Each week, residents following local police scanner pages and neighborhood groups piece together a picture of daily life that rarely makes the headlines. This week’s Social Media Saturday reads like a familiar script: overdoses and unresponsive people, out-of-county warrants, psychotic episodes unfolding in public spaces, shoplifting calls, prowlers reported in neighborhoods, a fire in a public park, assaults at a bus stop, and even a car chase. For many residents, these reports are no longer surprising — they’re simply the background noise of life in Clallam County.

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Public documents show that Mark Hodgson applied for Olympia’s Social Justice & Equity Commission listing an Olympia address, served in the Washington State Patrol’s Executive Protection Unit with an official workstation in Olympia, and simultaneously sought roles and leadership positions in Clallam County — including Port Angeles City Council. The timeline raises a straightforward question:

Where was he actually living and working while seeking to represent Port Angeles residents?

Two Attempts at City Council

Here’s what we know regarding Mark Hodgson’s efforts to serve on the Port Angeles City Council:

2023 – Applied for Appointment

When a vacancy opened at the end of 2022 after Mike French became Clallam County Commissioner, Hodgson applied for appointment. He was interviewed but was not selected.

2025 – Filed to Run and Elected

In 2025, Hodgson filed to run for Port Angeles City Council (Position 3). He ran unopposed and was elected. He now serves as a councilmember as of 2026.

At the Same Time: Olympia Service and Olympia Address

On LinkedIn, Hodgson lists service on the City of Olympia Social Justice & Equity Commission beginning March 2023 to present.

The stated purpose of that commission:

“Eliminate racism and fulfill human rights for a just and equitable Olympia for all people.”

Through a public records request, Hodgson’s application to that commission — dated December 2022 — lists an address on Fox Run Drive NW in Olympia.

That same time period is when he was applying for appointment to the Port Angeles City Council.

So the question arises:

Was he attempting to join the Port Angeles City Council while residing in Olympia?

Executive Protection Assignment: Olympia Workstation

An April 2021 interoffice communication confirms Hodgson’s transfer to the Executive Protection Unit (EPU) of the Washington State Patrol.

The memo states:

Official Workstation:
106 11th Avenue SW, Olympia WA 98504

That is WSP headquarters adjacent to the Washington State Capitol.

The memo also specifies:

• Compliance with WSP Policy 11.07.010 (Residence Definition)

• Compliance with WSPTA Article 9 (Residence Requirement)

• Department-paid moving expenses if relocation was required

• 30 days lodging/subsistence if establishing new residence

While it does not explicitly state “must live in Olympia,” EPU is a rapid-response assignment protecting the Governor and family — requiring proximity and immediate availability.

The relocation language strongly suggests that residence near Olympia would be expected unless already within acceptable response distance.

Documents show an “appointment change” to Executive Protection effective October 1, 2021.

Clallam County Roles While Listing Olympia Address

In his Olympia commission application, Hodgson lists involvement in:

• Clallam County Homelessness Task Force

• Port Angeles Parks and Recreation Commissioner

• Clallam County Habitat for Humanity Board

He also references efforts to address “systemic historical racial bias in housing” while serving as President for Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County, the same organization that created the nation’s first Native American Housing Liaison position after receiving a $50,000 donation from the Jamestown Corporation.

This area of the application is notable because:

• He was listing an Olympia residential address.

• His official workstation was in Olympia.

• He was simultaneously serving on boards representing Clallam County.

That overlap deserves clarification.

The DEI Application Language

His Olympia application contains extensive language regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and “lived experience” as a “person of color.”

He describes:

• Membership on the WSP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council

• Attendance at the Governor’s DEI conference

• Participation in The People’s Gathering

• Applying a DEI “lens” to policy

• Interviewing through “counter-bias investigative techniques”

He states:

“We need to start by including social justice and equity impacts into every decision we make.”

That policy lens may now influence City of Port Angeles governance. Voters should understand that framework.

Attendance and Availability Questions

The Olympia application asked whether he could attend evening meetings. He answered he was “willing and prepared to commit the time necessary.”

However:

• During the 2025 Charter Review Commission, he had the lowest attendance of 15 commissioners.

• He did not attend a town hall in his district.

• He missed his initial Port Angeles City Council swearing-in due to a work conflict, delaying his formal assumption of office.

The Timing of the Transfer Back to Port Angeles

On January 26, 2026 an internal memo confirms Hodgson exercised reversion rights and transferred to Port Angeles.

Notably, that effective date was four days after the “A Missed First Impression” article was published by CC Watchdog which raised flags about his residency.

A Straightforward Question

Was Mark Hodgson:

• Living in Olympia while serving on Clallam boards?

• Attempting to join Port Angeles City Council while residing elsewhere?

• Serving on executive protection detail in Olympia while representing Port Angeles constituents?

If his residency did change, when did that happen? What exactly are the residency requirements for someone serving on the Port Angeles City Council — is there a minimum amount of time a person has to live here before filing or taking office? And more broadly, does it sit right with voters if someone is elected and only then establishes residency in the jurisdiction?

These aren’t personal attacks. They’re basic questions about representation. People expect their councilmembers to live in — and be rooted in — the community they serve. Clear answers would go a long way toward putting any confusion to rest.

Public office requires public clarity and trust.

What’s Next?

Councilmembers are expected to:

• Live among the people they represent

• Be physically available

• Attend meetings consistently

• Prioritize local issues over political ladder climbing

Hodgson’s public trajectory shows:

• Advisory boards

• NGO appointments

• Task forces

• Commission roles

• Executive Protection detail

• City Council seat

On social media, Hodgson’s girlfriend described his political journeyo as “just the beginning.”

