PORT ANGELES — The City Council will consider putting a $4 million bond question on the Aug. 19 ballot to fix the porous, often soupy surface of Civic Field — but will hold off on proposing a bond for waterfront improvements.
The meeting will be at
6 p.m. April 17 in the Port Angeles City Council chambers at City Hall, 321 E. Fifth St.
City Manager Kent Myers said that, heeding warnings from waterfront stakeholders, he would not present to the council a proposal that a waterfront improvement bond question be included on the August ballot.
The City Council had discussed in the past placing on the ballot this year a proposal for a bond of between $4 million and
$5 million for Phase 2 of the city’s waterfront improvement project.
The stakeholders, including representatives from the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Port Angeles Business Association and the Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center, said putting the additional bond on the ballot would be “premature.”
Instead, it could be put before voters in 2013, according to a report on the stakeholders’ meeting contained in the council members’ meeting packet.
There is “a general feeling that a 2012 bond for the [Waterfront and Transportation Improvement Plan] would lose in competition to a Civic Field bond measure, so holding off would be beneficial,” according to the report.
An esplanade on the west side of the ferry terminal will be built as scheduled this summer as part of the project’s Phase 1, which will focus on improvements to Railroad Avenue at the city’s port of entry with Canada.
The sidewalk will be widened and parking improved.
Phase 2, which includes development of new West End Park just west of where Railroad Avenue turns south to First Street, would have been funded by a waterfront improvement bond.
But it will move forward as planned and stay on schedule, city Planning and Economic Development Director Nathan West and Mayor Cherie Kidd said Friday, both confident that other sources of funding, including grants, will become available.
“What we are trying to do is be fair with the citizens,” Kidd said, noting that bonds on the senior center and fire hall are expiring and that the City Council decided not to take a 1 percent property tax increase allowed under state law without a vote by city residents.
“We are really stepping up and letting the people know were trying to give them a break on taxes, and we are all pulling behind and supporting Civic Field,” she said.
“We have the funding for Phase 1, and we need it built out, and then the citizens will be able to see what we are doing,” Kidd added.
“Then we can go to them at a later date.”
West said the city is preparing a bid package for Phase 1. A building permit review was recently completed.
The city will begin applying for grants in the next few weeks for development of West End Park, West said.
________
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
