HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04/14/2016 PORT ANGELES FORWARD COMMITTEE
PITTIS MEMORIAL CONFERENCE ROOM /Port Angeles, Washington
April 14, 2016
Mission Statement:
To create a strong, economically and culturally vibrant community
that will enhance the lives of our citizens.
CALL TO ORDER: Pat Downie opened the meeting at 7:39 a.m.
ROLL CALL:
Members Present: Patrick Downie, Jim Jones, MarySue French, Wendy Clark-Getzin, George
Bergner, Kaj Ahlburg, Charlie Smith, Marc Abshire, Sherry Curran
Members Absent: Cherie Kidd, Mark Ohman, Mike Edwards, Larry Morris, Jennifer Linde,
Michael Peters,
Stuff Present: Nathan West, Scott Johns
Others Present: Bill Grimes, Studio Cascade
Public Present: Steve Bearman
Approval of Minutes
The meeting minutes for March 10, 2016 were approved.
Old Business
Priority setting committees had been established as follows:
Committee #1 (gray) includes AIA, Waterfront, Race Street, Ediz Hook entry, Alternate Route
and Urban Forestry. These are infrastructure oriented projects, all of which were suggested in
some form by the American Institute of Architecture's Sustainable Development Analysis
Team project from 2009.
Volunteer members: Mark Ohman, Wendy Clark-Getzin, Cherie Kidd, Marc Abshire, Steve
Burke, Sherry Curran, Sissi Bruch, &Nathan West.
Committee#2 (yellow) includes Social Challenges, Alley Enhancements, City Clean-up and
Youth Activities. This group of issues is about those issues that need to be addressed to
provide a better "face" to the public and visitors to Port Angeles.
Volunteer members: Jim Jones, MarySue French, Larry Morris, Jennifer Linde, & Cherie
Kidd.
Committee 43 (brown) includes small business support and the Lincoln Theatre projects. These
are economic development items and include small business throughout the City.
Volunteer members: Patrick Downie, Jennifer Linde, Mark Ohman, Michael Peters, Sherry
Curran, and Nathan West.
Pat Downie asked for reports from the committees that had been formed to address priority issues
previously identified for inclusion for the larger body to consider during the up-coming months.
Only group #2 had met. That met at OMC cafeteria and discussed several issues, including
aggressive panhandling, securing ally dumpsters, and alley clean-up. Cheri Kidd and retired
Police Chief Terry Gallagher have recently visited Chehalis WA to review and discuss that city's
panhandling ordinance and done additional research. Ms. Kidd will give a presentation on her
Port Angeles Forward Committee
Meeting Minutes for March 10 2016
findings at the May meeting of PA Forward. One of the agreements that came from their meeting
is that dumpsters and trash receptacles in downtown alleys will be locked in the future to keep
people from digging through them to find food or other items and leaving trash outside of the
containers. Jim Jones added that he would approach service clubs to help with support and
volunteer help. Kaj Ahlburg brought up aggressive panhandling as an issue. It was pointed out
that such activity is currently against the law. George Bergner indicated that he was in possession
of artist renditions of what alleys might look like if improvements were to be made.
Nathan West introduced the subject of the Comprehensive Plan update process being undertaken
and then introduced Bill Grimes from Studio Cascade who is leading the public participation
process for that effort. Mr. Grimes gave a brief presentation of the process and results from the
comments gathered at the downtown open house studios and workshops that have been taking
place for the Comprehensive Plan vision. Several members of the pa forward committee had
comments and suggestions, such as making sure that the Comprehensive Plan was a working
document and available to the public, that previous studies that have been undertaken by the city
were considered in the process and communicated to the public in a better way, and ideas to
reduce the size and complexity of the plan. Sissi Bruch asked about using the American Planning
Association guidelines for sustainability and about procedures for measuring success of the
Comprehensive Plan.
Pat Downie discussed the number of cruise ship visits expected during the summer months
coming up. The City is expecting 42 nights with ships in town over a 21 week period. It was also
Pointed out that the American Cruise Line is building a new, larger cruise ship specifically to
serve the local market.
Marc Abshire pointed out that possibly the City and downtown merchants may be able to do a
better job of providing service to cruise ship visitors. He also pointed out that in order to increase
the number of cruise ships visiting the city that the Port of Port Angeles needs to be provided
more incentives to accommodate their visit.
Pat Downie introduced Steve Bearman, a recent (one year) newcomer to Port Angeles. Mr.
Bearman is a software developer and made several suggestions as to how the City may improve
services.
George Bergner thanked City staff for inventorying and mapping the bike racks located in the
downtown area.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:32 a.m.
Next Meetiiia Date
Next regular meeting date—May 12, 2016, at 7:30 a.m. in the Pittis Conference Room.
atrick Downie, hair Scott Johns, Secrary
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