• A briefing and requested letter of support for a Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative for salmon recovery.

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for a STOP Violence Against Women grant.

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for a COVID-19 housing grant.

• A continued discussion on the preliminary 2021 county budget is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Commissioners will hold their regular business meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

They will recess into a closed executive session at 11:30 a.m. to discuss next steps for the Midway Metals illegal dump site between Port Angeles and Sequim.

Also on the agenda:

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for coronavirus relief funds.

• Agreement with the state Department of Ecology for a water quality stormwater initiative project.

• A purchase order agreement with GovConnection, Inc. for renewal of annual licensing.

• A big opening for a single station shower/restroom combination trailer for the Sheriff’s Office.

• A bid award to Interwest Construction for the Sekiu Airport Road sewer replacement project.

• Notice of an Oct. 6 hearing regarding proposed changes to policy for notary services.

Port of Port Angeles

Port of Port Angeles commissioners will consider capital projects priorities when they meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

To join the meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81238320653 or call 253-215-8782. The webinar ID is 812 3832 0653.

Commissioners also will hear a COVID-19 update.

Sequim schools

Sequim School Board members will discuss legislative priorities at a 5 p.m. work session and during a 6 p.m. regular meeting on Monday.

To join the meeting, go to sequimschoolssept21 or call 360-775-2372 and use 713 081 0806#.

Comment can be submitted to tnorman@ sequimschools.org by 4:30 p.m. Monday.

They also will consider for final approval policies on infectious disease, an infection control program and excused and unexcused absences.

Port Angeles schools

The Port Angeles School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday.

No agenda was available as of Saturday.

For more information, go to portangelesschools.org.

More in News

Special Olympian Deni Isett, center, holds a ceremonial torch with Clallam County Sheriff Brian King, right, accompanied by Lt. Jim Thompson of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Police on a leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run on the Olympic Discovery Trail at Port Angeles City Pier. Tuesday’s segment of the run, conducted mostly by area law enforcement agencies, was organized to support Special Olympics Washington and was to culminate with a community celebration at 7 Cedars Casino in Blyn. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Carrying the torch

Special Olympian Deni Isett, center, holds a ceremonial torch with Clallam County… Continue reading

Hopefuls for Olympic Medical Center board debate

Talk focuses on funds, partnership

An encapsulated engineered coupler used to repair a January leak. The leak occurred along a similar welded joint near to the current leak. (City of Port Townsend)
Port Townsend considers emergency repair for pipeline

Temporary fix needs longer-term solution, officials say

Traffic to be stopped for new bridge girders

Work crews for the state Department of Transportation will unload… Continue reading

The Peninsula Crisis Response Team responded with two armored vehicles on Tuesday when a 37-year-old Sequim man barricaded himself in a residence in the 200 block of Village Lane in Sequim. (Clallam County Sheriff’s Office)
Man barricaded with rifle arrested

Suspect had fired shots in direction of deputies, sheriff says

An interior view of the 12-passenger, all-electric hydrofoil ferry before it made a demonstration run on Port Townsend Bay on Saturday. Standing in the aisle is David Tyler, the co-founder and managing director of Artemis Technologies, the designer and builder of the carbon fiber boat. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Demonstration provides glimpse of potential for ferry service

Battery-powered hydrofoil could open water travel

Electronic edition of newspaper set for Thursday holiday

Peninsula Daily News will have an electronic edition only… Continue reading

Juliet Shidler, 6, tries on a flower-adorned headband she made with her mother, Rachel Shidler of Port Angeles, during Saturday’s Summertide celebration in Webster’s Woods sculpture park at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center. The event, which marks the beginning of the summer season, featured food, music, crafts and other activities for youths and adults. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Summertide festival

Juliet Shidler, 6, tries on a flower-adorned headband she made with her… Continue reading

Law enforcement agencies to participate in Torch Run

Clallam County law enforcement agencies will participate in the… Continue reading

Crews contain wildland fire near Fisher Cove Road

Crews from Clallam County Fire District 2 quickly contained… Continue reading

Crescent School senior Audrey Gales, right, looks at the homemade regalia worn by fellow senior Hayden Horn on Saturday. Gales had a handmade Native American cap ready for her graduation. Seventeen Crescent students graduated during traditional ceremonies in the school gym. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Crescent graduation

Crescent School senior Audrey Gales, right, looks at the homemade regalia worn… Continue reading

Pertussis cases see 25-fold increase statewide in 2024

The state Department of Health reported an increase in pertussis… Continue reading