SEQUIM — The state Department of Ecology’s proposed stormwater manual weighs about 5 pounds, contains 300 to 400 pages of unfunded state mandates, and has found a home in the city.
On a shelf in the Public Works Department, that is.
Council members unanimously agreed to shelve the tome during their Wednesday work session after being told its adoption might prevent future development.
Sequim’s action followed a 5-2 Port Angeles City Council vote Tuesday night rejecting a proposed stormwater ordinance based on Ecology guidelines.
“It will cripple small cities,” Sequim Public Works Director Jim Bay said. “It will mean hiring more manpower and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Bay told the council the stormwater manual doesn’t work for rural cities like Sequim.
“Wait for the state to find something more workable,” Bay said. “This will stop just about everything you want to do here.”
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The rest of this story appears in the Thursday Peninsula Daily News Clallam County edition. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.