Port Angeles City Council

**Sandra Klein, person in recovery:** "I did not get clean because my addiction was made comfortable. I got cleaned because someone drew a line for me when I couldn't draw one for myself." **Stacy Richards, person in recovery:** "Addiction is not interrupted by comfort and ease. It is interrupted by consequences, pain and accountability paired with treatment. Pain is the touchstone of growth." **Jenny Oppelt, harm reduction advocate:** "All people in our community deserve safety and dignity, and harm reduction does not treat drugs and drug use as a moral failing." **Wendy Sisk, Peninsula Behavioral Health CEO:** "Housing alone is not the solution. Treatment alone is not the solution. Navigation alone is not the solution. Stability happens when housing, readiness, and support work together." **Mayor Kate Dexter, on meeting purpose:** "This evening we have some presentations that are being made to us to help better understand the bigger picture in advance of a workshop session that w

# City Council Meeting Chronicles: International Women's Day and Homelessness Presentations ## Meeting Overview The Port Angeles City Council convened on March 3, 2026, for what became one of their most substantive meetings in recent memory—not for heated debate, but for the sheer breadth of information presented to inform future policy decisions. The meeting began with special recognition of International Women's Day and the ceremonial presentation of a police award, then transitioned into five comprehensive presentations about homelessness services, harm reduction, and infrastructure needs. Council members found themselves absorbing hours of data, stories, and policy options as they prepare for an April workshop session that could reshape how the city addresses camping and homelessness issues. What made this meeting notable was not just its length—stretching well past 9 PM—but the thoughtful, data-driven approach being taken to complex social issues. Rather than rushing to immediate solutions, the council chose to hear from multiple agencies and stakeholders, creating a foundation for informed decision-making ahead. ## International Women's Day Celebration Mayor Kate Dexter opened the evening by recognizing the contributions of women in city government and the broader community. Speaking to city employees gathered in the hallway before the formal meeting, she proclaimed March 8, 2026, as International Women's Day in Port Angeles, stating: "The women of the city of Port Angeles lead and inspire this organization by demonstrating strong communication, empathy, and inclusivity continuously leaving a lasting impact on their friends, colleagues, and community." The proclamation emphasized that "fundamental freedoms are interconnected. When opportunities for women are withheld, we all suffer. When women's lives are improved, we all gain." This recognition set a collaborative tone for the evening's discussions about community support services. ## Honoring a Retiring Federal Agent A significant portion of the ceremony was dedicated to honoring Susannah "Sanny" Lustig, a retiring National Park Service Special Agent who spent decades serving both federal and local law enforcement. Police Chief Brian Smith presented her with the police star, one of the department's highest awards, recognizing her 13 years of service on the Healthy Families board and her work as a child forensic interviewer. Chief Smith explained how Lustig had grown the National Park Service's victim assistance program from a basic function to a comprehensive support system: "Sandy's work prioritized victims in crime and helped give crime victims both is really important voice and a choice." Sarah McBride from Healthy Families added that Lustig's "hard work dedication to victims of crime has been immeasurable, and our community has been lucky to have her assisting our most vulnerable neighbors and friends." Lustig's response was characteristically humble: "I didn't expect to stay support Angeles my entire adulthood, and now that I've had the opportunity to travel across the country in my last couple of jobs, I have to say that this place is pretty special and there's absolutely nowhere I'd rather live and be a part of the community." ## The Peace Pole Partnership Representatives from Rotary Nor'Western and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe presented their collaborative peace pole project for Pebble Beach Park. Sean Simmons from Rotary and Carmen Watson Charles from the tribe explained how they selected eight languages to represent meaningful community connections. The Lower Elwha translation, provided by tribal elder Jamie Valadez, reads "Twatwi, Saatha Atza Yink," meaning "feel peace here in our home." Carmen Watson Charles emphasized the significance: "This honors the connection with our travel community members and celebrates the piece we are committed to help build in port Angeles, which we say Tweetson." The pole will be installed by the end of March, with a public dedication ceremony scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at 2 PM at Pebble Beach Park. The project represents the kind of cross-cultural partnership that the city hopes to see more of in addressing community challenges. ## Infrastructure Improvements at City Facilities Angie Estey from Trane Technologies provided detailed updates on energy efficiency projects at the senior center and fire hall, while outlining urgent needs at City Hall. The completed projects have achieved significant energy savings—the senior center now offsets 55,328 kWh annually, while the fire hall saves 26,638 kWh per year and $1,376 annually. City Hall presents a more concerning picture. The building's Energy Use Index of 76.3 is 41% higher than the state-mandated target of 54, potentially resulting in $87,000 in penalties if not addressed. Estey explained: "There's overheating in some areas, there's cold areas. I think last year people were I don't know I think it freezing at one point in the in the year last year, or maybe it was the year before, but it was very cold." The recommended improvements would reduce electrical consumption by 45% and energy use index to 40.2, well below the required target. The city has applied for grant funding, with applications due the day after the meeting. If successful, the project could proceed without significant city funding; if not, alternative financing through energy savings performance contracts remains an option. Council member Hodgson noted the carbon emissions reduction benefits: "This again helps us to acc it helps cause we're talking