Beginning of what?

Port Angeles voters deserve transparency on residency, timeline, and commitment.

That’s not suspicion.

That’s accountability.

Hodgson Application

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These photos were taken by a Port Angeles resident on a routine Saturday morning walk through downtown. She asked to remain anonymous, but wanted the record to be public. What she captured isn’t dramatic or unusual—it’s ordinary. The same locations, the same behaviors, the same debris, over and over again. County and city leaders describe current drug policy as compassionate and effective. These images show what that looks like on the ground, and who ends up living with the consequences.

A familiar corridor

The area near the 3rd Street Health Department, the Lincoln Street Safeway, and the orange house behind Safeway has been a known drug activity zone for years. Anyone who has worked as an EMT or patrol officer in Port Angeles since 2020 knows how often overdoses happen here, or within just a few feet of it.

The back wall of Safeway has been repainted again and again. It gets patched and repainted multiple times a year because of tagging and damage caused by people leaning against it to defecate. The clean coat of paint never lasts.

What gets left behind

Behind Safeway, the ground is littered with items from the Clallam County Health Department’s harm-reduction program. Pipes. Gloves. Snorting kits. Foil used to smoke fentanyl.

These aren’t random items. They match the program’s own supply list.

The snorting kits include printed instructions reminding users to wash their hands, rinse their noses before and after using drugs to avoid irritation, apply vitamin E oil to help with healing, stay hydrated, and to “start low, go slow.”

This is all taxpayer-funded.

Pipes and cleaning kits

Photos show foil, a glass pipe, and a county-funded pipe-cleaning kit. The glass “hammer” pipe is one of several types of narcotics pipes distributed by public health. It was carefully wrapped in foam padding.

“Bubble” and “straight” pipe styles are also available, along with free pipe-cleaning brushes.

These items don’t disappear. They end up on sidewalks, in parking lots, in parks, and washed down our streams.

Theft and meth-driven behavior

One photo shows a plug with cut wire. Anything with wire left outside—appliances on porches, a lamp in an unlocked shed, tools—will be stripped. It’s common to find piles of partially stripped wire in abandoned camps. Some of it is for scrap. Some of it is simply meth-driven behavior.

Walking downtown on a Saturday

On a Saturday walk through Port Angeles, the photographer saw people staggering through the Health Department parking lot.

People were also using an umbrella as a windbreak to smoke behind the Veterans’ Park bell.

In the city parking lot on Lincoln, which is supposed to serve downtown businesses, someone was rearranging branches and digging.

In several photos, someone in the background is crouched, scanning the ground and picking up tiny objects. The same behavior was seen hours apart, and again at Veterans’ Park. This is known as meth punding.

Punding isn’t quirky or harmless. It’s a common side effect of long-term meth use, and once you’ve seen it, you start to recognize it everywhere. People get locked into repetitive, meaningless tasks—scanning the ground, picking at dirt or gravel, pulling apart objects, or collecting bits of trash as if they’re valuable. They can stay like that for hours, barely aware of what’s happening around them. It often goes hand in hand with days of little or no sleep. Over time, it turns into digging up landscaping, tearing at concrete, stripping wire, or dismantling bikes and anything else within reach. When you see punding happening in parks and parking lots, it’s a visible sign of heavy stimulant use—and a reminder that the damage isn’t abstract. It shows up in the ground itself, and in the public spaces everyone else is expected to share.

Behind Veterans’ Park, umbrellas were up while people stared at the ground. Others pulled up grass and branches, piling them on top of bike parts. One person sat upright with a blanket over their head, a common way to block the wind while smoking drugs, before passing out.

Businesses absorb the impact

Some photos show people using a public parking lot reserved for downtown businesses to “hit and crash” — meaning, use drugs before passing out.

Across the street is a small business owned by an Asian American woman. This is what policy looks like at her front door. Where is the equity for business owners expected to operate under these conditions?

Disperse, then return

An officer arrived at Veterans’ Park. The group cleared out quickly.

Minutes later, they regrouped at Safeway and resumed aggressive panhandling.

Panhandlers blocked the right-hand exit lane. Drivers had to cross into oncoming traffic to get around them.

Cleanup without change

A free food truck parks near Safeway at 4th and Laurel several times a week. Volunteers—often from 4PA—regularly clean the area. The mess always comes back.

The cleanup is appreciated. The cycle never ends.

Vandalism climbs higher

Even the upper parts of downtown buildings aren’t spared. From the top of the Oak Street zigzag ramp, tagging is visible high above street level.

Tagging isn’t art. It’s destruction.

As the photographer put it plainly: “This is Mike French’s PA.”

Under the zigzag

Under the Oak Street zigzag ramp is another regular drug-use site. People dig into the dirt and concrete, smoke meth and fentanyl, and leave foil behind. The photos show exposed concrete footings damaged by repeated digging and erosion.

This is long-term damage, not just litter.

Open-air dealing

Back at the Safeway entrance, people panhandle and receive drug deliveries without moving. A dealer arrives on a small motorcycle and sells openly.

One photo shows a man in a high-visibility shirt connected to a group camping on the Title Company porch on Lincoln. Another person walks behind the Veteran’s Park bell, returns, and completes a hand-to-hand exchange on the sidewalk.

Why these photos matter

These images aren’t anti-compassion. They are evidence.

