Port Angeles City Council

**Rob Roscow, WCIA, on municipal liability:** "That's $59 million in two weeks. That's why government agencies are not a very glamorous risk. And realistically that's why costs have skyrocketed because of those type of settlements and verdicts that come down." **Rob Roscow on acting collectively versus individually:** "There's some really good defenses and immunities when you're acting as a legislative body as a whole. It's when you step outside of that and start acting as an individual elected official... When you start acting as an individual, you can start creating a little bit more of an exposure." **Colleen Robinson, Habitat, on foreclosure rate:** "Zero on the foreclosures? Zero on foreclosures, we have not foreclosed. We have... out of the 42 homes that we have done, there have been zero foreclosures." **Captain Crystal, Salvation Army, on serving clients:** "Sometimes it's just loving the unlovable, which is what we do a lot here. We love the unlovable, sometimes no words ar

# Port Angeles City Council Faces the Weight of Coverage Limits and Community Compassion ## Meeting Overview On February 17, 2026, the Port Angeles City Council convened for what began as a routine evening but transformed into a sobering examination of risk, liability, and the human faces of homelessness. The council chambers hosted two distinct sessions: first, a special meeting featuring a stark presentation from Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) about the escalating costs and exposures facing municipal governments, followed by the regular council meeting with presentations from three organizations working on different aspects of the homelessness crisis. The juxtaposition proved striking—one speaker warning of $59 million in liability judgments in Seattle over just two weeks, followed by others describing the daily reality of serving meals to 60 people and cleaning up 400,000 pounds of debris from abandoned encampments. Deputy Mayor Carr was absent due to illness, leaving six council members to absorb both the financial realities of governing and the moral imperatives of serving the community's most vulnerable residents. ## Insurance Reality Check: When $20 Million May Not Be Enough Rob Roscow, Deputy Director of WCIA, delivered an unflinching assessment of the liability landscape facing Port Angeles and other Washington municipalities. His presentation, part of a mandatory council training, painted a picture of an insurance market in crisis and a state legal environment increasingly hostile to local governments. "We provide $20 million in liability coverage for the city of Port Angeles, their employees, their elected officials, and volunteers, as long as you're acting within the course of scope of your duties for the city," Roscow explained. "The big question is how much do you need? And that's a tough one." The answer, based on recent Seattle cases, suggested that even $20 million might not be sufficient. "I just read, I think it was last week, City of Seattle had $30 million for a lawsuit for failure to render aid for an individual that was shocked during the chop protests. They didn't shoot the individual, they just didn't provide services because they couldn't get in there safely to provide those services. Then there was a $29 million or $28 million for the individual that was hitting the crosswalk... That's $59 million in two weeks." Roscow traced the dramatic escalation in reinsurance costs that WCIA faces. "My costs went upwards of 700% in ten years. I used to pay $0.05 per worker hour, now it's over $0.41 per worker hour for per hundred dollars of reported claims or worker hours. That's staggering." The insurance executive emphasized that Washington State had become nearly uninsurable for liability coverage. "I went to Lloyd's London... I talk to them about liability, and you think Lloyd's and London may cover everything, right? Nope, they would not offer me any sort of reinsurance coverage for liability. They want to attach a $60 million. They said your state is too hectic. We don't understand it and we can't underwrite it for a profit." Council Member Hamilton asked whether smaller cities face different risk profiles than Seattle. Roscow's response was sobering: "You'll have increased risks because of the scope of services that are being provided, but the damages can be the same. That's the hard part." He shared the example of Steilacoom, a small city that faced a $15 million claim after a 14-year-old drowned during a supervised recreation program when staff left children unattended for just seven minutes while making a second ferry trip. When asked about rate structures, Roscow explained that WCIA rates members based on worker hours as the exposure base, with modification factors applied based on loss history. "If you're above one, you're bad or you're worse than average, I shouldn't say bad. We don't have bad members, we just have bad losses." The presentation included extensive warnings about council conduct, particularly around personnel issues, quasi-judicial proceedings, and public statements. Roscow emphasized the importance of the city's use of a hearing examiner: "Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't tell you enough, there are still agencies out there where the council's acting in a quasi judicial capacity, and that's a huge exposure for us because of appearance of fairness doctrine." He cautioned against council members making statements that could later be used against the city in litigation. "I had one council member in open session that he does