about so we're moving towards that and I think it's important that that we identify it, that it does reduce emissions reductions based on your calculations by 328431 pounds annually." ## Clallam County Homelessness Task Force Overview Christine Dunn, Behavioral Health and Homelessness Coordinator for Clallam County, provided a comprehensive overview of the county's funding streams and programs addressing homelessness. The presentation revealed both the scope of need and the complexity of the funding landscape. The county receives funding primarily through document recording fees—$183 per real estate transaction. Of this amount, 54% goes to state programs, while 30% remains with the county for local programs. Dunn explained that these revenues have declined significantly since 2021, though the state has provided supplemental funding to offset some losses. For the current two-year funding cycle (2025-2027), the county allocated $720,000 for homeless housing and assistance programs, receiving nine proposals requesting over $1.6 million. An additional $445,167 in supplemental funding from Washington Commerce helped close some of the gap. The county has funded diverse programs, from traditional shelter services to innovative approaches like Trinity United Methodist Church's safe parking program. "This is a brand new program. They offer three to five spaces for vulnerable populations. They offer case management and wrap around services," Dunn explained. The program had a challenging start but recently began serving clients with intensive case management. Data from funded programs shows significant service delivery in the first six months of 2025: 1,279 individuals served (duplicated count), 422 seeking short-term shelter, and importantly, 17 people placed in transitional or permanent housing despite the region's housing challenges. Emerging demographic patterns reveal that 30% of Serenity House's population is over 55, with 10% needing assisted living services. Additionally, 10-12 sheltered individuals are employed but unable to secure housing—reflecting national data showing 40-60% of homeless individuals have some form of employment. The county's five-year plan identifies exploring "tiny shelter villages that offer supportive services" as a key strategy, with staff currently gathering examples from existing programs statewide and working on a conceptual design for interested agencies. ## Public Comment: Voices of Experience The public comment period brought powerful testimony from people with lived experience of addiction and homelessness, offering perspectives that data alone cannot capture. Sandra Klein, who has 12 years of recovery from methamphetamine addiction, spoke directly about the role of consequences in her journey to sobriety: "I did not get cleaned because my addiction was made comfortable. I got cleaned because someone drew a line for me when I couldn't draw one for myself." She expressed concern about infrastructure that might stabilize addiction rather than interrupt it: "The people out there are not statistics to me, they're people I know, they're people I went to school with. They're people I grew up with. I care about them. I want them to find a way out." Stacey Richards, also in long-term recovery, reinforced this theme: "I got cleaned because Is the consequences of my behavior became undeniable and unavoidable... Pain is the touchstone of growth." She called for enforcement of existing laws, required engagement in treatment for publicly funded harm reduction supplies, and transparent reporting of recovery outcomes. Susie Blake drew on her experience in various settings touched by drug trafficking: "I'm tired of hearing all of our voices being dismissed and ignored. The drug encampment and drug haffiting that's happening around safeway, the drug camp in the health department parking lot every weekend must be shut down immediately." These voices provided a counterpoint to other perspectives, with Tracy Able arguing that "housing is a basic human right" and opposing policies that criminalize people for being unhoused or force treatment. The range of viewpoints illustrated the complexity facing council members as they consider future actions. ## County Harm Reduction Services Jenny Oppelt, Deputy Director of Clallam County Health and Human Services, presented the county's harm reduction approach, emphasizing it as one piece of a comprehensive response to substance use. The Harm Reduction Health Center operates two days per week in Port Angeles with additional outreach throughout the county. In 2025, the program distributed 4,909 naloxone packs during direct service hours and 3,883 through community boxes. They provided wound care services to 104 clients and distributed over 5,000 wound care kits. Significantly, participants reported using naloxone to reverse 252 overdoses—highlighting the gap in 911 reporting when overdoses occur. Oppelt addressed common concerns about harm reduction programs with research-based responses. Regarding needle litter, she explained that studies show litter decreases when harm reduction programs operate because people have a location to return used supplies. The program provides sharps containers and accepts returns from community partners, including cleanup organizations. The data shows Clallam County's overdose death rates have dropped from 4th highest in Washington state to 13th—a significant improvement during the same period that some counties dismantled their harm reduction programs and saw increases in overdose deaths. Program Coordinator Siri Forsman-Sims shared a participant's letter illustrating the human dimension of their work: "By lifting us up so we can start seeing eye to eye. These girls, I call them my girls, take the time to care for each individual." The letter described staff helping someone with OCD find matching red backpack and shoes, demonstrating attention to individual dignity and specific needs. Over 70% of overdose deaths in 2025 occurred in homes, with nearly 70% involving people 50 or older—challenging assumptions that substance use issues are primarily visible street problems. Council member Carr asked about outreach to older adults, leading to discussion of education efforts at senior centers and community health fairs. The conversation revealed the complexity of addressing stigma around substance use, particularly when it involves housed, older adults. ## Peninsula Behavioral Health: The Housing Challenge CEO Wendy Sisk provided perhaps the most sobering presentation of the evening, explaining what drives homelessness and why simply providing