They show what happens when policies are measured by supplies distributed instead of harm reduced—when impacts are shifted onto neighborhoods, parks, small businesses, and anyone who happens to live nearby.

We thank the Port Angeles resident who took these photos, who cares enough about her community to document what she sees, and who shared them so this can’t be dismissed as exaggeration or rhetoric.

This is what’s happening. Every day.

A way forward

Compassion and accountability are not opposites. If current harm-reduction strategies are working, the public should be able to see that clearly and locally.

That starts with:

• Reporting outcomes, not just services provided—changes in public drug use, litter, vandalism, and overdoses.

• Setting real boundaries so parks, business parking lots, and sidewalks aren’t treated as acceptable drug-use zones.

• Acknowledging and measuring impacts on nearby residents and small businesses, especially downtown.

• An independent review of whether distributing smoking and snorting supplies is actually reducing harm—or simply relocating it.

Residents aren’t asking for miracles. They’re asking for honesty, balance, and policies that don’t ask the same neighborhoods to absorb the damage indefinitely.

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Dishwasher debate debunked. Not enough housing, or too much? A local nonprofit is rethinking the traditional approach to solving homelessness, but there's a catch: nobody will be getting rich.

Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH) recently broke ground on its 36-unit luxury permanent housing facility for the homeless in Port Angeles. CEO Wendy Sisk assured the Peninsula Daily News that if funding doesn’t come through, there are “backup plans on backup plans on backup plans.”

One of those backup plans was revealed on Tuesday when Clallam County Commissioners unanimously agreed to approve the $4 million that had been previously secured. The four-story building, estimated to cost $12.75 million, will feature a rooftop terrace, water and mountain views, and a dog washing station.

However, PBH still needs your help.

Your donation of $100 could fund:

• One-fifth of every dishwashing machine that will be installed in each unit.

• 0.028% of one apartment which costs, on average, $354,166.

• 0.04% of the CEO’s $250,967 annual compensation.

“This is on the low end of where costs are,” the County’s Housing and Grant Resource Director Timothy Dalton assured the commissioners earlier this month. He explained that projects like this average $375,000 to $500,000 per homeless housing unit in our state. He blamed much of the cost on state mandates that require solar panels and EV car charging stations.

“I’ve gotten some heat for including dishwashers,” Sisk admitted to the commissioners. In May, the dishwashers were promoted as a way to remove barriers to success, but that has changed. “Dishwashers produce far less wastewater, and the City did have some concerns about wastewater capacity in that neighborhood,” Sisk clarified last week.

The new 4-story facility will be built on the site of former PBH housing. The old buildings were deemed inadequate for homeless housing due, in part, to a rodent infestation. The two former PBH buildings were moved across the street and will serve as homeless housing for Oxford House.

“Could we have built a big block, square thing on the lot with more? Yes, but I feel that 36 is pretty high density,” said Sisk when asked what methodology was used to arrive at that number of units. “36 felt like the maximum that we could provide support to people to in that building effectively,” she further explained.

In other words, building more than 36 units would stretch PBH’s resources too thin. The IRS Form 990 for PBH shows that 184 employees worked there in 2022.

“There have been a couple of apartment buildings on the market recently. Instead of building this new apartment building, why don’t we just buy something existing? And the reason for that is it doesn’t create anything new; it doesn’t solve a problem. We then have to displace folks who are maybe in market-rate housing, and that’s not a solution that we’re willing to participate in. Our housing opportunities cannot be at the cost to the rest of the community because we have a housing shortage at every level,” Sisk said.

Data from a 2019 City of Port Angeles “Housing Action Plan” suggests there’s plenty of empty housing. In 2017, 12% (1,107) of the City’s housing units sat vacant.

The homeless industrial complex

Construction of the North View building is controversial for several reasons:

• The facility is “not exclusively dry,” meaning drug and alcohol use will be tolerated.

• PBH’s recent housing project, Dawn View Court, exceeded construction estimates by 37%.

• Residents may live in North View as long as their income doesn’t exceed the threshold, and PBH measures success by having zero turnover. This model disincentivizes self-reliance.

• Housing will be prioritized for those who are at high risk of incarceration.

Every person struggling with addiction or seeking housing has a dollar sign hovering above their head. Once a path toward independence is found, sometimes through temporary or transitional housing, that dollar sign is replaced with self-reliance. With permanent supportive housing, clients can be a conduit to fund the agency’s drivers, therapists, peer support specialists, case managers, admins, billing specialists, and CEO for years.

Wendy Sisk’s $250,967 compensation grows as our homeless problem grows (Sisk received a nearly 6% raise from 2021 to 2022). If the homelessness problem improved, some 184 PBH employees making a combined $12,301,400 annually could be let go (their compensation grew by 7.2% from 2021 to 2022). For community leaders who enjoy their titles but not necessarily their duties, donning hard hats and turning that first shovelful of dirt at a construction site boosts egos and opens political doors.

• Despite increased investment in permanent supportive housing, the number of unsheltered homeless individuals has risen.

• Implementing permanent housing solutions is expensive when funds could be better allocated to other services that reach more people or temporary models.

• Simply providing permanent housing without addressing underlying issues prolongs the problem without solving it.

There’s an alternative.

Milestones will be celebrated

“There hasn’t been a ‘hardest day,’ but there have been ‘hard moments,’” answered Joe DeScala when questioned about his past three years as director of 4PA, an organization he founded to clean up his hometown and help its homeless population transition to self-sustainability.

