HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet 09/20/2018Port Angeles City Council
and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Council
City Hall, 321 East Fifth Street
September 20, 2018
10:00 a.m.
A. Call to Order - Special Meeting at 10:00 a.m.
1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Roll Call
B. Public Comment
The Joint Councils desire to allow the opportunity for Public Comment. However, the business of the meeting must
proceed in an orderly, timely manner. At its most restrictive, Public Comment shall be limited to a total of 15 minutes
for the Public Comment period and shall be limited to today's agenda items. Individuals may speak for three minutes
or less, depending on the number ofpeople wishing to speak. If more than 20 people are signed up to speak, each
speaker may be allocated two minutes (Council Rules of Procedure Section 12).
C. Meet Jointly with the Lower Elwha Tribal Council
1. Port Angeles City Council to consider a proposed Purchase and Sale Agreement —
Potential Action: approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the property located at 107 and 111 East
Front Street and 110 East Railroad Avenue in Port Angeles
D. Adjournment
Project Update
09.20.18
Our Mission
The Port Angeles Waterfront
Center is a home for arts and
events that bring people
together and strengthen the
community.
Timeline
2016
• Donna Morris Gift $9.1M
• Oak Street purchase
• LMN Architects hired
• Pre -design completed
2017
• Conceptual design
completed
2018
• General Contractor
selected
• Schematic design
completed
• Capital Campaign initiated
2019
• Construction begins
2021
• Project complete
Contact Us
Chris Fidler
Executive Director
Port Angeles Waterfront Center
219 N. Oak Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362
chris@pawaterfrontcenter.org j w
206.556.6888
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R
LOWER E LW HA KLALLAM
TRIBE
2851 Lower Elwha Road (360) 452-8471
Port Angeles, WA 98363 Fax: (360) 452-3428
RESOLUTION NO. 114-18
APPROVING AGREEMENT WITH CITY OF PORT ANGELES
FOR THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF REAL PROPERTY
WHEREAS, the Lower Elwha Tribal Community (or Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe) ("Tribe") is
a federally recognized Indian tribe under the Treaty of Point -No -Point of January 26, 1855,
which governs itself and its territory in accordance with its Constitution and By -Laws, approved
under Section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act by the Secretary of Interior on April 29, 1968;
and,
WHEREAS, in accordance with its Constitution and By -Laws, the Lower Elwha Community
Council (Community Council) is the governing body of the Tribe and the Lower Elwha Klallam
Business Committee (Business Committee) is the duly elected representative body of the Tribe,
responsible for ensuring the full array of tribal governmental functions and services for the Tribe
and its members and for preserving and protecting the culture, treaty rights, natural resources,
public safety, and general health and welfare of the Tribe and its members; and,
WHEREAS, under Article IV, Section 1 of the Tribe's Constitution, the Tribe is authorized to
engage in economic development activities for the benefit of the Tribe, to enter into agreements
with local governments, and to acquire real property in the name of the Tribe both within and
outside the Lower Elwha Reservation; and
WHEREAS, the area known today as Port Angeles Harbor and its surrounding waterfront is of
supreme cultural and historical importance to the Tribe and is the site of the ancient Klallam
villages of Tse-whit-zen and Y'Innis and an associated cemetery; and
WHEREAS, today Tribe owns land on Ediz Hook and is heavily engaged in the cleanup of toxic
contamination and aquatic habitat restoration on the Harbor; and
Resolution No. 114-18
Approving Agreement with City of Port Angeles
For the Purchase and Sale of Real Property
Page 1 of 3
WHEREAS, the Tribe desires to expand its social, cultural, and economic presence in Port
Angeles and along the Harbor and waterfront, and to function as a strong partner with the City,
Port, and general community; and
WHEREAS, the Tribe has negotiated the sale of real property from the City on Front Street in
downtown Port Angeles and intends to hold this property and develop it for economic purposes,
including a hotel and related facilities, in accordance with feasibility studies and plans that it is
actively developing with its economic enterprise department and its consultants; and
WHEREAS, the Tribe desires that the Purchase and Sale Agreement be mutually enforceable as
between the parties in accordance with its terms and acknowledges the dispute resolution
provisions and limited waiver of the Tribe's sovereign immunity in Section 26 of the Agreement;
and
WHEREAS, the Business Committee duly provided timely written notice to all voting members
of the Tribe of a meeting of the Community Council on this date at which the subject of this
resolution approving the Purchase and Sale Agreement was to be considered and acted upon,
which a quorum of Community Council members did not attend, and therefore, according to the
Constitution and prior resolution of the Community Council delegating authority to the Business
Committee, the Business Committee has the authority to act on the adoption of this resolution;
THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT, on behalf of the Tribe, the Lower Elwha
Klallam Business Committee hereby approves the attached Agreement for the Purchase and Sale
of Real Property with the City of Port Angeles, including the limited waiver of sovereign
immunity in Section 26.d.iv of the Agreement, as well as the other dispute resolution provisions
in Section 26, and subject to verification that the City has approved the Agreement in accordance
with all applicable legal requirements and that the Agreement is being executed on the City's
behalf by persons fully authorized to do so, authorizes and directs the Chairwoman, or Vice -
Chair in her absence, to execute the Agreement on behalf of the Tribe.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was presented at a duly called and noticed meeting of the Lower Elwha
Community Council on September 10, 2018, and in the absence of a quorum thereof, but in
accordance with prior delegation of authority to the Lower Elwha Business Committee, the
Resolution No. 114-18
Approving Agreement with City of Port Angeles
For the Purchase and Sale of Real Property
Page 2 of 3
Business Committee has voted to adopt this resolution by a vote of FOR, AGAINST,
and:n�_ ABSTENTIONS.
Dated this day of September, 2018,
Frances G. Charles
Chairwoman
Anthony &rles
Secretary -Treasurer
George Charles
Council member
Russell Hepfer
Vice -Chairman
Steven Joaquin Robideau
Council member
Resolution No. 114-18
Approving Agreement with City of Port Angeles
For the Purchase and Sale of Real Property
Page 3 of 3
AGREEMENT
FOR THE PURCHASE AND SALE
OF REAL PROPERTY
This Real Property Purchase and Sale Agreement ("Agreement") is made and entered into, as of
the date of the last signature affixed below, by and between the LOWER ELWHA KLALLAM
TRIBE, a federally recognized Indian tribe, (herein referred to as "Purchaser" or "Tribe"), and the
CITY OF PORT ANGELES, a Washington municipal corporation and non -charter code city
(herein referred to as "Seller" or "City") (each individually a "Party" and collectively the
"Parties").
RECITALS
A. The City is the owner of that certain real property described in Section I below
(the "Property").
B. The City has identified the Property as surplus to the City's needs and is desirous
of selling the Property and the Tribe is desirous of purchasing the Property.
C. The City has made full disclosure to the extent of its knowledge that the Property
is contaminated from the release of hazardous substances. The Parties have each investigated the
extent of the contamination at the Property, which are "Environmental Conditions" as defined in
Section 4 below.
D. The Tribe plans to purchase the Property, conduct environmental cleanup and
remediate all hazardous substances within the boundaries of the Property, and redevelop the
Property for economic development purposes to be determined on the basis of a feasibility study.
