PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles City Council appointed three members to the lodging tax advisory committee and reappointed a member to the public safety advisory board, but two appointments came with a set a questions.
Christine Loewe, Caitlin Sullivan and John Hauck were approved in a 6-1 vote Tuesday night as part of a nearly five-hour meeting at City Hall. Loewe, appointed as a tax recipient, and Sullivan, as a tax collector, will serve through February 2026, and Hauck, a citizen at large, will serve through February 2025.
The council also heard 15-minute presentations from the Waterfront District, part of the Elevate Port Angeles 2026 plan, and from Olympic Community of Health on connecting community members to care.
In addition, it approved a $1.9 million grant from the state Department of Transportation for the design and construction phases of the 10th Street Bike Boulevard and Eighth and A Street protect intersection project, which will improve safety for bicyclists from 10th Street and I Street to Eighth Street and A Street.
The design phase will begin later this year and construction is scheduled for 2025.
Prior to the lodging tax advisory discussion, members of the public in addition to council member Brendan Meyer took issue with Sullivan, who owns a home on West Sixth Street in Port Angeles but who listed her residence in Kenmore on her application for the position.
Sullivan has been an owner and operator of short- and long-term rentals in Seattle, Port Angeles and previously Kauai, Hawaii, her application stated.
During public comment, several members of the public questioned her involvement and lack of volunteerism in Port Angeles.
“In order to be part of the community, you have to be in the community,” Meyer said as part of council discussion. “And I would like to see someone who is part of the community represent the community.”
Meyer attempted to amend city staff’s recommendation to strike Sullivan from the list of appointees and add another candidate instead, but their motion failed 6-1.
“I hear the concerns about the individual not residing full-time in the community,” council member Amy Miller said. “I think we all know that was not a requirement of the position.
“I actually like having some diversity even in geographic differences and different experiences people might have. I think that does add value to these types of things.”
Miller served on an ad hoc committee with Deputy Mayor Navarra Carr and council member Drew Schwab and interviewed each of the candidates as part of a panel with two city staff members.
“I feel really solid about the discussions we had and the considerations that went into this,” Carr said. “Having a tax collector who is one of those people I think adds value.”
In addition to the three lodging tax advisory committee members, Holden Fleming, Daniel Steiger and Anna Schorr were all confirmed to Planning Commission seats. Fleming and Steiger will serve through February 2028 and Schorr through February 2026.
As an employee of the Clallam County Department of Community Development, Fleming will be required to recuse himself from any votes on items that pertain to or impact the county as a matter of conflict of interest, according to city documents.
The public safety advisory board, which has seven vacancies on a 12-member committee, will include Michael McGuire as someone affiliated with an EMS agency that operates in the city.
McGuire, who had served since April 2021, when the city council appointed him to an unexpired term that ended last month, was confirmed in a 5-2 vote, with council members Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin and Carr opposing.
“I have concerns about reappointing this person to the board,” Schromen-Wawrin said prior to the vote. “We went through some issues in the fall spurred by actions this person took as the chair of this committee.”
While specifics were not discussed, Schromen-Wawrin led an effort for the council to recess and go into a 20-minute executive session. When they returned, Schromen-Wawrin wanted to waive executive privilege and confidentiality to freely discuss his concerns, but it was denied 5-2 in a roll call vote. Carr joined the opposition.
Carr wanted to table the vote until after the council goes through a work session next month on boards and committees, and Schwab had other concerns.
“We advertised it, we had an applicant, received a recommendation and now we’re going to change the rules, and I don’t like that idea,” Schwab said.
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Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-417-3521 or by email at brian.mclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
