PORT ANGELES — To build the Olympic Discovery Trail past Lake Crescent, Clallam County will use a state grant to study the seismic stability and restoration costs of the old Spruce Railroad tunnels.
Clallam County commissioners said Monday that they will approve the agreement with Seattle-based PanGEO in today’s business meeting.
“They indicated that they could be out there in December,” said Clallam County Transportation Program Manager Rich James.
“We would see a draft report in mid-December. The report could be put into file shape by the end of the year.”
The $54,267 cost is being covered by a state Recreation and Conservation Office grant.
The Olympic Discovery Trail, eventually extending from Port Townsend to LaPush, will follow the bed of the World War I-era Spruce Railroad — including the two tunnels — along the lake’s north shore.
PanGEO is designing the restoration of a two-mile-long tunnel under Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades, which is similar to the Discovery Trail restoration project, James said.
“This is some of the work that’s needed to determine if the tunnels are safe and they’re seismically stable,” James said.
“They’re going to look at the options for repairing them, and then provide us a cost estimate.”
Reduced hours
In another matter, Clallam County Superior Court Clerk Barbara Christensen has proposed a temporary, one-hour reduction in customer service hours in the clerk’s office.
Between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, customer service will be closed in the clerk’s office from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and from noon to 12:30 p.m.
The office is currently open to the public between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Christensen asked the commissioners last week to give her eight-member staff more time to complete required tasks without interruption.
The county is considering an overall reduction in office hours at the courthouse in 2011 to address a $2.6 million budget deficit.
“We’re moving down a path where we are no longer able to do everything we’ve always done,” said County Administrator Jim Jones, who has asked each department to cut its budgets by 3 percent to save $1 million.
“The public just has to be aware of that. I do not believe there is fat left in this operation that can be just be shifted from one area to another to do everything we’ve always done.”
Commissioner Mike Doherty said he is concerned about setting a bad precedent by closing one county office at noon and not others.
“We have to have some uniformity,” Doherty said.
Commissioner Steve Tharinger agreed that consistency is important.
‘Immediate need’
“Right now, there’s an immediate need,” he said.
“That’s why it’s just temporary.”
Commissioner Mike Chapman said there should be signs in the courthouse explaining the reasons for the change in office hours.
Also today, the commissioners are expected to appoint Margaret Witt and Annette Lindamoo to the Olympic Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council. Their terms will expire in March 2013.
Stephen Markwell and Kim Beus have been recommended for appointment to the Animal Issue Advisory Committee. If appointed, their terms will expire in December 2013.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