The Tribe's plans for the environmental cleanup and remediation of hazardous substances are
further described in Section 4 below.
E. The City expects the sale of the Property to the Tribe, together with the
environmental cleanup and redevelopment of the Property, to reap net positive benefits to the
City.
F. The Tribe will be responsible for the environmental cleanup and effective
remediation of hazardous substances on the Property and the prevention of any further release or
migration of hazardous substances as further described in Section 4 below.
G. The City and Tribe will indemnify the other for certain claims as further described
in Section 4 below.
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AGREEMENT
Now, therefore, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants contained herein,
and other valuable consideration, receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:
1. Property to Be Sold. Subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this
Agreement, Seller shall sell, convey, assign, transfer and deliver to Purchaser on
the Closing Date (as defined in Section 19 below) and Purchaser shall buy, assume
and accept from Seller on the Closing Date the following assets and properties
(collectively, the "Property"):
a. All the Seller's right, title and interest in the Property at 107 and 111 East
Front Street and 110 East Railroad Avenue, Port Angeles, County of
Clallam, Washington 98363 (Tideland Block 1, Lots 7 and 8, and the
western half of Lot 6, except the most southern 10 feet thereof), commonly
identified as Assessor's Parcel Number(s) 063000500070 and
063000500080. Purchaser and Seller authorize the Closing Agent to insert
and/or correct the legal description of the Property at closing.
b. Notwithstanding the foregoing description, the Property does not include
the adjacent rights-of-way for municipal streets and sidewalks, as the Tribe
will provide a quitclaim to the City of the rights-of-way adjacent to the
Property at closing. Purchaser and Seller authorize the Closing Agent to
insert and/or correct the legal description of the rights-of-way at closing.
C. All of the Seller's right, title, and interest in improvements and structures
located on the Property.
d. All of Seller's tenements, hereditaments, easements and rights appurtenant
to the Property, including, but not limited to, all of the Seller's right, title,
and interest in and to all easements for public utilities, all sewers and service
drainage easements, all rights of connection to the sewers, all rights of
ingress and egress, and all leases, licenses, government approvals, and
permits affecting the Property (with the exception of the rights-of-way that
are to be quitclaimed back to the City and the utility easement described
below).
e. Seller shall retain a utility easement in property as shown and described on
the attached Exhibit A until such time as the switch is relocated. Purchaser
shall execute the utility easement at closing. Purchaser and Seller authorize
the Closing Agent to insert and/or correct the legal description of the utility
easement at closing.
2. Purchase Price. In consideration of the sale, transfer, conveyance, assignment and
delivery of the Property, the total purchase price is nine hundred and fifty thousand
dollars ($950,000) (the "Purchase Price"). The Tribe will pay three hundred
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thousand dollars ($300,000) in cash at closing. The City will grant the Tribe a six
hundred and fifty thousand ($650,000) credit ("Credit") against the Purchase Price
in exchange for the Tribe addressing the "Environmental Conditions" at the
Property that qualify as "Matters Addressed by the Credit," as these terms are
defined in Section 4 below, by performing remedial actions in compliance with
Chapter 70.105D RCW, the Model Toxics Control Act, and its implementing
regulations ("MTCA"), and by performing remedial actions identified by the Tribe
through its consultant, Associated Environmental Group, LLC ("AEG"), as
described in AEG's Site Characterization Report dated July 28, 2017. The Credit
against the Purchase Price is subject to the additional terms below in Section 4 of
this Agreement. No part of the Purchase Price is contingent on the Tribe obtaining
financing.
3. Allocation of Purchase Price. Seller and Purchaser agree that the entire Purchase
Price is allocable to real property and that the value of personal property, if any, is
de minimis.
4. Environmental Conditions. Section 4 of this Agreement, and all of its
subsections, shall survive closing.
a. "Environmental Conditions" means the releases and potential releases of
hazardous substances at the Property that require cleanup and remedial
action under MTCA, as identified by:
the Tribe through its consultant, AEG, as described in AEG's Site
Characterization Report dated July 28, 2017 (attached as Exhibit
B); and
ii. the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prepared by ALKAI
Consultants, LLC and dated October 27, 2004 (attached as Exhibit
C); and
b. The Tribe will take full responsibility to cleanup and remediate all
hazardous substances on the Property as required by MTCA, including
releases to soil and groundwater. The Tribe will have licensed
environmental professionals perform the environmental work and remedial
actions in a manner that is substantially equivalent to that of a Washington
State Department of Ecology ("Ecology") cleanup in compliance with
MTCA. The Tribe will sufficiently remediate the contamination at the
Property in compliance with MTCA within a "Reasonable Time Period," as
defined below, even if it does not complete the environmental remediation
work exactly as proposed in the AEG Site Characterization Report.
C. A "Reasonable Time Period" means that remedial actions shall be taken by
the Tribe consistent with requirements under MTCA to: (i) cease and
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confirm the cessation of any migration of contamination that may be
migrating from the Property to the right-of-way adjacent to the Property or
to other property, including soil and groundwater outside the boundaries of
the Property; and (ii) take any action required at the Property by Ecology to
protect human health and the environment, within two (2) years of closing
or earlier if so directed by Ecology. The Parties may mutually agree, in
writing, to amend the Reasonable Time Period, which agreement is not to
be unreasonably withheld.
d. As part of the consideration for this Agreement, the City agrees to waive all
fees for City -issued permits ("Fee Waiver") that are required solely for the
cleanup and remedial work consistent with requirements under MTCA to
address the "Matters Addressed by the Credit" as defined below in
Subsection 4.e of this Agreement. This Fee Waiver does not include fees
for permits issued by the City required for development or redevelopment
of the Property.
e. The scope of Environmental Conditions that fall within the Credit are
defined as "Matters Addressed by the Credit," and include investigation and
remediation costs required by MTCA to address only the Environmental
Conditions located within the boundaries of the Property including the
utility easement, including soil and groundwater, which excludes the rights-
of-way that are to be quitclaimed by the Tribe to the City at closing, and
also excludes other property to which hazardous substances have migrated
from the Property before closing.
f. In exchange for the Credit, the Tribe shall assign to the City all legal and
equitable claims and defenses, including those under MTCA and common
law, the Tribe would have related to the release of hazardous substances at
the Property and cleanup contribution against the former owners of the
Property, Richard and Francis Niichel (the "Michels"), and all other prior
owners and operators of the Property, within the scope of Matters
Addressed by the Credit ("Assigned Claims"). The City shall have the
ability to bring the Assigned Claims as if brought directly by the Tribe. This
provision shall survive closing.
g. The Tribe agrees to cooperate with the City's efforts to bring the Assigned
Claims and otherwise pursue cost recovery, limited to the matters on the
following enumerated list:
The Tribe consents to its environmental consultant(s) speaking with
the City's environmental consultant(s) periodically regarding
remedial actions at the Property relating to Matters Addressed by
the Credit, and for the City's environmental consultant(s) to be
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present upon request for soil and groundwater sampling events to
observe and take split samples (at the City's sole discretion and
expense for costs incurred by the City's consultant).
ii. The Tribe shall inform the City at least two (2) weeks prior to the
excavation and removal of any underground storage tank ("UST")
and/or above -ground storage tank ("AST") identified in the AEG
Site Characterization Report, and consents to the City having its
environmental consultant(s) present for such excavation to observe
and take photographs and split samples upon request (at the City's
sole discretion and expense for costs incurred by the City's
consultant).
iii. The Tribe consents to providing the City portions of USTs and/or
ASTs for forensic analysis to be used in its pursuit of the Assigned
Claims, and shall provide the City the opportunity to remove
portions of USTs and ASTs prior to their disposal or recycling (at
the City's sole discretion and expense for costs incurred by the
City's consultant).
iv. The Tribe shall provide the City with a copy of all analytical results
from environmental samples and field data taken at the Property and
all reports submitted to Ecology relating to the Matters Addressed
by the Credit.
