PORT ANGELES — The Clallam County Public Utility District will survey its electricity customers living in a proposed annexation area west of the city limit about who should provide post-annexation electricity in the area.
The survey, which could be completed by the end of the week, was inspired by a letter from City Manager Mike Quinn asking the PUD to drop its appeal of the proposed annexation.
“The city is trying to coerce us to give, sell or transfer our infrastructure because they want to annex the area,” said PUD Commissioner Hugh Haffner.
“But who do we work for? What do the people in the western urban growth area want? There’s a bigger issue here.”
The PUD staff will analyze whether a telephone or mail survey of the approximately 50 customers in the area would be more appropriate, said Telecommunications and Power Resources Manager Fred Mitchell.
The survey will include only residents in the city’s proposed annexation area, not in the entire western urban growth area, he said.
Not about annexation
Clallam PUD Commissioner Will Purser, during a PUD meeting Monday, said the survey also needs to stress that it’s about electricity service, not about annexation to the city of Port Angeles.
Port Angeles Hardwood LLC agreed in November to buy 30.3 acres in Eclipse Industrial Park, owned by B&D Properties.
The company plans to build a $23 million alder-maple sawmill that will employ 95 with a $7.5 million payroll.
The area is outside the city limit but inside the western urban growth area for the city of Port Angeles.