“It’s hard to go back to the same place we just restored and do it all over again. Or worse, seeing people continue their old habits. It’s truly heartbreaking seeing people at their lowest,” says DeScala. However, he’s adamant that the good days outweigh the bad.

“The other day, I was talking to Dan and seeing the change in him — it’s huge.” Last March, DeScala connected with Dan through a referral from a partner agency, Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic (OPCC). Dan was homeless, and 4PA hired him as a cleaning crew lead.

“When I met him, he was pretty quiet, but I could tell he wanted to improve his situation through work and gaining purpose.” DeScala says that as Dan realized his self-worth, he spoke up a lot more, and his smile returned. “It seems to me he stands up a bit taller now.”

Dan currently lives in his van and will be the first resident to move into 4PA’s planned Touchstone Campus, an 11-unit temporary housing project behind the organization’s offices on First Street in Port Angeles. Dan believes that if he can be sheltered for just a year, he will have time to focus on becoming self-reliant. He'll continue working and become the onsite manager for Touchstone’s 11 tiny homes.

Touchstone will be more than just housing; DeScala sees it as a community asset with a public area, murals, a food truck court, and a storefront where residents can learn business management while manufacturing and selling goods. The entire project will foster a connection with the community. “Milestones will be celebrated as people advance, and it’s critical we give back to the community,” DeScala said.

“We’re not ready to say yet, but the business we start on-site might have something to do with creating a food product that we can turn around and sell locally,” DeScala hinted. The product will be manufactured at 4PA’s offices, the former Lannoye Motor Company’s building, a half block east of Lincoln Street on First.

Each shelter will be an 8’ x 12’ shed with heat, power, and a lockable door. One of the 11 homes will be ADA-accessible. The tiny homes won’t be plumbed, but steps away, 4PA headquarters will have a common space with a kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, and showers.

High barrier housing

“You have to have skin in the game,” says DeScala. “The most successful outcomes I’ve seen are when people are held accountable and are expected to give back to the community that is helping them. Even if it’s just a little bit at the start.”

Residents will wash dishes, clean common areas, and work in 4PA’s sales and manufacturing to earn income and learn job skills. DeScala says the campus will be high barrier, meaning drugs and alcohol will not be permitted. “I believe in second chances, of course. However, if someone is caught breaking the campus rules, an exit plan will be in place — hopefully into treatment. I’m just not willing to compromise the success of our other residents.”

Touchstone’s target is to house a resident for up to one year. During that time, 4PA will work with the resident on stability and job opportunities until self-sufficiency is achieved. “This will be done in conjunction with our partner agencies like OPCC, PBH, and NOHN (North Olympic Healthcare Network) acting as case management. I’m not shy in saying that we will be relying on professionals outside of 4PA for help in this process. I’ve always seen us linking arms and working with other agencies.”

Part of the homeless industrial complex?

“I didn’t set out to be collecting garbage at age 49,” said DeScala. “I don’t want to clean forever. My goal is to help my community, and I look forward to the day the cleaning aspect of my job is done. And when I say ‘community,’ I mean everyone in it.”

Last year’s IRS tax form 990 showed 4PA’s total revenue was $306,485, and expenses were $165,973. The organization spent $106,966 on employee salaries for five people. Two employees are unhoused (including Dan, a crew lead), and another lives in a women’s shelter. They all work part-time to help clean abandoned encampments and restore city properties. A part-time administrator is also paid; she is housed. The fifth employee, DeScala, works full-time. The model for his nonprofit puts 30% of expenses into the pockets of his employees transitioning to self-reliance.

DeScala believes strongly in transparency, and 4PA’s Form 990 is available to anyone upon request.

4PA is funded 100% by community donations and receives no federal, state, or county money. The nonprofit just received $25,000 from the First Fed Foundation, and the City of Port Angeles covers their dump fees, an estimated $30,500 so far. DeScala says 4PA has removed over 250,000 pounds of garbage from abandoned homeless encampments and illegal dumping sites. “The generosity of our community to support our efforts with pledges has been nothing short of amazing.”

“On the flipside, finding grant money is proving to be a bit more difficult,” admits DeScala. “Most funding agencies don’t come up to you and say, ‘We have money.’” While that may seem challenging, DeScala says it’s a benefit too. “When certain agencies give money, they often get to dictate how things go. This way, with private funding, we can follow the model we believe is most successful.”

Despite presenting this project during public forums, DeScala hasn’t been approached by anyone in County government about his housing model. “$2 million would build our entire campus, including the 11 tiny homes. It would pay off our building and cover two years of operating costs.” The tiny homes, combined with renovating the old car dealership, are estimated to cost $1.3 million, 20% of which has been raised.

Challenges

DeScala says PBH has definitely added to 4PA’s success and is excellent at connecting people with services. He routinely attends partner meetings with PBH, OPCC, and the Port Angeles Police Department. Information is shared to determine where homeless people can be found, and strategies are devised to best help them. For example, if 4PA’s team finds an encampment but doesn’t know who lives there, one of the partner agencies might have that information.

In addition to the generosity of businesses and residents, plans for a tiny house village have been well supported. However, there have been some misconceptions about what 4PA does.

“There are inhumane ways to clear camps, but we don’t do that here,” DeScala explained. Unfortunately, theft and crime can be frequent in encampments, and sometimes 4PA gets blamed for the property destruction. “Our routes are scheduled and publicly posted. Often, we weren’t in an area we’ve been accused of damaging, and we follow a strict protocol if we come across personal items to ensure they are not discarded.”