V. The Tribe shall provide the City with a copy of all invoices and
backup materials from its environmental consultant(s), and
subcontractor(s) if any, sufficient to support cost recovery claims
against potentially liable persons under MTCA for all costs incurred
and to show that remedial actions were conducted in a manner that
is substantially equivalent to that of an Ecology cleanup in
compliance with MTCA.
vi. As needed and upon request, the Tribe will execute assignment of
claim documents to support the City's efforts against third parties
consistent with Paragraph 4(f) of this Agreement regarding
"Assigned Claims."
h. The Tribe shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City from and
against all third -party claimants for all remedial action costs at the Property,
including, but not limited to, the Matters Addressed by the Credit and
remedial action costs resulting from a release of a hazardous substance at or
from the Property after closing.
The City shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Tribe from and
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against all third -party claimants for all remedial action costs resulting from
a release of a hazardous substance from the Property that both occurred
prior to closing and migrated from the Property to surrounding properties
and/or the adjacent rights-of-way.
j. The Tribe shall release and waive all legal and equitable claims and
defenses, including those under MTCA and common law, against the City
as to the Property relating to environmental contamination and the release
of hazardous substances at the Property.
k. The City shall release and waive all legal and equitable claims and defenses,
including those under MTCA and common law, against the Tribe relating
to environmental contamination resulting from the release of hazardous
substances migrating from the Property to surrounding properties before
closing.
The Tribe shall submit a construction management plan to the City as soon
as practicable, and no later than thirty (30) days prior to breaking ground on
construction, and will consult with the City regarding the minimization of
disruption to traffic and the downtown area during the environmental
cleanup, remediation, construction, and redevelopment work.
5. Site Redevelopment by Purchaser. The Purchaser intends to completely
redevelop the Property as a hotel consistent with Purchaser's March 20, 2017
proposal to the City, except that the hotel redevelopment is anticipated to be
completed within 5 years after closing rather than three years as stated in the
proposal.
6. Warranties and Representations of Seller. Seller represents and warrants as
follows:
a. The Seller is a State of Washington municipal corporation and non -charter
code city duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Washington. Seller has all requisite corporate power
and authority to carry on its business as it is now being conducted in the
place where such businesses are now conducted.
b. Execution, Delivery and Performance of Agreement, Authority. The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Seller (1) is
within the powers of the Seller as a State of Washington municipal
corporation and non -charter code city, (2) has been or will be on or before
the Closing Date, duly authorized by all necessary action of the Seller's
authority, and (3) does not and will not violate any provision of any law,
rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, decree or award to which the Seller
is a party or which is presently in effect and applicable to Seller. This
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Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of Seller
enforceable against Seller in accordance with the terms hereof.
C. Litigation. To the best of Seller's knowledge, there is no pending or
threatened lawsuit or material claim against or relating to Seller with respect
to the Property that would impede or materially affect Seller's ability to
perform the terms of this Agreement. To the best of Seller's knowledge,
there is no pending or contemplated condemnation or similar proceeding
with respect to the Property or any part thereof.
d. Assessments. To the best of Seller's knowledge, there is no contemplated
special assessment or charge with respect to the Property, except as may be
disclosed in the Title Commitment described below.
e. Full Disclosure. To the best of Seller's knowledge, no representation or
warranty by Seller in this Agreement or in any instrument, certificate or
statement furnished to Purchaser pursuant hereto, or in connection with the
transactions contemplated hereby, contains or will contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or fails to state a material fact which is necessary
to make the statements set forth therein not false or misleading.
f. Contracts. Except as disclosed herein by Seller or as may be disclosed in
the Title Commitment described below, there are no contracts or other
obligations outstanding for the sale, exchange, transfer, lease, rental or use
of the Property or any portion thereof.
g. Future Agreements. From and after the date of this Agreement unless this
Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, Seller shall not
without the prior written consent of Purchaser: (i) enter into any agreement,
contract, commitment, lease or other transaction that affects the Property in
any way; or (ii) sell, dispose of or encumber any portion of the Property.
h. Maintenance of the Property. Seller shall continue to maintain the
Property in compliance with all applicable laws and pay all costs of the
Property with respect to the period prior to closing.
Risk of Loss. Until the Closing Date, the risk of loss relating to the Property
shall rest with the Seller. Risk of Loss shall be deemed to include any
property damage occurring as a result of an "Act of God," including, but
not limited to, earthquakes, tremors, wind, rain or other natural occurrence.
7. Representations and Warranties of Purchaser. Purchaser represents and
warrants as follows:
a. Purchaser is a federally recognized Indian Tribe. Purchaser has all requisite
sovereign power and authority to carry on its businesses as they are now
being conducted in the place where such businesses are now conducted.
Purchaser acknowledges that the person signing this Agreement has
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authority to execute real estate purchase and sale contracts on behalf of the
Purchaser and will submit to Seller the Constitution and Bylaws of the
Lower Elwha Tribal Community, approved by the Secretary of the Interior
on April 29, 1968, as amended, or other appropriate documentation
demonstrating such authority.
b. Execution, Delivery and Performance of Agreement, Authority. The
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Purchaser (i) is
within the powers of Purchaser as a federally recognized Indian tribe, (ii)
has been duly authorized by all necessary governmental action of the
Purchaser, and (iii) does not and will not violate any provision of any law,
rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, decree, award or contract to which
the Purchaser is a party or which is presently in effect and applicable to the
Purchaser. This Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding
obligation of Purchaser enforceable against Purchaser in accordance with
the terms hereof.
8. Conveyance. Seller shall convey to Purchaser the title to the Property by statutory
warranty deed, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D, subject only
to the Permitted Exceptions and reservations of Seller that may be defined in
Exhibit D. Rights reserved in federal patents or state deeds, building or use
restrictions general to the area, building or zoning regulations or provisions, and
easements not inconsistent with Purchaser's intended use shall be deemed
Permitted Exceptions.
9. Condition of Title.
a. Title. The Seller has the full right and authority to convey marketable fee
simple title to the Property, and the Seller will sell, transfer, convey and
warrant to the Purchaser the Property free of all liens, defects and
encumbrances except those disclosed by the Commitment for Title
Insurance to be issued by Clallam Title Company.
b. Title Commitment. Purchaser shall obtain a current ALTA form of
commitment for an owner's standard policy of title insurance (the "Title
Commitment") issued by Clallam Title Company, located at 204 S. Lincoln
Street, Port Angeles, Washington 98362, (360) 457-2000 (the "Title
Company"), describing the Property, listing the Purchaser as the
prospective named insured and showing as the policy amount the total
Purchase Price for the Property. At such time as the Title Company causes
the Title Commitment to be furnished to the Purchaser, the Title Company
shall cause to be furnished to Purchaser legible copies of all instruments
referred to in the Title Commitment as restrictions or exceptions to title to
the Property.
