QUILCENE — This small community near Hood Canal has tremendous assets — including a scenic location, good schools and an entrepreneurial Wild West can-do attitude — but the flat economy threatens to turn it into a ghost town.
That was the message delivered through a variety of comments at a meeting on Quilcene’s economic future attended by 50 people Tuesday night.
The gathering was the third of a series of meetings about the region’s economic future. The meetings are intended to be listening exercises for officials with Jefferson County, the city of Port Townsend and the Port of Port Townsend.
“As a business owner on the Quilcene corridor, there is no shortage of ideas,” said Mount Walker Inn owner Cathy Barsukoff.
“In my eight years here, I have talked to the SBA [Small Business Administration] and anyone who would listen, and I’ve gotten no help.
“I’m not looking for free money; I just want to break even.”
Barsukoff, who is single and has no family, said she “has no one and would leave my business to the community,” demonstrating the depth of feeling that some residents have for this small town.
This sentiment was seconded by Tom Arnesen, who works in a body shop in Port Townsend but would much rather work closer to home in the south county.
“I’ve wanted to start a business down here, but there is no money available,” he said.
“I know I could succeed here if I could get the funding.”
Baruskoff also talked about giving up, saying that if things don’t change, she will regrettably go out of business, and the town will no longer have a hotel.
The same topic was addressed by George Sickel of Brinnon, who expressed frustration with the county’s management of the Brinnon motel, which is now closed.
“We are not capitalizing on this opportunity,” Sickel said.
“The county should not be running a motel. We need to move forward on that and turn it over to private enterprise, to make something of that.
“We need the endorsement of the economic development team to say, ‘County, get out of there, turn it over and make it happen quickly.'”
Government officials were asked by facilitator Katherine Baril not to engage in the discussion and to just listen to the public comment.
“When people start talking to politicians, the conversation stops because they are trying to make political points,” Baril said.
Another facility that has fallen into neglect is the campground adjacent to the community center where the meeting was held, in which anyone stopping overnight risks an unprotected stay.
Several comments were directed at the county for its closing the park last year, which drew a response from County Administrator Philip Morley.
“We closed a lot of parks in 2009 because there wasn’t enough money to keep them open,” he said.
“If the community wants to get together and commit to maintaining the park, we can talk.”
A voice from the back of the room said, “I wish you had told us that before.”
Morley responded, “I think we did.”
Tuesday’s meeting originally was to be the first of three forums and was scheduled for Jan. 11 but was postponed because of bad weather.
Previously scheduled forums in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend went on as planned.
Baril said the Quilcene gathering drew the most people.
Many also participate in “Quilcene Conversations” where issues are discussed in greater detail.
The next conversation is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at the Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101.
At the meeting’s close, Port of Port Townsend planning analyst Eric Toews outlined the next steps in the process that will yield a report.
An “elected working group” consisting of County Commissioner David Sullivan, Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval and Port of Port Townsend Commissioner John Collins and their staffs will examine the meeting record “and listen very carefully to what the broader community has said.”
Economic data will be distilled into a strategy document by Toews, Jefferson County Department of Community Development Director Al Scalf, planner Stacy Hoskins and Port Townsend Planning Director Rick Sepler for presentation to the elected working group.
The document will be released to the public through the Joint Management Steering Committee, which according to Toews “is the closest thing we have to a council of governments.”
That document will be released to the public, Toews said, “where we will go through a more public process to get your feedback.”
Toews said the purpose is to not create another “wonky policy document” but instead to focus on concrete action steps that local government can carry out.
“So we’re really not going to see this action list until later this year?” Sickel asked.
“That’s right,” Toews said.
“That’s disappointing,” Sickel said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