not like traffic circles. So he refers to his roundabout as the circle of death. Routinely and public session. It's not the circle of death, it's a fine roundabout, but because he's using that terminology, if someone's then injured going around that roundabout, you think I'm gonna have a problem and that's not gonna be used against that city for his opinion over that traffic circle." ## Building Hope One Home at a Time: Habitat for Humanity's Track Record Following the insurance presentation and a brief recess, City Manager Nathan West introduced the first of three speakers addressing homelessness—part of a series of presentations requested by council in preparation for an April 7 work session on the topic. Colleen Robinson from Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County presented an overview of the organization's 35-year history and current projects in Port Angeles. She detailed the completion of the Catchem Veteran Cottages, a four-unit development at 4017 Fair Mount Avenue that has struggled to find qualified veteran applicants despite Clallam County having the highest veteran population in Washington State. "Of the 30 counties in Washington state, Clallam County has the highest population of veterans," Robinson explained. "That said, there have been some challenges in finding qualified willing veterans to fill these four units. At this time we have two family partners and we will be moving in, that will be moving in as soon as we receive gave the certificate of occupancy." Robinson addressed common misconceptions about Habitat's model: "Habitat homes are free. Homes are not given away." She explained that families complete detailed applications and undergo blind selection by the board of directors, with need typically being the deciding factor. "The last home selection process at Milomy Heights, we received 25 applications for one home. Not all met the criteria, but the majority were from families living in a travel trailer on family or friends property." Council Member Miller asked about the housing continuum and whether Habitat serves people coming directly from homelessness. Robinson clarified: "If you think of housing as a continuum homelessness as at this end and homeownership is at this end, and we are more this end... I have not, in my experience, taken someone from homelessness to owning a home. It's a process they travel through." Council Member Schwab, who disclosed his non-voting board membership with Habitat, asked about foreclosure rates. Robinson's response was striking: "Zero on foreclosures, we have not foreclosed. We have... out of the 42 homes that we have done, there have been zero foreclosures." She explained that Habitat works with families who fall behind, extending mortgages or restructuring payments rather than foreclosing. The organization has adapted its financing model over the years. "That was the original model to habitat," Robinson explained regarding zero-interest mortgages. "When Millerd and Linda Fullers started 50 years ago, they would raise money for a house, they would build the house, they would give a zero interest 40 year, 30 year mortgage. That's when you could build a house for $30,000. You can't build a house for $30,000." Now Habitat partners with third-party lenders, including a USDA program that has been "a game changer for us... we went from one house every twelve to 18 months to seven houses in three years." Robinson also detailed the acquisition and cleanup of a neighboring blighted property. "So we pursued the owner that was no longer living there. However, there were many squatters and people on the property that made all of the neighbors very concerned for their safety and the safety of their property." The cleanup revealed the extent of the problem: "I think there were six vehicles, there was a boat, there were three buildings. The home had been partially burned out. We took out two, five gallon, the water jugs filled with methamphetamines out of the whole site." ## Feeding Bodies and Souls: Salvation Army's Daily Mission Captain Crystal from the Salvation Army provided a more intimate look at daily services for Port Angeles' homeless population. With only four staff members—herself, an admin, and two temporary positions for cook and janitor—the organization serves approximately 60 meals per day, five days a week. "Anyone is welcome to come into our meal program. It's not just for our unhoused friends, it's for everyone. If you just need a meal for the day, it's it's open for anybody to come in there. But yes, I will say that we mostly serve our unhoused community," Crystal explained. The Salvation Army's services extend beyond meals. "During breakfast time, we also partner with a lot of our other resources... we open up our showers in the morning during breakfast time, so our unhoused friends can come in and take a shower. We could do up to about nine or ten a day depending. Sometimes we get none and sometimes we will get nine or ten." Crystal emphasized the human dimension of the work, sharing "unhoused wisdom" gained from eight years of service. "One thing that I love to get across to people is that they are people. They are people just like you and just like I, and so one of the most important things that I've learned in my eight years of working with our unhoused friends, is building that relationship." She described the transformation she witnesses: "If you were down there to see somebody go into the shower and come back out, it's a whole different world... they feel clean and they're ready to go out for the day. It's a beautiful site to