Looking forward

“Once it’s built, we’ll be recruiting volunteers to teach trades, give cooking classes — that’s what I’m most excited about. Right now, and I hate sounding like a broken record, we need funding.” DeScala says the average cost per tiny home is $30,000. That price may drop due to support from the business community — Hartnagel Building Supply and Angeles Millwork have been generous in donating building materials. 4PA runs a “Tiny Home Tuesday” update on its Facebook page and recently announced that 80% of its 5th home has been funded.

“Come see what we do. If it isn’t for you, I get it. But if it’s something you believe in and support, and if you pledge to 4PA, that means I’m accountable to you. I want you to get a return on your investment. I grew up here, and I know how good PA can be. I’m doing this for you and our community.”

If you’d like to learn more about 4PA or donate, visit their website at www.4PA.org. Their mailing address is 4PA, PO Box 25, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email info@4pa.org.

Last week, subscribers were asked which transportation projects WSDOT should prioritize. Of 237 votes, 1% chose replacing culverts, 11% chose installing roundabouts, and 88% chose repairing Highway 112.

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“Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.” — Clay Shirky

The term “homeless industrial complex” refers to a network of organizations, including government agencies, non-profits, and private contractors, that are involved in addressing homelessness but may also perpetuate it due to the financial incentives involved — and it appears to be gaining a foothold in Clallam County.

On Tuesday, the County Commissioners unanimously decided to award an additional $2 million to Peninsula Behavioral Health (PBH) for a new facility that will provide luxurious amenities such as a rooftop terrace, community room, and dog washing station to homeless residents at a cost of over $350,000 per unit.

The new facility in Port Angeles is for people who are coping with addiction, those who are frequently incarcerated, and people who are told “it’s time to move out” by their parents. PBH, the agency that will own and manage the permanent supportive housing, says these facilities are successful when no one moves out or is evicted.

Here’s how the homeless industrial complex usually works:

1. Funding and Development: Public money is allocated to build housing projects for the homeless, such as “permanent supportive housing.”

2. Bureaucracy: Cities and counties collect building fees and hire bureaucrats for oversight.

3. Nonprofits and Contractors: These projects are handed off to nonprofits with long-term contracts to run them. However, the people staffing these shelters often operate within large bureaucratic structures with significant overhead costs.

Critics argue that this system can lead to inefficiencies and high costs, with much of the funding going towards administrative expenses rather than directly helping the homeless.

It’s a bit like a hamster wheel — lots of activity, but not necessarily much progress.

Every person struggling with addiction or seeking housing has a dollar sign hovering over them. Once their path toward independence is found, sometimes through temporary or transitional housing, that dollar sign is replaced with their self-reliance. With permanent supportive housing, clients can be a conduit to fund the agency’s drivers, therapists, peer support specialists, case managers, admins, billing specialists, and CEO for years.

According to ProPublica, in 2022, PBH had over $16 million in revenue and $15.7 million in expenses. CEO Wendy Sisk received $250,967 in compensation (up nearly 6% from $237,271 the previous year). Executive compensation was almost $900,000 for top-tier positions, and other salaries and wages were $8.5 million. Employee compensation accounted for 60% of the agency’s total expenses.

The IRS Form 990 shows that 184 employees worked at PBH — almost the same number of employees who lost their jobs at the McKinley Paper Mill last week. While private, tax-generating enterprises may not be lucrative in Clallam County, government-provided social and welfare services are a burgeoning economy feeding off taxpayers.

Billions of dollars have been dumped into solving homelessness in the Seattle area over the last decade, but the problem has only worsened. That model is sustainable, with tax-generating companies like Amazon and Starbucks pumping dollars into King County’s economy. However, in Clallam County, the biggest employer is a failing hospital. The second largest job creator is a tax-exempt Tribe. Many other top employers are closing, moving, or furloughing. The tax generators in our County’s sluggish economy aren’t businesses; they’re the residents, and we’re being asked to pick up the slack more and more.

On Tuesday, several residents gave public comments about the proposed $12.75 million facility. No one said that homeless residents and those battling addiction should go without help; people were adamant about their desire to help those in crisis. Concerns were voiced about allowing drugs and alcohol in the new facility (which is described as “not exclusively dry”), and they were also critical of the cost. The commissioners were asked to pause and review the project before handing another $2 million over to PBH, but the resolution was passed.

We’ll soon see if revenue can keep up with the County’s appetite for spending. The preliminary budget for 2025 was just released and will be discussed over the next several months.

This was one of several public comments given on Tuesday:

A year ago, the Board of Commissioners faced the 2024 budget with a $2 million deficit for the first time. There was no discussion of how the Commissioners reached such a budget shortfall, but now we know that the Board is often guided by ideology and false information instead of policy — the millions of taxpayer dollars needlessly spent during the Towne Road scandal is a prime example.

After giving Peninsula Behavioral Health $2 million for a housing project, the commissioners are considering $2 million more. However, the agency has a troubled history of tax dollar stewardship. Their last housing project, Dawn View Court, was estimated to cost $140,000 per unit, but when it opened last year, the final cost ballooned by 37% to $192,000 per unit. The proposed “Northview” project is estimated to cost over $350,000 per apartment before construction has begun. Taxpayers are being asked to fund many amenities they do not have themselves. Northview will have:

• A community room that walks out onto a 4th-floor rooftop terrace.

• A 34-panel solar array and EV charging station to meet energy code.

• $15,000 will be spent per unit to add air conditioning.

• Heat-pump water heaters will be installed instead of the traditional, cheaper variety.

• Broadband internet.

• Covered parking.

