PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioners have $65,000 to fill $106,280 worth of requests.
And they have two weeks to decide who gets how much.
Commissioners will return a portion of their property tax revenue as Community Partner Program grants for as many as 10 public projects from Forks to Sequim.
The applicants who made their cases to commissioners Tuesday include:
■ City of Sequim: $20,000 for audio/visual equipment for two remodeled conference rooms in the Guy Cole Convention Center in Carrie Blake Park.
■ Concerned Citizens: $10,000 to hire a part-time person to staff a now-vacant community center in Forks.
■ Feiro Marine Life Center: $13,000 for new signs, exhibits and “experience design” at the aquarium at City Pier in Port Angeles.
■ Forks Chamber of Commerce: $4,282 for two part-time summer staff at the visitor center, plus $1,463 for signs and $12,600 for banners and brackets.
■ Forks Timber Museum: $9,935 for part-time staff and a scanner to digitalize archives.
■ North Olympic Discovery Marathon: $7,000 for supplies for the Kids Marathon. School children run 25 miles in stages beginning each February, then finish the last 1.2 miles at the adult marathon June 7.
■ Peninsula Trails Coalition: $18,000 to help construct a trailhead at U.S. Highway 101 and Diamond Point Road with parking, signs, lights and a kiosk.
■ Port Angeles Downtown Association: $10,000 to start an annual Arts and Drafts event next fall.
All of the proposals cited tourism as the reason for their requests.
“Ports don’t directly do tourism,” said Commissioner Jim Hallett, “but we know tourism is an economic driver.
“It’s a key component of what drives our economy.”
“I don’t want to vote no on any of them,” said Commissioner John Calhoun.
Commissioner Colleen McAleer said she’d started ranking the proposals with between one and five points, “but none was under a four.”
Commissioners will express their preferences to staff, which will rank the proposals. Commissioners will select the winners at their May 12 meeting.
_______
Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