see." Council Member Miller asked about demographic trends. Crystal responded: "It's kind of all over the board. I would say we have our young folks that we have like I've been seeing some really young kids come in like 18,19, maybe 20. I also have seen a lot of our older people come in... it really is just anyone and everyone." The organization recorded impressive service numbers: approximately 11,000 meals served, about 2,000 units distributed through their food pantry, and 468 showers provided. Their Christmas Angel Tree program assisted 146 families with 344 children, distributing nearly 200 grocery gift cards. Council Member Dogs asked about building utilization and expansion possibilities. Crystal revealed significant infrastructure challenges: "I don't have any plumbing in the chapel because that building is, you know, over a hundred years old... The brown building has plumbing, but downstairs, there's no bathrooms down there. It got cleaned out. It got demolished basically." Despite these limitations, Crystal has a vision for expansion: "What I would like to see in the future is having a, like afterschool program down there in that area. That's what my vision is... we don't have anything for the kids at all down there." ## The Cleanup Challenge: Four PA's Environmental Perspective Joe Descala from Four PA brought a different perspective to the homelessness discussion, focusing on environmental impact and cleanup operations. Over four and a half years, his organization has removed more than 400,000 pounds of garbage from abandoned encampments, working six days a week on city-owned property. "In Tom Water Creek alone, we average about 1,500 pounds of garbage removed every single week. 1,920 pounds today actually. If we stop tomorrow, the accumulation would continue at this rate," Descala reported. He distinguished between different types of homeless encampments and behaviors: "Not every single person that lives outside is the same... There are individuals that are extremely self aware, they're doing their best not to disrupt the community. They take on what they need. They keep their areas relatively clean and tidy and really they're not causing any harm for all intents and purposes." However, Descala emphasized that "the real strain on our community comes from a population of people engaged in highly destructive behavior. This behavior is more often than not tied to heavy drug use and addiction... These same individuals have been approached repeatedly by outreach teams, offered services that are actually available in Port Angeles, yet continue behaviors to create really significant damage to public spaces, businesses, and environmentally sensitive areas." The scale of contamination was stark: "We've collected more than 31,000 needles in the last four years. Most sites include lots of drug paraphernalia that's clearly marked from our harm reduction center. There's a lot of human waste, rotting food, moldy clothing, lots of signs of rat infestation." Descala criticized current response timelines, citing a hillside encampment where "from the first report back in September... it was roughly four months until a resolution actually took place. During that time, the individual... carved into a sensitive protected hillside cut down trees, and these are no other actions that no other resident would be allowed to do without permits or permission." His proposal centered on implementing a structured reporting and response protocol similar to those used by other cities. "A site visit would occur within 48 hours by a city appointed official. Encampments would be ranked on a public health and safety scale to determine urgency... Outreach would be the next to respond offering services and relocation options." Descala even suggested a specific candidate for the city official role: "I actually have somebody in mind who would be perfect for the city appointed official. He is an employee of mine who lives at the touchstone campus... Find some money, pay him a living wage salary, which would allow him to move out of the touchstone campus into his own place." Council Member Hutchinson asked about Four PA's relationship with other organizations. Descala explained their exclusive partnership with OPCC: "We've actually signed kind of an exclusive MOU with OPCC to be our referral agent for those people coming into the touchstone campus... everybody who's in place with the touchstone campus, one of the requirements is that they have a caseworker assigned to them, and that caseworker comes from OPCC." When Council Member Schwab asked about criticisms Four PA had faced, Descala emphasized transparency: "All of our cleanups are open to any volunteers. We've utilized close to 500 volunteers in our four years... We wear the brightest orange jackets and vests you can possibly think of and we work in broad daylight and our trucks say four PA on them, and huge letters and so I mean if I was out committing crimes, doing things that were unwarranted or illegal, that would probably be the worst way to do it." Council Member Dogs asked about preventing accumulation of materials at camps. Descala acknowledged the challenge: "When you're steeped in an addiction cycle, you just, the first priority is not putting the trash in the trash bag. But we try to do the very best that we can." He suggested that organizations could audit their distribution practices to reduce potential waste. ## Consent Agenda and Routine Business The regular council meeting began with the excusal of Deputy Mayor Carr due to illness. The consent agenda, approved unanimously, included