PORT ANGELES — The City Council will hold a special “emergency” meeting on the future of the former graving yard site Wednesday afternoon.
“I don’t know what we are going to discuss except what position we are going to take,” Mayor Richard Headrick said Monday afternoon.
“I don’t expect a big turnout.”
The meeting was called in the faint hope that the 22.5-acre graving yard project to build Hood Canal Bridge components might be renegotiated between the state Department of Transportation and Lower Elwha Klallam tribe — and might be restarted.
Transportation abandoned the project last week after the tribe requested the pullout because of the discovery of Klallam remains and artifacts on the waterfront property, the site of the ancient village of Tse-whit-zen.
The City Council meeting to discuss the future of the graving yard project is scheduled to start Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
Who’s there; who isn’t
“As far as we know, nobody from the state Department of Transportation is going to be here,” Headrick said.
“Sequim Mayor Walt Schubert and Forks Mayor Nedra Reed will be here. We expect a representative from Congressman Norm Dicks’ office.
“But my understanding is no state lawmakers will be here.”
The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe also is invited, but the city hadn’t heard from tribal representatives, Headrick said.
He also expects members of the labor unions affected by the state’s pullout to attend as they did the council’s Dec. 21 meeting, Headrick said.
“So we’re still exploring. The letters we have received are 3-1 in favor of keeping the graving yard,” Headrick said.
