Port of Bellingham Commission

The Port Angeles City Council held a special work session to review and update its 2025-2026 Strategic Plan, which was originally adopted in October 2024 through Resolution 10-24. This comprehensive review provided department heads an opportunity to report on their progress implementing the strategic plan while giving newly elected council members their first chance to weigh in on the city's priorities. The strategic plan centers on four focus areas: Community Resilience, Citywide Resource Optimization, Housing, and Infrastructure Development, Maintenance, and Connectivity. Staff presentations revealed substantial progress across all areas, from fire department emergency preparedness improvements to community development housing initiatives to public works infrastructure projects. Six major projects have emerged since the plan's adoption that weren't originally contemplated: camping and encampment response, enhanced tribal consultation, council rules of procedure updates, joint public safety facility planning, criminal justice contract negotiations, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe sewer project. City Manager Nathan West emphasized these additions represent work already underway that deserves formal recognition in the plan. The discussion focused primarily on what could be deprioritized to balance the workload rather than wholesale changes. Council members generally supported adding the six staff-identified items while deprioritizing neighborhood association initiatives, which have struggled to gain traction. Some discussion emerged around deferring community solar projects due to challenging grant funding environments. The work session demonstrated the collaborative nature of Port Angeles' strategic planning process, with extensive input from both staff leadership and council members. No formal action was taken, with staff directed to prepare a resolution incorporating the evening's consensus for consideration at a future meeting. #