PORT ANGELES — A $13.8 million bond issue for an aquatics center will appear on the Nov. 7 general election ballot after a 5-2 vote by the City Council at its Tuesday meeting.
The measure would not include funding for a proposed field house for indoor soccer and tennis.
But that could be added to the site later, Council members decided, if funding became available.
Council members Betsy Wharton and Gary Braun voted “no” on the concept of a $13.8 million bond issue that excluded the field house.
A second vote on the bond ordinance itself, establishing a Nov. 7 election date, setting the $13.8 million bond amount and eliminating the field house from the ordinance’s legal language was 6-1 with Wharton voting “no.”
The bond issue will require a 60 percent “yes’ vote and a turnout equal to 40 percent of those voting in the last city election to pass.
“This is a defining moment for our community. It’s time to make that investment decision,” said Mayor Karen Rogers.
“We have to build the aquatics center but we remain committed to the field house,” she said.
Scaled back
The project was scaled back Tuesday night after projected costs totaled $15.3 million, including $13.8 million for the aquatics center and $1.5 million for the field house — $1 million more than supporters anticipated.
The previous cost estimate was $14.3 million, including $13.8 million for the aquatics center and $550,000 for the field house for indoor soccer and tennis.
City Public Works Director Glenn Cutler said the city staff’s consensus was to leave the area for the field house in the future, when there’s an opportunity to look more closely at costs and financing options.
Bob Ritchie said supporters of the field house came late to the process but still think it’s a viable project for the proposed recreational corridor that would include the Clallam County Family YMCA, aquatics center and Erickson Park.
But it is prudent to pull it off the table now though because it is so close to the election, Ritchie said.
Supporters thought the field house could help the aquatics center but now it could hurt, he said.
