Port of Port Angeles wins $50,000 grant for broadband study

Money to go to identifying unserved, underserved areas

PORT ANGELES — The Port of Port Angeles has received a $50,000 grant to develop a rural broadband feasibility study.

The Community Economic Revitalization Board, or CERB, grant will be used to identify what parts of Clallam County are unserved or underserved by high-speed internet and to identify the most feasible path to extend broadband infrastructure to those areas, port Environmental Director Jesse Waknitz said in a staff memo.

“Broadband is of fundamental importance to economic development,” Waknitz said. “Increasing capacity is essential to the economic growth of Clallam County.”

Port of Port Angeles commissioners will discuss the CERB grant and broadband feasibility study when they gather today.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ meeting room at the port administration building, 338 W. First St., Port Angeles.

Port officials applied for the CERB grant on behalf of Clallam County and its cities after attending a North Olympic Peninsula broadband symposium in March.

“This event was well attended, and it was determined that the local governments should apply for one CERB broadband planning grant as a team,” Waknitz said in the memo.

“The Port, with support from the [North Olympic Development Council], volunteered to be the grantee for this project to move this process forward.”

An interlocal agreement is being developed for the parties to work collaboratively to develop the broadband feasibility study.

The port will match the CERB grant with $16,667 cash. Supplemental funds will cover the remaining $18,333 of the $85,000 project cost.

According to a project schedule, an interlocal broadband team will be assembled next month and a consultant will be selected in December.

The feasibility study will begin in February 2020.

In other discussion for today’s port meeting, the three commissioners are expected to receive an introduction to the proposed 2020 operating budget.

________

Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.

More in News

Weekly flight operations scheduled

There will be field carrier landing practice operations for aircraft… Continue reading

Navy training exercise to be conducted Thursday

Naval Magazine Indian Island will conduct a security training… Continue reading

North Olympic Library System public service specialist Jessica Raivo transfers books from the stacks to a cart on Saturday at the Sequim Public Library for eventual transport to a temporary library building. The current library on North Sequim Avenue is slated for renovation and expansion with library services slated to resume on April 1 at 609 W. Washington St., next to Fifth Avenue Furniture, in the storefront that was previously Brian’s Sporting Goods. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Book transfer

North Olympic Library System public service specialist Jessica Raivo transfers books from… Continue reading

Jefferson County is eying short-term rental regulations

Feedback to be presented to Planning Commission

Clallam PUD seeking faster solution for West End outages

County commissioners, coalition support idea of expanded right of way

From left to right, Sean Coleman, Colleen Robinson, Brown Maloney and Todd Ortloff display the awards they earned Friday during the annual gala of the Clallam County Economic Development Council at Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles (Lorie Fazio/Clallam County EDC)
Coleman named Olympic Leader of the Year at EDC gala

Habitat for Humanity, Radio Pacific also win awards during event

Historic bell missing from Camp Parsons

Property crime up in Brinnon area, director says

Casey and Karen Proud, both of Sequim, look at a selection of St. Patrick’s Day hats and other souvenirs for participating in Saturday’s Shamrock Shuffle & Pub Crawl in downtown Port Angeles. The event, a benefit for the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Education Foundation, allowed crawlers to receive six tasting tokens for libations at participating bars and restaurants in the downtown area with a drawing for additional prizes. Numerous downtown businesses also offered sale discounts for purchases during the crawl. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Winter sports benefit in Port Angeles

Casey and Karen Proud, both of Sequim, look at a selection of… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, right, discusses emergency services on Thursday during a roundtable session with emergency managers from across the region, including Clallam County Sheriff Brian King, left, and Clallam County Administrator Todd Mielke in Port Angeles. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Clallam seeks additional funds for emergency operations center

Administrator says $10 million still needed for proposed project

More than 100 educators appeared at Thursday’s Port Angeles School District board meeting to show their support for paraeducators, who are seeking a 3.7 percent pay raise and have been working without a contract since Aug. 31. (Paula Hunt/Peninsula Daily News)
Paraeducators fill school board meeting

Labor group asking for same raise teachers received

Committee forms to support Quilcene school levy

Lack of communication cited for failed vote

Herb Beck Marina improvements in the works

New concrete boat launch among the plans