routine items such as meeting minutes, expenditure reports totaling $354,459.07, various utility easements, professional services agreements, and material purchases. City Manager West added a utility easement agreement with the Port of Port Angeles to the consent agenda. ## Looking Ahead: More Presentations and April Work Session City Manager West outlined the remaining presentation schedule, with additional organizations scheduled for March 3 (county homelessness task force, Clallam County Harm Reduction program, and Peninsula Behavioral Health) and March 17 (Serenity House, TAPFY, Peninsula Housing Authority, Waterfront District, and OPCC). Churches have also been invited but have not yet responded. The presentations are building toward a comprehensive work session on April 7, where council will use the gathered information to discuss policy approaches to homelessness in Port Angeles. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting concluded shortly after 9:00 PM with council having absorbed both sobering financial realities and inspiring examples of community service. The insurance presentation served as a stark reminder that every policy decision carries potential long-term financial consequences, while the homelessness presentations revealed both the challenges and the compassionate responses already underway in the community. The contrast between WCIA's warnings about escalating liability costs and the direct service providers' daily work with vulnerable populations highlighted the complex balance council must strike between fiscal responsibility and community care. As they prepare for additional presentations and the April work session, council members face the challenge of developing policies that protect both the city's financial stability and its residents' wellbeing. The evening demonstrated that governance in Port Angeles—as in many communities—requires navigating between the harsh mathematics of insurance premiums and legal judgments on one side, and the human mathematics of meals served, beds provided, and pounds of debris cleaned on the other. Both represent real costs and real consequences for a community wrestling with how to address homelessness while managing its exposure to the increasingly expensive reality of municipal liability.

### Meeting Overview The Port Angeles City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, preceded by a special presentation from the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA). The meeting focused on presentations from three organizations addressing homelessness and housing issues in the community. ### Key Terms and Concepts **WCIA (Washington Cities Insurance Authority):** A public interlocal government agency created in 1981 by nine cities to provide insurance services to municipal agencies. Unlike for-profit insurance companies, WCIA is owned and controlled by its member cities. **Joint and Several Liability:** A legal doctrine in Washington State where if multiple parties are found at fault and the injured party is fault-free, any defendant found even 1% at fault can be held responsible for 100% of the damages. **Executive Session:** A closed meeting where city council can discuss certain confidential matters like pending litigation, real estate transactions, or collective bargaining. All discussions must remain confidential. **Development Agreement:** A contract between a city and developer that allows flexibility beyond normal code requirements in exchange for additional benefits. Unlike tort claims, breaches are typically not covered by municipal insurance. **Quasi-Judicial Role:** When a city council acts like a judge in making decisions on permits or appeals, requiring impartiality and decisions based only on the official record. **Area Median Income (AMI):** The midpoint household income for a geographic area, used to determine eligibility for affordable housing programs. Habitat for Humanity serves families at 60% or 80% below AMI. **Encampment Response Protocol:** A systematic approach to addressing homeless camps that includes reporting, site assessment, outreach, and enforcement with clear timelines and responsibilities. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kate Dexter | Mayor | | Council Member Hamilton | City Council | | Council Member Hotchson | City Council | | Council Member Miller | City Council | | Council Member Schwab | City Council | | Council Member Dogs | City Council | | Nathan West | City Manager | | William Bloor | City Attorney | | Rob Roscow | Deputy Director, WCIA | | Colleen Robinson | Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County | | Captain Crystal | Salvation Army Port Angeles | | Joe Descala | Four PA | | Scott Sherart | Director of Public Works & Utilities | ### Background Context This meeting was part of the city council's preparation for a detailed work session on homelessness scheduled for April 7, 2026. The council requested presentations from various organizations to better understand the landscape of services and challenges before developing policy approaches. The presentations revealed a complex ecosystem of organizations each addressing different aspects of homelessness - from prevention and housing development to immediate services and environmental cleanup. The discussions highlighted tensions between compassionate service provision and community concerns about public health, safety, and environmental protection. ### What Happened — The Short Version The meeting began with an insurance training session where WCIA's deputy director warned council members about