• A smoking shelter.

• Dog walking areas and a dog washing station.

• Large windows for expansive views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in this prime real estate location.

• Each unit will have a dishwashing machine because, according to CEO Wendy Sisk, her agency wants to “make it as easy as possible for people to be successful.”

This will be permanent supportive housing, meaning residents will stay as long as their income does not exceed a certain threshold. PBH says Dawn View Court is a successful model for permanent housing because there has been no tenant turnover or evictions in the past year—in other words, no one moved out of the program and became independent.

This is not an exclusively dry facility. Drug and alcohol use is permitted.

The commissioners’ first tenet in their mission statement reads, “Putting the translated desires of our residents into action.” Yet, their emails about this housing project seem more like a sales pitch than an attempt to listen to residents' desires. The commissioners serve the people who pay them, not the agencies that ask for taxpayer money.

The budget for this project has become irresponsible and frivolous. The closing of the McKinley Paper Mill is estimated to cause $1.1 million in lost tax revenue. Commissioner Ozias has taken an anti-business, anti-job stance against private enterprise in his district with the Happy Valley Gravel Pit. Tax-generating employers are disappearing, taxable land is being absorbed into Tribal Trust Land, and the burden of embracing a welfare state is increasingly falling on the residents.

Being generous is easy when it’s someone else’s money, but when taxpayers are forced to subsidize $350,000 per apartment for luxury living, the Board of Commissioners will bankrupt this county before it helps people find a path to stability.

Jeff Tozzer, Sequim

Clallam Economic Development Council (EDC) Director Colleen McAleer summoned an impressive group: Union leaders, McKinley's General Manager, development leaders, an economist, a mill supplier, the Olympic Workforce Development Council, Peninsula College, the Chamber of Commerce, self-employment specialists, the State's Labor Council, the Mayor of Port Angeles, Social and Health Services, a State Representative, and a congressman's aide.

Clallam County may not communicate regularly with industry heads, and it may not be the best at nurturing struggling businesses, but area leaders can write the textbook on how to triage and begin cleaning up once top employers pull the plug and leave town.

Mckinley's General Manager, Kevin Scott, said he was surprised to learn of Mexico-based parent company Bio Pappel's decision to shutter the mill on Ediz Hook. He said the decision was based on energy and transportation costs.  "We were all pretty shocked last week when the corporation announced that, based on economics, their plan was to idle the mill."

Scott explained that in a world increasingly reliant on packaging, he was hopeful the mill would see a resurgence, especially since the mill produces "void fill" for Amazon — the crinkled strips of brown paper inside boxes that keep smaller packages from shifting.  Scott said the mill is a little over 100 years old and that most of the equipment is aging, inefficient, and not designed for the grade of product they make. "The mill has been unprofitable for a while," admitted Scott, hopeful that it will reopen when market conditions warrant.  

"It's a very tough thing. There are a lot of good people in the mill," said Scott, who signed his own layoff notice last week.  

John Fox, Union President, called the layoffs "a catastrophic event" for employees, their families, and the entire community. He said that the company's code of ethics, which emphasizes respect, dignity, and trust, is without sincerity or merit. "Our local has worked tirelessly to pull this mill from the grave into full operation. We've all sacrificed so much to make this mill successful with little or no support from our owners."

Economist Dr. Dan Underwood ran through the numbers. The estimated employment income of the 193 positions is $16 million. An additional 151 supply chain jobs also rely on the mill, and that estimated labor income is over $11 million.  Direct and indirect income spent in the local economy generates $3.2 million and supports another 73 jobs.  That's a total of 418 jobs and over $31 million in lost labor income.  "It's a lot, it is significant," said Dr. Underwood.

The direct loss of taxes to County and City governments will be about $300,000.  When factoring in the loss of taxes related to the supply chain, it's just short of another $500,000.  An additional $320,000 of taxes will be lost in the general economy.  A total of $1.1 million in tax revenue to the county and City of Port Angeles will be lost.

Trucking operator Bill Hermann's statement to local leaders crystalized the ripple effect on the local economy. He spoke on behalf of Hermann Brothers, which transports much of McKinley's products and supplies. Hermann expects his trucking company will have to cut 30 to 35 jobs, which amounts to over $3 million in payroll annually, plus benefits. Herman said, "It was quite a blow" when he heard the news last week.

"The Peninsula is an island, and we are at the tail end of it," said Hermann.  He explained that it's important to be efficient when operating a remote business, and he thought the mill and trucking company were doing a good job of that.  Hermann said that if the "idle down" lasts six months or a year, "we're going to have to start over again.  And then they [the workers] are going to have to ask the question, is it worth it to start over again?  It's not a pretty picture."

"Another thing," said Hermann in closing.  "I've gotta get my one-liner in.  The one thing we want everyone to remember is that we are a 'one-road community.'  Please, no roundabouts on our one road." 

Washington State DOT recently announced plans for six roundabouts between Sequim and Port Angeles.

In an email sent to region leaders, Bruch and Bruch Construction Project Manager Sean Coleman shared additional insight. He said every truck on the Peninsula costs about $2 per minute which contributes to the cost of all goods coming in and out of Port Angeles.  He added that "culvert construction and the thought of roundabouts is going to get a lot worse... Pretty sure Bill Hermann has been saying this, but WSDOT and our State Reps won’t listen."

Representative Mike Chapman was listening online and acknowledged that the loss of jobs is devastating.  He touted his many achievements in Olympia that have helped the paper industry over the past years.  According to Chapman, he has sponsored many bills, tax exemptions, policies, and legislation that have helped bulk and paper mills.

