EYE ON JEFFERSON: County considers Secure Rural Schools support

The three Jefferson County commissioners will consider letters of support for reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Self Determination Act when they meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The meeting will be in commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.

Commissioners will recess into executive session at 11 a.m. to discuss strategy or position for collective bargaining, professional negotiations or grievances or mediation proceedings.

The letter of support will ask the state Legislature to support reintroduction of a bill to Congress to create a Secure Rural Schools (SRS) endowment to ensure stable long-term payment for forested rural counties such as Jefferson County and will appeal to the state’s Congressional delegation.

“The funding decline and financial uncertainty of the SRS Act has negatively impacted Jefferson County Public Work’s ability to maintain roads,” the agenda memo says.

Other items on the consent agenda include:

• A notice of a 10 a.m. Feb. 4 hearing on awarding a bid for solid waste transport and disposal services.

• An agreement with the Labor Relations and Human Resources Services in an amount not to exceed $45,000 in 2019 and $39,000 each year thereafter.

• An agreement for a $155,600 forestry feasibility study.

• A $111,200 contract with SymPro Treasury Management Software to assist in the management of debt and investments.

• A $137,652 agreement with Kelli Parcher, Inc., for Proctor House and Proctor Program services.

Port Townsend city

The Port Townsend City Council will consider submitting an application for a Public Infrastructure Fund grant for Seventh Street Corridor Construction when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The meeting will be in council chambers at historic City Hall, 540 Water St.

Both Mt. Townsend Creamery and Port Townsend Winery have expressed interest in expanding along Seventh Street.

The council also will consider agreements with the state Department of Transportation for a pedestrian and bicycle grant and improvement program regional funds grant for the Discovery Road project from Rainier Street to Sheridan Street.

It will consider approving utility easements.

Other city committee meetings, which are in conference rooms at City Hall, 250 Madison St., unless otherwise noted are:

• Parks Recreation and Trees Advisory Board — 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, first-floor conference room.

• Port Townsend Planning Commission — 6:30 p.m. Thursday, council chambers, 540 Water St. The commission will discuss the stormwater management plan and the Rainier Street and Upper Sims Way Subarea Plan.

Port of Port Townsend

Port of Port Townsend commissioners will consider a Northwest Maritime Center proposal to lease the former landfill site when they meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The meeting will be in chambers, 333 Benedict St.

The center seeks a five-year option to lease the vacant property commonly referred to as the “landfill lot.”

Commissioners also will consider a supplemental lease agreement with the Coast Guard and discuss the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby.

Chimacum School

The Chimacum School Board will hear a report on the Chimacum High School Improvement Plan when it meets at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The meeting will be at Chimacum High School, 91 West Valley Road.

The superintendent will discuss the 2019-20 budget process.

The middle school choir will perform for the board.

An executive session is set to evaluate the qualifications of an applicant for public employment or to review the performance of a public employee.

Jefferson Healthcare

Jefferson Healthcare commissioners will consider adopting a board book, board calendar and committee assignments when they meet at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The board will meet in the Victor J. Dirksen Conference Room on the first floor of 834 Sheridan St.

The commissioners also will review the performance of a public performance in executive session.

Development authority

The Fort Worden Public Development Authority board will consider adopting the operating and capital fund budget for 2019 when it meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

The meeting will be in Room B at Commons Building 210 at Fort Worden, 200 Battery Way.

The board also will hear an update on Makers Square and consider a contract with Eastern Washington University for archaeological and historical services.

More in News

Sue Long, left, Vicki Bennett and Frank Handler, all from Port Townsend, volunteer at the Martin Luther King Day of Service beach restoration on Monday at Fort Worden State Park. The activity took place on Knapp Circle near the Point Wilson Lighthouse. Sixty-four volunteers participated in the removal of non-native beach grasses. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Work party

Sue Long, left, Vicki Bennett and Frank Handler, all from Port Townsend,… Continue reading

Portion of bridge to be replaced

Tribe: Wooden truss at railroad park deteriorating

Kingsya Omega, left, and Ben Wilson settle into a hand-holding exercise. (Aliko Weste)
Process undermines ‘Black brute’ narrative

Port Townsend company’s second film shot in Hawaii

Jefferson PUD to replace water main in Coyle

Jefferson PUD commissioners awarded a $1.3 million construction contract… Continue reading

Scott Mauk.
Chimacum superintendent receives national award

Chimacum School District Superintendent Scott Mauk has received the National… Continue reading

Hood Canal Coordinating Council meeting canceled

The annual meeting of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, scheduled… Continue reading

Bruce Murray, left, and Ralph Parsons hang a cloth exhibition in the rotunda of the old Clallam County Courthouse on Friday in Port Angeles. The North Olympic History Center exhibit tells the story of the post office past and present across Clallam County. The display will be open until early February, when it will be relocated to the Sequim City Hall followed by stops on the West End. The project was made possible due to a grant from the Clallam County Heritage Advisory Board. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Post office past and present

Bruce Murray, left, and Ralph Parsons hang a cloth exhibition in the… Continue reading

This agave grew from the size of a baseball in the 1990s to the height of Isobel Johnston’s roof in 2020. She saw it bloom in 2023. Following her death last year, Clallam County Fire District 3 commissioners, who purchased the property on Fifth Avenue in 2015, agreed to sell it to support the building of a new Carlsborg fire station. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group file)
Fire district to sell property known for its Sequim agave plant

Sale proceeds may support new Carlsborg station project

As part of Olympic Theatre Arts’ energy renovation upgrade project, new lighting has been installed, including on the Elaine and Robert Caldwell Main Stage that allows for new and improved effects. (Olympic Theatre Arts)
Olympic Theatre Arts remodels its building

New roof, LED lights, HVAC throughout

Weekly flight operations scheduled

Field carrier landing practice operations will be conducted for aircraft… Continue reading

Workers from Van Ness Construction in Port Hadlock, one holding a grade rod with a laser pointer, left, and another driving the backhoe, scrape dirt for a new sidewalk of civic improvements at Walker and Washington streets in Port Townsend on Thursday. The sidewalks will be poured in early February and extend down the hill on Washington Street and along Walker Street next to the pickle ball courts. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Sidewalk setup

Workers from Van Ness Construction in Port Hadlock, one holding a grade… Continue reading