EYE ON CLALLAM: Concern over vigilantes prompts meeting

Peninsula Daily News

Clallam County commissioners will discuss public safety and law enforcement at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

The virtual work session can be viewed at www. clallam.net/features/ meetings.html.

Board Chairman Mark Ozias invited Sheriff Bill Benedict to discuss public safety and law enforcement capacity in the region, including how the Sheriff’s Office works with fellow agencies and where the line is drawn between protected First Amendment speech and speech that crosses a legal threshold into harassment, intimidation or incitement to violence, according to an executive summary.

“A number of county residents have reached out to the commissioners in recent weeks to express concern regarding groups or individuals who take it upon themselves to act as vigilantes, and with more general concerns about public safety during a time of such significant activism and division,” the summary states.

“The BOCC and the Sheriff believe that the more information county residents have, the more confident they will be in the professionalism and capacity of the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department.”

In other discussion, commissioners will receive the first of three recommendation from the Charter Review Commission.

The recommendation is about affordable housing and homelessness in Clallam County.

“The Charter Review Commission recommends that the Clallam County Board of Commissioners immediately take active leadership to reclaim and renew their primary leadership role in engaging a group of public and private organizations and businesses to creatively increase affordable housing availability, apply forward thinking ideas proven to be successful in communities that have reduced the experience of homelessness effectively and report progress back to the community every six months,” the recommendation states.

Other discussion items for the work session include:

• A briefing and requested letter of support for a Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative for salmon recovery.

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for a STOP Violence Against Women grant.

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for a COVID-19 housing grant.

• A continued discussion on the preliminary 2021 county budget is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Commissioners will hold their regular business meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

They will recess into a closed executive session at 11:30 a.m. to discuss next steps for the Midway Metals illegal dump site between Port Angeles and Sequim.

Also on the agenda:

• An amended agreement with the state Department of Commerce for coronavirus relief funds.

• Agreement with the state Department of Ecology for a water quality stormwater initiative project.

• A purchase order agreement with GovConnection, Inc. for renewal of annual licensing.

• A big opening for a single station shower/restroom combination trailer for the Sheriff’s Office.

• A bid award to Interwest Construction for the Sekiu Airport Road sewer replacement project.

• Notice of an Oct. 6 hearing regarding proposed changes to policy for notary services.

Port of Port Angeles

Port of Port Angeles commissioners will consider capital projects priorities when they meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

To join the meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81238320653 or call 253-215-8782. The webinar ID is 812 3832 0653.

Commissioners also will hear a COVID-19 update.

Sequim schools

Sequim School Board members will discuss legislative priorities at a 5 p.m. work session and during a 6 p.m. regular meeting on Monday.

To join the meeting, go to sequimschoolssept21 or call 360-775-2372 and use 713 081 0806#.

Comment can be submitted to tnorman@ sequimschools.org by 4:30 p.m. Monday.

They also will consider for final approval policies on infectious disease, an infection control program and excused and unexcused absences.

Port Angeles schools

The Port Angeles School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday.

No agenda was available as of Saturday.

For more information, go to portangelesschools.org.

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