C. Survey. Purchaser shall have the option, at its expense, to have prepared
and furnished to the Title Company and Purchaser a survey (the "Survey")
of the Property prepared by a licensed public surveyor. The Survey shall
be certified to Purchaser and the Title Company, shall be satisfactory to the
Title Company so as to permit it to issue an owner's extended coverage title
policy, identify the Property and Right -of -Ways by legal description and
shall set forth the number of square feet contained within the Property, show
all natural monuments, existing fences, drainages, flood plain limits, any
buildings or other site improvements and/or objects, any rights-of-way for
streets, sidewalks, existing driveways, alleys or highways, easements and
other restriction lines existing and/or proposed which shall affect any
portion of the Property, the number of square feet within the "right-of-way"
to be quitclaimed by the Purchaser back to the Seller at closing, and such
other items as required by Purchaser.
d. Review of Title Commitment and Survey. Purchaser shall have until the
end of the Due Diligence Period provided for in Section 10 of this
Agreement in which to notify Seller of any objections Purchaser has to any
matters shown or referred to in the Title Commitment or Survey and of any
title insurance endorsements required by the Purchaser. Any exceptions or
other items that are set forth in the Title Commitment or the Survey and to
which Purchaser does not object within the review period shall be deemed
to be permitted exceptions (the "Permitted Exceptions"). With regard to
items to which Purchaser does object within the review period, Seller shall
notify Purchaser within ten (10) days after Seller receives Purchaser's
notice of objections of any exceptions to title or items on the survey which
Seller is not able to remove or otherwise resolve and any endorsements that
Seller is not able to provide following Purchaser's request within the review
period, and Purchaser may, at Purchaser's option, either waive the
objections not cured or Purchaser may terminate this Agreement by notice
to Seller. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all monetary liens or
encumbrances shall be paid by Seller at closing.
e. Owner's Title Insurance Policy. At the closing, Purchaser shall cause a
standard owner's policy of title insurance to be issued by the Title Company
in the full amount of the purchase price, effective as of the Closing Date,
insuring Purchaser that the fee simple title to the Property is vested in
Purchaser, subject only to the usual printed exceptions contained in such
title insurance policy, to the matters approved by Purchaser as provided
herein, and to any other matters approved in writing by Purchaser. The
obligation of the Purchaser to provide the title policy called for herein shall
be satisfied if, at the closing, the Title Company has given a binding
commitment, in a form reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser, to issue the
policies in the form required by this section. Purchaser shall pay any sum
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owing to the Title Company for the preparation of the preliminary and
binding commitments generated by the Title Company.
10. Due Diligence. Purchaser shall satisfy itself by investigation and inspection at its
cost and expense in its sole and absolute discretion that the condition of the Property
for Purchaser's contemplated use meets with its approval, including, but not limited
to, the condition of title as reported in the Title Commitment and Survey. If
Purchaser approves of the condition of the Property, Purchaser agrees to notify
Seller, in writing, thereby removing the contingency. Purchaser shall make such
determination within fifteen (15) days following the date of mutual execution of
this Agreement (the "Due Diligence Period"). In the event this contingency is not
satisfied or waived within the Due Diligence Period, Purchaser may terminate this
Agreement upon written notice to Seller on or before the expiration of the Due
Diligence Period, and neither party shall have any further rights or obligations to
the other hereunder.
11. Inspections. During the Due Diligence Period, Purchaser, its designated
representatives or agents shall have the right at Purchaser's expense to (i) perform
any and all inspections or surveys of the Property deemed necessary by the
Purchaser (subject to the limitations set forth in the Right of Entry); (ii) determine
to Purchaser's satisfaction and in its sole discretion whether the Property will be
eligible for transfer into trust status with the United States; and (iii) determine to
Purchaser's satisfaction and in its sole discretion whether Purchaser's proposed
development of the property is economically feasible.
12. Right of Entry. Purchaser and Purchaser's designated representatives or agents
shall have the right, and Seller hereby grants to Purchaser and Purchaser's
designated representatives and agents the right, to enter the Property and conduct
inspections and surveys upon three (3) days advance written notice; provided that
such right of entry will be limited to those times and dates that will not disrupt
Seller's or any tenant's use of, or Seller's or any tenant's operations and activities
on, the Property.
13. Condition of Property. Purchaser accepts the Property "as is, where is" and with
all faults in its existing condition, with all contamination, whether known or
unknown. Except for the warranties, representations and indemnifications
contained in this Agreement, Seller makes no representations or warranties, express
or implied, regarding the condition of the Property or its suitability for Purchaser's
intended use, or any use.
14. Tenants. Two tenants are currently occupying the Property under lease agreements
with the City. The Tribe will take title to the Property subject to those lease
agreements. The lease agreements, according to their terms, may be terminated by
the Tribe on certain conditions. Nevertheless, the Tribe shall provide the tenants
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with at least six months' notice prior to the termination date of the leases, unless
the tenants agree to a shorter period of time. This provision will survive closing.
15. Covenants of Seller Pendine Closing. Seller covenants that between the date of
mutual execution of this Agreement and the Closing Date, Seller shall take all such
actions as may be necessary to assure that the representations and warranties set
forth in Section 6 of this Agreement will be true and complete as of the Closing
Date (except such representations, warranties and matters which relate solely to an
earlier date), and all covenants of Seller set forth in the Agreement which are
required to be performed by it at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been
performed at or prior to the Closing Date as provided for in this Agreement. Seller
shall give Purchaser prompt written notice of any material change in any of the
information contained in the representations and warranties made in Section 6 of
this Agreement or elsewhere in this Agreement which occurs prior to the Closing
Date.
16. Covenants of Purchaser Pendine Closing. Purchaser covenants that between the
date of mutual execution of this Agreement and the Closing Date, Purchaser shall
take all such actions as may be necessary to assure that the representations and
warranties set forth in Section 7 of this Agreement will be true and complete as of
the Closing Date (except such representations, warranties and matters which relate
solely to an earlier date), and that all covenants of Purchaser set forth in this
Agreement which are required to be performed by it at or prior to the Closing Date
shall have been performed at or prior to the Closing Date as provided in the
Agreement.
17. Conditions Precedent to Purchaser's Obligations. All obligations of the
Purchaser in this Agreement are subject to the fulfillment of each of the following
conditions at or prior to the Closing Date, and Seller shall exert its best efforts to
cause each such condition to be fulfilled:
a. Delivery of Documents. Seller shall have delivered to Purchaser at or prior
to closing all documents required by the terms of this Agreement to be
delivered to Purchaser.
b. Representations, Warranties and Covenants. All representations,
warranties and covenants of Seller contained herein or in any document
delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material
respects when made and as of the Closing Date.
C. Obligations. All obligations required by the terms of this Agreement to be
performed by the Seller at or before the Closing Date shall have been
properly performed in all material respects.
