FORKS — City of Forks lodging tax receipts were the highest ever at $427,688 in 2022, city officials said.
Sales tax receipts were $873,743, said Rod Fleck, city attorney/planner, during a State of the City address to the Forks Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 1. They have continued to go up as has the city lodging tax receipts, he said.
Officials also spoke about a $3.4 million effort to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which is underway with more improvements still in planning stages.
Dan Wahlgren, treatment plant operator, said Feb. 1 that the biggest improvement in the works now is the engineering for a second clarifier, which treats biosolids so they can be dispersed into a field.
“The next step is a new generator because we are using an old military generator,” Wahlgren said on Thursday.
The present generator has to be manually plugged in during a power outage. A new one would automatically come online.
In 2021, the Forks City Council approved $1,023,500 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be used for wastewater treatment plant improvements.
In January 2022, Clallam County commissioners approved additional Opportunity Fund money: $2,375,610. Forks submitted an application, which was reviewed by the Opportunity Fund Board in December.
According to the application from the city to the county, the wastewater treatment plant requires improvements and retrofitting to prevent catastrophic failure.
Improvements were to include creating redundancies with key components, increasing capacity where necessary to respond to development, and preparing for sewer expansion with a high probability for failed septic systems.
“The staff (City of Forks) had such a compelling application, primarily because they don’t have any redundancy,” said Colleen McAleer of the county EDC at that time.
“This system was created in 1986 and they have been babying it, and one staff member’s entire job (Wahlgren) has been making sure that this system doesn’t fail, and he’s preparing to retire.”
“They made such a compelling case that we went from believing they should look at other options to this is a huge need that we need to unanimously support,” McAleer said then.
Other elements of the upgrade are still in the planning stages, said Public Works Director Paul Hampton on Thursday.
Top priorities are “the ones that help upgrade our system so we have redundancy and upgraded equipment,” he said.
Water leaks also have plagued the system.
Fleck said the water department repaired more than 26 leaks in 2022. Nine of the repaired leaks were more than 100,000 gallons each and two were more than 1 million, he said.
A leak detection company was hired to help locate the leaks in the system and the department also purchased detection equipment of its own, he said.
New water meters and transmitters continue to be installed, and older galvanized water lines to be replaced.
Mayor Tim Fletcher said the city continues to work with the state Department of Natural Resources for access to the area’s natural resources.
He said the need for more housing continues as well as for infrastructure improvement.
Tourism has been a boon as visitors have discovered the beauty of the area, he said, but if and when tourism declines, residents would need to have other things to look to, to sustain the community.
Fleck said the city is usually on a two-year audit schedule, but COVID-19 assistance funds put the city over the threshold, triggering an additional audit. The 2023 audit will be done by the State Auditor’s office.
City of Forks sales tax receipts were $873,743, he said. The receipts have continued to go up as has the city lodging tax receipts, which are the highest ever at $427,688.
Other statistics announced by Fleck:
• Concealed pistol licenses for 2022 were down from 156 in 2021 to 126 in 2022.
• Single-family home builds were down from 11 for 2020 and nine for 2021 to six for 2022.
• Real estate tax was down from 2021 at $52,209, but that is still double what it had been in 2020.
Fleck said the city’s interaction with FEMA since flooding in November 2021 has been “an adventure” involving meetings and multiple forms.
“Some projects remain on the list to complete that involve engineering or specific equipment,” Fleck said.
Some work also needs to be coordinated with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and in consultation with Quileute Natural Resources.
Other reports from staff:
Street department
Potholes and other duties keeping streets in good shape and finding leaks have been improved with the purchase of several pieces of equipment. An asphalt trailer and a Vac trailer are new to the department. A grant funded crack sealing of city streets last year. Engineering is in process for the Bogachiel Way overlay project.
Culverts and ditches damaged in the November 2021 flood event have been replaced or repaired, and the Elk Creek water conveyance and other drainage have been repaired. Wahlgren added that the Vac trailer has really saved time.
Parks department
Community partners such as the Lions Club, Soroptimist, Allen Trust and more improvements continue at Tillicum Park. Improvements to the Ben dome, new courts and playground equipment have recently been added.
The city council approved the use of hotel/motel funds to resurface the ballfields. The project will go out for bid in 2023. The park restrooms will also get a makeover in 2023.
District Court II
Clallam County District Court II continues to maintain a presence at Forks City Hall with Judge Bruce Hanify presiding. The court processes DUIs, assaults, reckless driving and disorderly conduct. Mental health and drug issues continue to be an issue.
Police/corrections
Forks Police Chief Mike Rowley said that “2022 was a rough year … With changes in legislation, being short-staffed, it has been interesting.
“My goal is for you to feel safe in your community,” Rowley said.
He said crime in Forks is generally done by a few people.
“When they are in jail, crime goes down … when they are out … crime goes up.”
In statistics for 2022, burglaries, theft, vehicle prowls and domestic violence were up, and DUIs were down.
While several new officers have been added, the department still needs one more officer and three corrections positions need to be filled.
COVID greatly affected the corrections facility with a reduction in outside contract holds, which has affected the income, the chief said.
Some upgrades include digitizing records, a new commissary system, a video visitation phone system and security cameras.
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Christi Baron is the editor of the Forks Forum, which is part of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at cbaron@forksforum.com.
Leah Leach, the executive editor of Peninsula Daily News, added to this story.
