PORT ANGELES — Future boundaries of the Clallam County commissioner districts will come into focus Thursday when the five-member districting commission will discuss recommended alignments provided by Chief Districting Master Gene Unger.
“The districting master will show us five options,” said John Marrs, chairman of the districting commission.
The meeting will start at 2:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ boardroom (160) on the main level of the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Unger said the boundaries will shift east to account for growth in the Sequim area.
The county charter requires new districts to be drawn every 10 years based on information from the U.S. Census.
Clallam County grew by 6,879 people from 2000 to 2010, from 64,525 to 71,404, with the largest growth in the Sequim area.
The size of the largest district in terms of population cannot exceed the smallest district by more than 5 percent.
At present, the largest district on the east side of the county, No. 1, which is in the Sequim area, is 6.13 percent larger than the smallest district on the West End, No. 3, which extends from Port Angeles to the Pacific coast.
The western boundary of District No. 2 zigzags through the west side of Port Angeles. The boundaries are supposed to run from north to south, according to county charter.
Unger said his five options are more straightforward than the current alignment.
Boundaries proposed
His recommended boundaries follow portions of either Tumwater Creek or Valley Creek through the city.
Unger said it appears that one of those creeks will “play prominently” in the new boundary.
“They really make some logical lines,” he said.
Those who live between the Eighth Street bridges will find out by this summer which commissioner district they will vote in.
County charter requires the districting master to submit a draft proposal for the districts by June 30.
In a workshop conducted April 14, Marrs said the goal would be to draw the new boundaries before the June 6-10 filing period.
Into effect in 2012
The new boundaries will go into effect in 2012.
Unger said his recommended options, which are based on voter precincts, will give the districting commission a “good cross-section of the different possibilities.”
“I tried to do comprehensive job,” Unger said.
“I’m hoping we’re very close.”
Also Thursday, the districting commission will discuss and possibly schedule public hearings for Port Angeles, Sequim and Forks.
The population of each county commissioner district is 26,444 (37 percent) in District No. 1; 22,892 (32 percent) in District No. 2; and 22,068 (31 percent) in District No. 3.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