-11-
d. Title. Any and all matters shown or referred to in the Title Commitment to
which Purchaser has objected within the time specified in Section 10, shall
have been cured by Seller, unless such objections have been waived by
Purchaser. The Title Company is irrevocably committed to issue an
owner's extended coverage policy of title insurance containing no
exceptions other than the Permitted Exceptions.
e. Condemnation. No portion of the Property shall have been taken or
damaged by any public or quasi -public body, and Seller shall not have
transferred any portion of the Property to any such body in lieu of
condemnation.
18. Conditions Precedent to Seller's Obligations. All obligations of Seller to close
on the Closing Date are subject to the fulfillment of each of the following conditions
at or prior to the Closing Date, and Purchaser shall exert its best efforts to cause
each such condition to be so fulfilled:
a. Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties of
the Purchaser contained in this Agreement or in any document delivered
pursuant to this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects
when made and as of the Closing Date.
b. Obligations. All obligations required by the terms of this Agreement to be
performed by Purchaser at or before closing shall have been properly
performed in all material respects.
C. Delivery of Documents. Purchaser shall have delivered to Seller at or prior
to closing all documents required by the terms of this Agreement to be
delivered to Seller.
d. Title. Purchaser shall have caused the Title Company to be irrevocably
committed to issue an owner's policy of title insurance for the full amount
of the Purchase Price, effective as of the Closing Date, containing no
exceptions other than the Permitted Exceptions.
e. Waiver of Contingencies. Purchaser shall have submitted waivers of, or
confirmation of the satisfaction of, all contingencies stated in this
Agreement, in writing to Seller, prior to the Closing Date.
19. Closing Date. The sale shall be closed not later than ninety (90) days from the date
of mutual acceptance and execution by both Parties of this Purchase and Sale
Agreement (the "Closing Date"). The sale shall be closed by Clallam Title
Company, located at 204 S. Lincoln Street, Port Angeles, Washington 98362, (360)
457-2000 (the "Closing Agent").
-12-
20. Closing Costs and Proration. At closing, the Seller shall pay one half and the
Purchaser shall pay one half of closing costs. Closing costs shall include real estate
excise tax due on this transaction, if any.
21. Seller's Delivery of Documents at Closing. At the closing, Seller will deliver to
Purchaser a properly executed deed conveying the Property in substantially the
form of Exhibit D attached hereto.
22. Purchaser's Delivery of Documents and Purchase Price at Closing. At the
closing, Purchaser will deliver cash or immediately available funds in the amount
of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00).
23. Possession. Purchaser shall be entitled to possession upon closing.
24. Payment in Lieu of Taxes. Not less than 120 days prior to filing an application,
the Tribe shall notify the City of its intention to apply to transfer the Property to the
United States Government to be held in trust for the Tribe. The Parties shall adopt
an agreement for a payment in lieu of taxes prior to the Tribe transferring the
Property. This provision shall survive closing.
25. Terminations by Either Party. Either party may terminate this Agreement if a
condition to its obligation to consummate the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement as set forth in Sections 17 and 18 has not been satisfied by the Closing
Date. In that event, if neither party is in default under this Agreement, the parties
shall have no further obligations or liabilities to one another and all documents
delivered to the Closing Agent shall be returned to the appropriate party.
26. Miscellaneous Provisions.
a. Nature and Survival of Representation and Warranties. Each
statement, representation, warranty, indemnity, covenant, and agreement
made by Seller and Purchaser in this Agreement or in any document,
certificate or other instrument delivered by or on behalf of Seller or
Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement or in connection with this Agreement
shall be deemed the representation, warranty, indemnity, covenant and
agreement of Seller and Purchaser and shall survive the Closing Date unless
a different time period is expressly provided for in this Agreement and all
such statements are made only to and for the benefit of the parties hereto,
and shall not create any rights in other persons.
b. Time Is of the Essence. Time is of the essence for this sale. The Tribe
shall execute and carry out the environmental work covered by the Credit
to address environmental contamination on the Property within a
Reasonable Time Period.
- 13 -
C. Default and Attorney Fees. If either party defaults (that is, fails to perform
the acts required of it) in its contractual performance in this Agreement, the
non -defaulting party may seek specific performance, damages, or
rescission. In the event that either the Purchaser or Seller shall institute suit
to enforce any rights in this Purchase and Sale Agreement, the prevailing
party shall be entitled to court costs and reasonable attorney fees.
d. Dispute Resolution and Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity.
Meet and Confer. In the event that either Party believes that the
other has committed a possible violation of this Agreement, it may
request in writing that the Parties meet and confer in good faith for
the purpose of attempting to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution
of the problem within ten business days of the service's date of
service.
ii. Notice of Disagreement. If either Party is unsatisfied with the
results of the meeting, within ten business days of the date on which
the Parties first met, a Party may provide written Notice of
Disagreement to the other identifying and describing any alleged
violation of this Agreement with particularity and setting forth the
action required to remedy the alleged violation.
iii. Judicial Remedy. If the Party to whom a notice of disagreement has
been provided does not remedy the alleged violation, or reach an
agreement for the remedy of the same, within 30 days of receipt of
the Notice of Disagreement, then the Party providing the notice may
institute an action against the noticed Party in the Superior Court of
Clallam County, Washington.
iv. Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity. This limited waiver of
the sovereign immunity of the Tribe from suit or action is adopted
pursuant to the terms of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Lower
Elwha Tribal Community, approved by the Secretary of the Interior
on April 29, 1968, as amended, and shall be strictly construed and
limited to its special terms and the special waiver granted. The Tribe
hereby specifically waives its sovereign immunity against suit for
the limited purpose of entering, enforcing, and performing under
this Agreement. This limited waiver of immunity is limited to only
the provisions of this Agreement and with the exception of the
obligations that survive closing shall terminate consistent with the
termination or expiration of this Agreement. The Tribe understands
and agrees that such limited waiver shall permit the City to take all
actions allowable under this Agreement or any applicable law to
-14-
enforce the terms of this Agreement, secure the benefits thereof, and
ensure the Tribe's performance thereunder, with venue for any such
action only in the Superior Court of Clallam County, Washington.
This waiver is not intended to be and shall not be construed as a
general waiver of the Tribe's sovereign immunity. This Agreement
does not create any enforceable rights in any person or entity not a
party hereto. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to
authorize any suit, execution, attachment, or judicial process against
the persons or property of the Tribe or any of its officers, agents, or
employees, or against the Tribe's Governing Body or any member
thereof, other than as specifically set forth above.
e. Complete Agreement and Amendment. This Agreement, and the exhibits
to it, constitutes the full understanding between the Purchaser and Seller
regarding the sale of the Property, and the Parties agree that no other verbal
or written agreements shall modify or affect the Agreement. This
Agreement may not be modified or amended except by a written agreement
specifically referring to this Agreement and signed by all parties hereto.
f. No Merger. The terms of this Agreement shall not merge in the deed or
other conveyance instrument transferring the Property to Purchaser at
closing.
g. Severability and Savings. In the event any portion of this Agreement,
except those portions noted below, shall be found to be invalid by any court
of competent jurisdiction, then such holding shall not impact or affect the
remaining provisions of this Agreement; provided, however, in the event all
or any portion of Sections 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 24, 25, and subsections
b and d of Section 26 of this Agreement shall be found to be invalid by any
court of competent jurisdiction, then such holding shall cause the remaining
provisions of this Agreement to be defeated, invalidated and void.
h. Waiver. No waiver of any breach or default hereunder shall be considered
valid unless in writing and signed by the party giving such waiver, and no
such waiver shall be deemed a waiver of any prior or subsequent breach or
default.
Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the
benefit of each party hereto, its successors and assigns.
Legal Relationship. The parties to this Agreement execute and implement
this Agreement solely as Seller and Purchaser. No partnership, joint venture
or joint undertaking shall be construed from this Agreement.
- 15 -
k. Recitals and Captions. The recitals and the captions of sections contained
in this Agreement are for purposes of convenience only and are not intended
to define or limit the contents of said sections or of this Agreement.
Cooperation. Prior to and after closing the parties shall cooperate, shall
take such further action and shall execute and deliver further documents as
may be reasonably requested by the other party in order to carry out the
provisions and purposes of this Agreement.
M. Governing Law. This Agreement and all amendments thereof shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Washington applicable to contracts made and performed therein, without
giving effect to its conflicts of law provisions.
n. Venue. If either party commences an action to enforce rights under this
Agreement, venue of such action shall lie in the Superior Court of Clallam
County, Washington.
o. Negotiation and Construction. This Agreement and each of its terms and
provisions are deemed to have been explicitly negotiated between the
parties, and the language in all parts of the Agreement will, in all cases, be
construed according to its fair meaning and not strictly for or against either
party. All parties acknowledge and represent, as an express term of this
Agreement, that they have had the opportunity to obtain and utilize legal
review of the terms and conditions outlined in this Agreement.
p. Counterpart Signatures. This Agreement may be signed in counterpart,
each signed counterpart shall be deemed an original, and all counterparts
together shall constitute one and the same agreement.
q. Facsimile or Email Transmission. Facsimile or email transmission of any
signed original document, and retransmission of any signed facsimile or
emailed transmission, shall be the same as delivery of an original. At the
request of either Party, or the closing agent, the Parties will confirm
facsimile or email transmitted signatures by signing an original document.
r. Exhibits. The following Exhibits described herein and attached hereto are
fully incorporated into this Agreement by this reference:
Exhibit A Electric Utility Easement
Exhibit B Associated Environmental Group, LLC, Site
Characterization Report, AEG Project 417-
125, dated July 28, 2017
-16-
Exhibit C ALKAI Consultants, LLC, Phase I
Environmental Site Assessment, dated
October 27, 2004
Exhibit D Deed as to Form
S. Notices. Any and all notices or other communications required or permitted
to be given under any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be in writing
and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon receipt when personally
delivered or sent by overnight courier or two days after deposit in the United
States mail if by first class, certified or registered mail, return receipt
requested. All notices shall be addressed to the parties at the addresses set
forth below or at such other addresses as any parties may specify by notice
to all other parties and given as provided herein:
If to the Tribe: Frances G. Charles, Chairwoman
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
2851 Lower Elwha Road
Port Angeles, WA 98363
Phone: (360) 452-8471
Copy to: Office of Tribal Attorney
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
2851 Lower Elwha Road
Port Angeles, WA 98363
Phone: (360) 452-8471
If to the City: City Manager
City of Port Angeles
321 East 5th Street
PO Box 1150
Port Angles, WA 98362
Copy to: City Attorney at the same address.
-17-
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have set their hands and affixed their respective
seals the day and year first above written.
SELLER: City of Port Angeles
By:
Name:
Title:
Date:
Need Notary Block
-18-
Approved as to Form:
Title
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have set their hands and affixed
their respective seals the day and year first above written.
PURCHASER: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
Name: Frances Charles
Title: Chairwoman
Date:
Need Notary Block
-19-
Approved as to Form:
By_
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Erik Marks
Attorney, Strcitlegi,,t, Advisor.
2255 Harbor Ave SW
Suite 203
Seattle, WA 98126
206-264-4598
erikrd)evrnrea lesta te. con)
September 19, 2018
VIA Email to coun"114)kit of-pa.us and q
- -y
Port Angeles City Council
Nathan West, City Manager
321 East 5th Street
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Re: Proposed Sale of Waterfront Parcels at 107 and 1.11 East Front St and 110 Railroad Ave (the
"Subject Property")
Dear Nathan and Members of the City Council:
I
I have reviewed the proposed land sale ("Subject Transaction") by the City of Port Angeles
("City"), to the Lower Elwha Klallain'vibe ("Purchaser"), as reflected in a proposed Agreement
for the Purchase and Sale of Real Property ("Agreement") that is attached to the Notice of Joint
Meeting published on the City website with respect to ajoint meeting of the Port Angeles City
Council and Lower Elwha KlallamTribal. Council scheduled for 10:00ani on September 20,
2018.
I want to make clear at the outset that I am not writing this letter to derail the hotel plans. In fact,
the hotel has my full support, and I think the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is an excellent party to
be the developer and owner of the hotel. I have met with City officials and Tribal officials
regarding this project. I alerted both parties by telephone that I would be sending this letter.
MHUNKNUEM
I divide my residence between Seattle and Port Angeles, and I recently became the owner of a
waterfront parcel in Port Angeles commonly known as The Landing. The Subject Property is
located roughly across the street from The Landing.
Professionally, I have 25 years of experience as a commercial real estate lawyer and 15 years
experience as a commercial real estate broker. I have been involved in hundreds of commercial
real estate transactions, including many contaminated -property transactions.
Page 2
SUMMARY OF MY OPINION
I write this letter because (a) I think the current structure of the Subject Transaction does not
maximize the likelihood that the hotel will be constructed and (b) I think the structure of the
Subject Transaction creates unreasonable and avoidable risk to the City. I have come to this
conclusion on the basis of 3 fundamental areas of concern:
(1) Basic Structure of Subject Transaction Does Not Protect City Interests. Although
the City expresses in a range of documents that (a) redevelopment of its waterfront is an
important goal and (b) that part of its motivation for consummating the transaction is to have the
Subject Parcel redeveloped, there are zero provisions in the Agreement that require or even
promote redevelopment of the Subject Parcel. Rather, despite a scattering of non-binding
language that serves only to obscure, the true nature of the transaction is a simple and
unconditional sale of the Subject Parcel at a discounted price.
Here is one example. Although Section 5 of the Agreement discusses redevelopment of the
Subject Parcel within 5 years, that language is just filler, with no binding effect. In fact, the
Purchaser could let the Subject Property sit in its current unused and deteriorating state
indefinitely. And rather than a hotel, the Purchaser (or any other party to which it sells or leases
the Subject Property) can establish any of the uses for the Subject Property that are permitted
outright by the City Code in the CBD zone, including parking lot, vehicle rental, pawn shop or
liquor store.
(2) Errors in the Language of the Agreement Itself Render it Unprotective and
Litigation -Risky for the City. The Agreement has drafting errors, as identified in Schedule I to
this letter. In my opinion these drafting errors make it highly likely that the City will not receive
the benefits from this transaction that it anticipates in the ordinary course of business; and that if
the City elects to seek those benefits through the Court system, the City will find that the flaws in
the Agreement itself render it effectively unenforceable.