liability risks and proper conduct. The main portion featured three organizations presenting their approaches to homelessness: Habitat for Humanity discussed their affordable housing development including veteran-focused cottages, Salvation Army detailed their meal programs and emergency services with very limited staff, and Four PA described their environmental cleanup efforts while proposing a structured encampment response protocol. Each presentation revealed different facets of the homelessness challenge - housing solutions, immediate needs, and environmental impact - while council members asked questions about capacity, funding, and coordination between organizations. ### What to Watch Next - April 7, 2026: Comprehensive city council work session on homelessness - March 3, 2026: Presentations from county homelessness task force, harm reduction program, and Peninsula Behavioral Health - March 17, 2026: Presentations from Serenity House, Taffy, Housing Authority, Waterfront District, and OPCC - Development of potential encampment response protocol as proposed by Four PA ---

**Q:** What is WCIA and how is it different from a regular insurance company? **A:** Washington Cities Insurance Authority is a public interlocal agency created by cities in 1981. Unlike for-profit insurers, it's owned by member cities and doesn't operate for profit, just to cover costs. **Q:** How much liability coverage does WCIA provide for Port Angeles? **A:** $20 million in liability coverage for the city, employees, elected officials, and volunteers acting within the scope of their duties. **Q:** What has happened to WCIA's reinsurance costs over the past 10 years? **A:** They've increased 700%, going from $0.05 per worker hour to over $0.41 per worker hour per hundred dollars of claims. **Q:** What is joint and several liability in Washington State? **A:** If someone is injured and fault-free, and multiple parties are at fault, any party found even 1% responsible can be held liable for 100% of the damages. **Q:** What happened in the Susan Powell Cox case that cost the state $100 million? **A:** A father under court-ordered supervision murdered his two children and himself after CPS took the children to his home. The court ruled supervision didn't require taking them to his home. **Q:** How many homes has Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County completed and how many foreclosures have they had? **A:** They have completed 42 homes with zero foreclosures. They work with families to avoid foreclosure through mortgage modifications. **Q:** What are the Catch-Em Veteran Cottages? **A:** A four-plex built by Habitat for Humanity at 4017 Fair Mount Avenue, named after longtime employee Sarah Catch-Em to honor her family's military service. **Q:** How many staff members does the Salvation Army in Port Angeles have? **A:** Four total: Captain Crystal, one admin, one temporary cook, and one temporary janitor. **Q:** How many meals does the Salvation Army serve daily? **A:** Approximately 60 meals per day, totaling about 300 meals per week during their Monday-Friday breakfast and lunch programs. **Q:** What does Four PA's cleanup operation involve? **A:** They work six days a week removing garbage from abandoned encampments, averaging 1,500 pounds per week from Tumwater Creek alone and over 400,000 pounds total in four years. **Q:** What is Four PA's proposed encampment response protocol? **A:** A system with online reporting, 48-hour city response, ranking camps by public health risk, outreach services, and clear enforcement steps with defined timelines. **Q:** Who does Four PA recommend the city hire for encampment response? **A:** Dan, an employee of Four PA who lives at the Touchstone campus, is trained, knows all local camps, and is respected by the homeless population. **Q:** What qualification criteria does Habitat for Humanity use? **A:** Need (often including being house-burdened, doubled up, or in substandard housing), ability to pay an affordable mortgage, and willingness to partner in the process. **Q:** What services does the Salvation Army provide besides meals? **A:** Showers during breakfast (9-10 per day), Hope Market food pantry twice weekly, clothing distribution, summer camp for children, and seasonal assistance. **Q:** How many children did the Salvation Army serve through their Christmas Angel Tree program? **A:** 344 children aged 13 and under from 146 families, plus nearly 200 grocery store gift cards. **Q:** What is the Touchstone campus that Four PA operates? **A:** An 18-month transitional housing program where residents work with OPCC caseworkers and graduate after two years to move into permanent housing. **Q:** What environmental damage does Four PA document in encampments? **A:** Tree cutting, hillside carving, creek contamination, and activities that would require permits for regular residents but occur without oversight in unmanaged camps. **Q:** What partnerships help the Salvation Army provide services? **A:** They work with Peninsula Behavioral Health and Reflections for showers, receive government funding through TFAP and EFAP, and rely on local donors and foundations. **Q:** What was the most contaminated cleanup Four PA described? **A:** Over 31,000 needles collected in four years, plus human waste, rotting food, moldy clothing, rat infestations, and buckets used as toilets. **Q:** What is the timeline for Habitat for Humanity's homeownership process? **A:** From initial screening to purchasing can take 4-18 months depending on building timelines, contractors, and weather conditions. ---