Chapman did not mention his recent support for removing 3,000 acres of DNR managed land near Port Angeles from the timber harvest schedule.

Chapman, a former Clallam County Commissioner, said, "One of the lines I've used in Olympia, and I'm reluctant to share it with all of you, but many people will say that I've used this line, is that if the day comes that a mill closes in my district, I don't want this job anymore."

Mike Chapman is currently running for state senate (see below).

Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter called the mill closure "unfortunate” and said she is committed to providing as much as she can for city residents in the form of a "utility assistance package." 

In May, Mayor Dexter visited the Commissioners' boardroom and requested that they write a letter of support for transferring timber parcels off the harvest schedule and into the City's management. These working forests help fund schools, libraries, and emergency services but she provided no alternative to bridge that funding gap. The timber from those parcels also supports jobs in Mayor Dexter’s city.

The parcel transfer application, completed by Mayor Dexter and City Manager Nathan West, asked if there was any known opposition to removing the parcels from the harvest schedule. Mayor Dexter and Manager West, co-leaders of a city with four mills that employ hundreds of residents, answered, "There is no known opposition."

One tax-funded nongovernmental agency, the North Olympic Development Council (NODC), whose stated mission is "empowering the North Olympic Peninsula to pursue and invest in its own economic and environmental destiny" wasn't introduced at the meeting. Still, its president, Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias, attended and didn't say a word during the discussion.  If the $50 million "Recompete" federal grant for economically distressed regions is awarded to Clallam and Jefferson counties, Ozias' organization stands to receive 17% ($8.5 million) of those funds. The NODC plans to spend those funds on training and hiring grant writers for area Tribes.  

Monday's necropsy of the mill lasted nearly two hours. Leaders backpedaled and brainstormed what measures could be taken to halt the shutdown or possibly shorten the idle time. Mill management emphasized that operations were ceasing, but the difficult task of reopening the mill may happen someday.  

Finally, the recently terminated Manager of Human Resources at McKinley Paper asked to join the discussion. She said something that hadn't been mentioned.  "The discussions that are happening here should have been happening long before McKinley came on.  They should have been happening when Dupont was here." 

As an example, she mentioned the "pipeline," an aging two-and-a-half-mile pipe that transports water from the city to the mill site.  The large pipe beside Marine Drive has sprung 11 leaks in the last year and requires $4 million in upgrades.

Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter was quick to point out that, according to the lease, the mill is responsible for those upgrades. That won't be an issue now that the mill is closing, but Mayor Dexter may have solved her city's water shortage problems.

The Human Resources Manager closed with advice to prevent this from happening again:  "Get engaged, get involved, push the envelope, ask the hard questions." She also asked why the parent company, Bio Pappel, wasn't at the meeting.

EDC Executive Director Colleen McAleer said, "We'll definitely reach out to them.  I will see if we can have some conversations."

People’s Forum

July 18th is the next candidate discussion at the Fairview Grange. Marcia Kelbon and Mike Chapman are both running for State Senate.

Last fall, the City of Port Angeles requested that over 3,000 acres of timberland managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) remain unharvested and be transferred to City management to protect its municipal water supply. In the City’s application, Manager Nathan West explained that sustaining a water supply has been challenging since removing the dams.

At Tuesday's work session, Mayor Dexter asked Commissioners Johnson and French to withdraw a letter that expressed the commissioners’ support for DNR placing those timber parcels on the harvest schedule.

Currently, the City of Port Angeles has not formulated a management plan for the 3,089 acres it is requesting to oversee, but that isn't the only criticism County leaders have.  Those parcels are part of a junior taxing district that has generated considerable revenue for Clallam County and is expected to generate more.  As a junior taxing district, part of the timber revenue would support our county's hospitals, fire districts, libraries, pools, and schools.  

One beneficiary of that timber revenue, the Port Angeles School District, faced a $5 million funding gap last year.  This spring, Port Angeles students missed a week of class due to a para-educator strike that sought a wage increase.  With enrollment declining and wages rising, local schools are stretching dollars.

In a growing trend on the Olympic Peninsula, City of Port Angeles leaders are requesting a “pause” in deciding the timber parcels’ fate. The recent Elwha Power Plant sale was paused and eventually canceled; before that, the Aldwell timber sale was contested.  According to the county’s Revenue Advisory Committee, the past two years of delayed timber sales have impacted nearly $4,000,000 in revenue for the County and junior taxing districts.

DNR has proven to be a responsible manager of forests in our state. The agency has restored fish barriers, developed trail networks like the Olympic Adventure Trail, and supplied forest products that are manufactured locally by companies like Interfor, Evergreen Fiber, and Port Angeles Hardwood. 

Two Port Angeles sawmills purchase raw materials from DNR harvests to manufacture local lumber. Homes built with locally sourced materials not only lower transportation emissions but also combat already high housing costs compared to imported lumber.  Locally sourced lumber could play an important role with proposed housing developments on the horizon, like the 194 homes intended for Carlsborg, the 97 homes planned south of Sequim, and the 600-home development proposed for Sequim Bay.

The City's proposal that 3,000+ acres remain unharvested represents about 1.5% of the entire Elwha River watershed area.  The map below shows the Elwha Watershed (grey) and the 3,089 disputed acres (red).

In 2018, an environmental consultant group produced a Water Systems Plan for the City of Port Angeles that acknowledged ongoing timber harvest in the watershed will not threaten the water supply.