Here is one example. Section 26(g) of the Agreement has a fatal drafting error. It says that if
any of 11 different provisions in the Agreement are found by a Court to be invalid, then the
environmental release and indemnity that the Purchaser provides in Section 4 of the Agreement,
is also deemed to be "defeated, invalidated and void." That means that the Purchaser would not
have any obligation under the Agreement to clean up the environmental contamination, and the
City could be sued by anyone for the environmental cleanup costs, with no protection from the
Purchaser, despite having provided the Purchaser with a $650,000 credit against the Purchase
Price.
Page 3
(3) Procedural Flaws. Contracts with tribes are inherently challenging and risky
because of the complicated legal status of tribes within United States legal system. There are
steps that the City could take to mitigate and reduce its risk in this regard, but it does not appear
to have done so. It appears that the City may not be proceeding in a sufficiently cautious manner
in light of the challenges inherent in a tribal transaction.
Here is one example. The Agreement purports to have 4 attachments, denoted in the Agreement
as Exhibits A, B, C and D. Each of the Exhibits is "incorporated into" the Agreement by express
language of the Agreement. Therefore the Exhibits are inseparably part of the Agreement. But
both the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe resolution authorizing its execution of the Agreement, and
the Notice of Joint Meeting, attach only the main body of the Agreement and not the Exhibits.
The omission of the Exhibits renders the resolution and notice incomplete and likely ineffective.
And if the resolution and notice are ineffective, then the authorization of the Agreement by the
parties is ineffective, and the entire Agreement can be invalidated.
NEXT STEPS'?
I recommend the following:
City Council consideration and discussion of the Agreement should be tabled. It will not
be helpful to substantively discuss and consider the flaws of the Subject Transaction in an
environment such as the Joint Meeting.
2. The current Agreement should be set aside. The City and Purchaser teams should meet
and begin negotiating a new Letter of Intent. The new Letter of Intent can retain the
basic business terms the parties have worked out over the past few months concerning the
purchase price and environmental -credit; but the Letter of Intent would reflect transaction
structures that are designed to promote the goals, and protect the risks, of the parties. In
particular, I recommend that consideration be given to structuring the transaction as
either an Option to Purchase, with a timeline and milestones, or as a conveyance with
reverter clause. These two approaches can be designed to maximize the likelihood that
the Purchaser will construct its hotel, and to minimize the risk to the City in the event that
the Purchaser ultimately is unable to construct its hotel for whatever reason (for example,
inadequate capital availability, inability to access construction financing, changing
economic climate, unknown site conditions, inability to attract development expertise,
internal political issues, etc.)
And in parallel with the foregoing, the City can ask the Purchaser to provide an Opinion
of Counsel, assuring the City that the Agreement was duly authorized, executed and is
enforceable against the Purchaser. Requiring such an Opinion Letter should be standard
practice when there is an entity with complicated and opaque internal organizational
structures, such as a Tribe.
Page 4
PARTICULAR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
These questions and answers may help clarify why I believe the Agreement is not crafted in a
manner that advances the City's interests,
May the Purchaser develop a casino on the Subject Property under the terms of the
Subject Transaction?
Yes
May the Purchaser leave the Subject Property vacant and in a state of disrepair
indefinitely post -closing?
Yes.
The City is providing the Purchaser a $650,000 credit in exchange for the Purchaser's
agreement to clean up environmental contamination on the Subject Property. If the
Purchaser doesn't clean it up, is there anything the City can do?
Probably not. See the discussion about Section 4 of the Agreement in Schedule I to this
letter.
If the Subject Property remains in its current eye -sore state .10 years from now, is there
anything the City an do about it?
RM
Could the City structure this transaction to prohibit a casino, require that the property be
kept up, establish enforceable remedies if the contamination is not cleaned up, and recover
the Property for beneficial use if it is not redeveloped as a hotel within the stated timeline?
Yes, the City could readily achieve these goals. But it did not. The City allowed flaws in
transaction structure and documentation to move forward, thereby failing to advance
acknowledged goals with respect to the streetscape, economy, business and citizens of the
City of Port Angeles.
Page 5
I repeat what I said at the outset here, so that there is no misunderstanding. I want to see the
hotel built on the Subject Parcel, and the Lower Elwha Klallarn Tribe is a good candidate to
build it.
Unfortunately, the Agreement was mistakenly conceived, and contains innumerable drafting
flaws, and therefore is a poor path forward. The Agreement fails to promote the likelihood of a
new hotel on the PA waterfront in 5 years. And the Agreement has terms that increase the City's
risk of litigation and loss if it seeks to enforce the environmental cleanup covenants, for which it
is providing a $650,000 purchase price credit. I believe that a new agreement can be put in
place, using conventional real estate and legal transaction approaches, that appropriately
incentivizes the Purchaser to complete its hotel development, and appropriately protects the City
in the event that the Purchaser is unable to complete the hotel project. (I would be happy to meet
with Tribal and City staff and share my professional expertise toward this end, without charge.)
Therefore I recommend that the City Council decline to approve the Agreement at this time.
Very truly yours,
Erik G. Marks
Schedule Flaws in Structure and Drafting of the Agreement
cc: Linty Hopie, Lower Elwha Klallam, Tribe
SCHEDULE
FLAWS IN STRUCTURE AND DRAFTING OF THE AGREEMENT
Section 4.
Section 4 is the core of this Agreement. In exchange for a $650,000 credit against the purchase price, the
City received the covenants in Section 4. The City did not strike a good deal for itself. Section 4 has
flaws that render it toothless and unlikely to be practically enforceable.
Definitional Problems.
"Environmental Conditions" is defined at Section 4a with a good definition. But that definition is
not in fact used in describing the cleanup obligations, Rather, Section 4b (which could have said
that the Purchaser must clean up the Environmental Conditions) says something else.
"Reasonable Time Period" is supposedly defined at Section 4c, but the definition does not
actually describe a time period. Rather, where the definition should appear there are two
covenants about remediation of sub -elements of the Environmental Conditions. This means that
when other areas of the Agreement use the term "Reasonable Time Period" (e.g. see Section 26b),
it cannot be deciphered what that reference means. Further, the final sentence in Section 4c says
that the parties may not unreasonably withhold agreement to "amend the Reasonable 'rime
Period." To use the language of our times, wtf does this mean? It is indecipherable and subject
to numerous interpretations, and therefore creates significant risk of litigation and
unenforceability.
"Matters Addressed by the Credit" is defined in Section 4e as "the scope of Environmental
Conditions that fall within the Credit ...... The "Credit" is defined at Section 2 as being the sum
of $650,000. How can Environmental Conditions fall within a sum of money? This is terribly
confusing. Although I can figure out elements of what the drafters may have been trying to say, I
cannot figure out what the term actually means. And I really don't understand how the definition
of "Matters Addressed by the Credit" differs from the definition of "Environmental Conditions" -
as far as I can tell they are intended to mean the same thing. Creating two defined terms with the
same meaning violates a fundamental rule of contract drafting and materially increases the risk
and uncertainty of litigation about that contract.
"remedial action costs" is a term that is used in Section 411 and should be defined but is not.
Section 4h is critical - it is the clause where the Purchaser agrees to indemnify the City against
cleanup costs. But Section 4h just says the indemnity is for "remedial action costs." Such a term
absolutely needs to be defined. Here is a list of costs that would be included when defining such
a term; without a definition, who knows if these are costs that the City is or is not indemnified
against: investigation, drilling, testing, permitting, DOE fees, legal fees, insurance, engineering,
transportation and disposal, excavation stabilization, obtaining easements, post -cleanup
monitoring, etc.