housing often fails to create stability. Her organization operates transitional and permanent supported housing, giving her direct insight into what works and what doesn't. "Housing alone is not the solution. Treatment alone is not the solution. Navigation alone is not the solution," Sisk explained. "Stability happens when housing, readiness, and support work together." She described the "readiness gap"—individuals living unsheltered long-term often face untreated behavioral health conditions, substance use disorders, trauma history, legal issues, and chronic medical concerns. "It is difficult to stabilize while living on the street—but also difficult to prepare for housing without stability." The strongest long-term outcomes occur when individuals transition to community-based recovery housing, engage in wraparound services, participate in recovery support groups, and rebuild purpose, connection, and routine. However, this pathway requires significant commitment and major lifestyle change that many people aren't ready to make. Sisk shared the emotional complexity of leaving street communities: "Leaving the culture of homelessness is emotionally complex. Many individuals are not ready to separate from street community. Fear, guilt, and uncertainty are powerful barriers." She described a client who took three years to enter treatment, feeling guilty about leaving friends behind and fearing relocation for care. Ultimately, a court mandate—treatment versus incarceration—created the turning point. Even when someone is ready for housing, practical barriers persist: insufficient income, poor rental history, criminal history, transportation limitations, funding gaps, and long waitlists. The Coordinated Entry system, designed to streamline access, can feel "confusing and unclear, slow-moving, lacking follow-up" and "emotionally demoralizing." Peninsula Behavioral Health's permanent supported housing at Dawn View Court demonstrates the stability that wraparound services can provide—in two years, only three of 21 permanent units have turned over, housing 26 adults and nine children. ## Council Questions and Emerging Themes Throughout the presentations, council members asked thoughtful questions that revealed their engagement with the material and desire to understand system-level impacts. Council member Schwab, participating remotely from a different time zone, pressed for specific local outcomes from harm reduction programs: "How do these activities measure translate into long term outcomes like reduced overdose deaths or increased sustained recovery for specifically Callum county?" The response revealed coordination challenges—harm reduction staff can track immediate services but lose touch with participants once they engage with treatment providers due to privacy laws. Council member Hodgson asked about people exiting incarceration, leading to discussion of how various agencies try to prevent immediate return to homelessness, though housing shortages limit options. Several council members inquired about data collection and tracking, highlighting the challenge of measuring system-wide outcomes when services are provided by different agencies with different funding sources and privacy requirements. Mayor Dexter's question to the harm reduction presenters captured the council's practical focus: "Are there ways that the city of Port Angeles could make a meaningful difference as a city, in terms of policies or actions that the city council could take?" The responses included suggestions for low-barrier housing, safe camping areas, and safe parking programs—with staff noting that the city already has a safe camping ordinance for church use, though no organizations have utilized it yet. ## Planning for Action Deputy City Manager Calvin Goings framed the evening's presentations as preparation for the council's April 7 workshop session on homelessness and camping issues. Additional presentations are scheduled for March 17 from Serenity House, TAFFY, Port Angeles Waterfront District, Olympic Peninsula Community Clinic, First United Methodist Church, and Peninsula Housing Authority. The breadth of tonight's presentations—covering everything from energy efficiency to addiction recovery—illustrates the interconnected nature of community challenges. Infrastructure problems at City Hall, while seemingly unrelated to homelessness, compete for the same limited city resources needed for housing and social services. The council also addressed routine business, including updates to hearing examiner procedures and various infrastructure contracts, demonstrating their continued attention to basic city operations alongside social policy discussions. ## Consent Agenda & Routine Business The council approved its consent agenda without discussion, including $1.87 million in expenditures, final acceptance of the Jones Street Reservoir valve replacement project, biosolids transportation services, and temporary electrical wheeling agreements. Council member Schwab added a utility easement agreement with the Port of Port Angeles to the consent agenda. The hearing examiner rules update, requested by the examiner himself to provide more time for complex decisions and clarify recording procedures, passed unanimously after brief discussion about the need for 30 working days instead of 10 for decisions. ## Closing & What's Ahead The meeting concluded past 9:30 PM with second public comment from two speakers—one sharing a medical experience and another addressing homelessness issues. The length reflected the council's commitment to hearing comprehensive information before making policy decisions. The next regular meeting on March 17 will continue the educational process with presentations from six additional organizations. The April 7 workshop will then provide opportunity for council discussion and potential direction to staff about future actions regarding camping and homelessness policies. As council members left chambers after nearly four hours of presentations and discussion, they carried with them a much deeper understanding of the systems, challenges, and perspectives surrounding homelessness in their community. The question now becomes how to translate this knowledge into effective, compassionate policy that serves both housed and unhoused residents of Port Angeles. The meeting demonstrated local government at its best—taking time to understand complex issues before rushing to solutions, listening to multiple viewpoints including those with lived experience, and working collaboratively across agencies and communities to address shared challenges.