The report goes on to say that the removal of the Elwha Dams is likely to contribute to water shortages and reduce groundwater.

The City of Port Angeles has not presented any data showing that harvesting the parcels would decrease the city’s water supply. However, the forested parcels draw groundwater and transpire moisture that would otherwise run into the Elwha River watershed. Harvesting the parcels would likely increase the Elwha’s water supply — there seems to be no link between logging and decreased water in the Elwha River.

Needing lumber without wanting timber harvests is like last year’s successful attempt by one commissioner and county employee to thwart the reopening of a gravel pit in a county that needs gravel. Timber harvests and gravel pits have something else in common: they provide family-wage jobs in an economically depressed county. Those wages support our local economy when workers buy lunch at Country Aire in Port Angeles, animal feed at Agnew Grocery, and flowers at Leppell’s in Forks. 

Randy Bartelt, a log buyer for Port Angeles Hardwood, says our local economy still depends on the timber industry. “We produce high-quality hardwood lumber for distribution throughout the world,” Bartelt explained. He said that 72% of their product goes to North America while the remaining 28% is exported to China and Vietnam.

“We employ 91 full-time employees at our facility in Port Angeles, and we have yearly wages and benefits in excess of six million dollars,” Bartelt told the Revenue Advisory Committee. “This year, our property taxes for Clallam County are now over $418,000. We are dependent on the continued operation of the lands close to our mill for us to stay competitive in a global environment.” Bartelt informed the Committee that the lack of affordable logs has already contributed to mills closing in Everett, South Bend, Arlington, Sedro-Woolley, Chehalis, and Longview.

In 2020, the Port of Port Angeles commissioned a report on the timber industry. The report concluded that the forest product industry had one of the highest job multipliers of any sector in Clallam County. The sector sustained 665 living-wage jobs that earned a monthly income 32% above the county’s average. Each of those jobs supported an additional 856 jobs, for a total of 1,521 jobs. The report found that the industry was the largest source of external revenues to the County, with $144 million in 2017.

When Port Angeles applied for the parcels to be transferred to city management, it was asked if there was any known opposition to the transfer. City Manager Nathan West stated there wasn’t, but he acknowledged junior taxing districts would lose revenue. He justified the lost revenue by explaining that “most of those districts depend on the long-term protection of the Elwha River water supply for their viability.”

The City’s application for the transfer called the loss of jobs “temporary” and the lack of timber revenue as “short term.” The City of Port Angeles is not a direct recipient of these parcels’ junior taxing district funds.

Our county's economy is on life support. Clallam's GDP is treading water while Jefferson County and Washington State outpace us.  Local government leaders must understand that a “pause” on harvesting timber is a pause on money for schools, hospitals, pools, and emergency services. It’s also a pause on jobs and small businesses that generate our taxes. Leaders must decide whether our region will be one of “producers” who benefit from participating in a prosperous economy or one of “consumers” who subsist on grant dollars, government salaries, and handouts.

We’ve sent a message to businesses considering timber harvesting in our County: We might not let you harvest that timber as we agreed. That’s what happened to the Elwha Power Plant timber sale when environmental groups sued the DNR. That property became part of 2,000 acres across five counties that were moved into conservancy funded by the cap-and-trade program for carbon emissions. Friend of Clallam County Watchdog, Brandi Kruse, covered this on [un]Divided when she interviewed Heath Heikkila of the American Forest Research Council [timestamp 18:45].

Unless a plan is developed to build homes without lumber, preventing responsible timber harvests on the Peninsula encourages irresponsible harvesting practices elsewhere. That approach will drive up costs and contribute to the housing affordability crisis.

During Tuesday’s work session, Commissioner French asked Mayor Dexter, "What convinced you that logging activity was impacting the water supply?"

"Nothing convinced us,” admitted Mayor Dexter. “We said we have concerns that it might, and we'd like you to pause long enough for us to evaluate it," she continued.  "This parcel is really close to the Elwha watershed."  Dexter was frustrated that DNR had not communicated with the city apart from one “condescending” email.

Commissioner French countered Mayor Dexter. "People start with an assumption that logging damages the water source — not well founded; science doesn't support that," he said. "Your own water plan says industrial logging has had no impact. The County has discussed this with DNR and determined there is no threat, and logging could increase water quantity into the river. I'm not at all convinced that the logging activity has any impact on the water source."  French further explained that the parcel is high-performing and perfectly situated near local mills.   

Mayor Dexter disagrees with the DNR's assessment: "I don't expect DNR to listen to other scientists, but I think it is — I'm not — I don't know what it would take to convince me, but I also find it frustrating that you all got that communication when we were asking for it and we didn't get it."  

Commissioner Johnson explained that some studies might be found to support Dexter’s theory, “But I see most of them don't believe that this would affect your water supply at all."  Johnson explained that the trust land transfer, the vehicle by which the city has requested management of the parcels, simply does not apply to this situation.  Trust land transfers are reserved for underperforming forests, not prime timberland near mills.  "The trust land transfer process just does not meet the criteria that you came forward with," said Commissioner Johnson.

Both County Commissioners declined to withdraw their letter supporting DNR’s intent to harvest the parcels. They also declined to take a neutral stance; however, they agreed to ask DNR to include the City of Port Angeles in future communications about forests near their water supply.

"If you're going to say 'no' to everything else, a willingness to include that would be appreciated," said Mayor Dexter.

Note: Port Angeles Mayor Kate Dexter is currently running for the Clallam County Commissioner District 2 seat against current County Commissioner Randy Johnson.