Page 7
No Environmental Agreement Signed at Closing. In almost all instances where an important
covenant survives closing, that covenant will be reflected in an Agreement that is attached to the Real
Estate Purchase Agreement and delivered at Closing. In this instance, the terms of Section 4 should
have not been incorporated into such an Environmental Agreement that the parties would sign and
deliver at Closing, and be bound to after Closing. The Environmental Agreement would generally be
recorded in the real property records as well, to provide assurances about future property owners and
long term property administration. What are the problems with the approach that the Agreement
takes in lieu of the typical documentation?
Severability Clause. As explained above in this letter, Section 26g of the Agreement contains an
error, such that if any of 11 clauses in the Agreement are invalid, then the entirety of Section 4 is
invalid. If this were to occur, the City would have provided a credit of $650,000 and received
nothing in exchange.
0 Litigation. If the City wishes to enforce any environmental cleanup provisions, it will have to do
so by suing on the basis of a Purchase Agreement that has for the most part terminated, with a
few surviving clauses. Such is a messy process and reduces the City's chances of success.
Attorney Fees. If the City wishes to enforce the provisions of Section 4 and prevails, you would
expect the City to recover its attorney fees. But such is not the case in this Agreement. The
attorney -fees clause appears at Section 26d. But Section 26d does not survive closing. And so
there is no award of attorney fees to the prevailing party for post -closing disputes. This
circumstance is particularly prejudicial to the City, because the City is the party that will have to
bring any action, or actions, post -closing to enforce the Agreement.
No Recording. Section 4 survives as a cleanup covenant indefinitely post -closing - could be 5 or
15 years. But Section 4 is not recorded and is not binding on successor -owners. And so what
happens if the Purchaser sells the Property prior to cleaning it up? Well... nothing. The
Purchaser has a covenant to clean it up, but does not have a right of entry. That renders the
cleanup covenant impossible to perform, and covenants that are impossible to perform are often
deemed unenforceable.
Removing the provisions of Section 4 to a separate document delivered at closing and recorded
would avoid the problems described above.
Language Choices in Section 4 - "Will" v "Shall". First year lawyers learn that the correct use of
these terms is important in contract drafting. These terms are misused in Section 4. The term "shall"
must be used when there is a covenant by a patty (i.e. a promise to perform a future act). The term
"will" does not create an obligation on a party, so it is not used in a covenant. Unfortunately Section
4 uses the term "will" for several covenants of the Purchaser, including the most important covenant -
the cleanup covenant at Section 4b. Other clauses in Section 4 that use the term "shall" for
covenants include the important clauses at, 4f and 4h. It is a rule of contract interpretation that where
different words are used, they will be interpreted to have different meanings. Therefore the erroneous
use of the term "will" in Section 4, alongside the correct use of the word "shall" in some instances,
Page 8
raises serious questions as to the enforceability of the environmental cleanup covenants in the
Agreement.
Section 5 - Hotel Development. Section 5 says that the Purchaser intends to develop a hotel on the
Subject Property within 5 years of closing. This is 2 years longer than originally stated by the
Purchaser, The City should be circumspect about tirneline forecasts from a Purchaser that does not have
experience developing commercial hospitality properties. And this provision has no enforcement
mechanism at all. If there is no hotel there in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, there is nothing the City can do
about it. It does not have to be this way. If the Purchaser does intend to develop a hotel, the Purchaser
should readily agree to establishing milestones and deadlines that keep everyone's expectations on -track.
Why is the City short -selling itself on such all important provision.
Sections 9 and 17 - Title Insurance. Section 9b calls for a standard coverage title commitment, but
Section 17d makes it a Purchaser's condition to closing that. the Title Company be prepared to issue an
extended coverage policy. While the inconsistency is more of an annoyance than a problem, the
condition for extended coverage at 17d is a material concern. Because a survey is needed to obtain
extended coverage, and because the presence or absence of a survey is within Purchaser's control (not to
mention that in a property like this the survey is nearly certain to identify encroachments), the provision at
17d that makes extended coverage a condition to Purchaser's obligation to close creates, at the end of the
day, a right for the Purchaser to terminate the Agreement at any time prior to closing.
Sections 20 -Closing Costs and Prorations. This clause just says that the parties will split "closing
costs." What are these? No one knows if they are not defined. And they are not defined. The escrow
fee is a closing cost I am pretty sure. What about the title policy - is that a closing cost? I don't know.
Nothing else in the Agreement says who is paying for the title policy. Appropriate language for a clause
like this can be found in any form contract.
As for pro -rations? They are mentioned in the heading for the Section, but are not addressed. Nothing in
the contract addresses pro -rations. Not a big deal because they probably are minor, but they should be
addressed.
Section 24 - Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement. This clause is all "agreement to agree". Agreements
to agree are widely known to be unenforceable. Therefore the tribe is free post -closing to move the
property off of the tax rolls, with no offsetting agreement to benefit the City. This problem can be easily
remedied by establishing the form and terms of Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement today, as an
attachment to the Agreement.
Section 26d - Dispute Resolution and Waiver of SovereiZp immunity.
• There is no provision saying that Section 26d survives closing. (There is a sentence saying that
certain aspects of it terminate at closing, but nothing that says the remaining terms survive.)
• There is no consent to jurisdiction of Clallam County Superior Court. Although the Agreement
does place venue for any action in Clallain County Superior Court, there must also be a consent
by the Purchaser, as a sovereign nation, to the jurisdiction of the Court.
Page 9
There is no identified method for service of process on the Purchaser. The Tribe must agree that
Legal process can be served upon it in a certain manner that can be readily achieved. Otherwise it
is not clear ]low one would serve process and begin a legal action.
Enforcement of Judgment. Even if the Purchaser is subject to the jurisdiction of Clallarn County
Superior Court, and if the Court issues a Judgment awarding specific performance or monetary
damages to the City, how will the City enforce that? Certainly there are political hurdles to
enforcement. There are also legal hurdles - there is no garnishment or seizure against a sovereign
nation for the most part. This is an aspect of doing business with a tribe that must be thought
through. The most effective approach is to design transactions so that enforcement through Court
action is highly unlikely. This proposed Agreement is quite the opposite - it hands all control
over the asset (tile real estate) to the Purchaser, and the City's only course of action if things go
sideways is to go to Court. And going to Court is likely to be expensive, frustrating and
unfruitful for the reasons identified in this paragraph and at other points above in this letter.
Section 26(g) - Severability_Qlausq. This provision is supposed to ensure that if one element of the
Agreement is unenforceable, the remainder of the Agreement remains enforceable. But in this instance
there is a fatal drafting error. In fact, Section 26g says that if any of 11 different provisions in the
Agreement are found by a Court to be invalid, then the environmental release and indemnity that the
Purchaser provides in Section 4 of the Agreement, is also deemed to be "defeated, invalidated and void."
That means that the Purchaser would not have any obligation under the Agreement to clean Lip the
environmental contamination, and the City could be Sued by anyone for the environmental cleanup costs,
with no protection from the Purchaser, despite having provided the Purchaser with a $650,000 credit
against the Purchase Price.
END OF SCHEDULE I