Photo: Overhead view of proposed site for joint EOC/911 center along Lauridsen Boulevard near Fairchild Airport
PORT ANGELES — Clallam County and Port Angeles city officials are scrambling to secure at least $3 million each to complete a joint public safety facility. The project, which will house the county’s emergency operations center and the regional 911 dispatch center, is estimated to cost nearly $30 million. However, the city and county have only secured about $14.3 million in funding so far.
At a joint meeting this week, county and city officials discussed the challenges of meeting the financial demands. Despite securing land near the airport, which is considered seismically stable, the project faces significant cost hurdles, particularly in site development.
County and city staff are exploring ways to reduce costs, including delaying some aspects of the project. Sheriff Brian King and other officials are reviewing detailed cost estimates to determine what can be scaled back.
“We have a pretty detailed cost estimate that’s itemized. We’re looking at what features we could potentially remove from the project. I believe this core group that’s been working on the project can scale this down within a couple of weeks. We are beholden to OAC and how quickly they can come back with an accurate cost estimate. It’s just a matter of working with our design architect, making sure they’re responsive and understand we’re working under a deadline,” said King.
County Administrator Todd Mielke cautioned that the project is on a tight timeline, with key grants expiring in 2025 and 2026.
“Looking at the funding that has been secured and awarded so far, I think the most time-sensitive one is the FEMA grant, which needs to be expended by April 2026. To do that, OAC has told us we need to have a completed bid document ready by the end of June this year to lock down and start. As we moved through detailed design and realized we couldn’t meet the June 30 deadline, we asked, ‘What’s the absolute latest?’ They said if we get beyond September, there’s no way we can provide you with bid documents by February or March, and you won’t meet your timelines,” said Mielke.
Council and county officials have passed a resolution to prepare a funding plan by mid-September, though the exact amount needed remains uncertain.