[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6254844,"mediaKeyId","3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb","parentId",3168862,"title","Sequim councilors direct staff to send letter on federal decision impacts after adding local examples","audioSeconds",527,"startMs",9268586,"endMs",9796477,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb&start=9268&end=9796","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb/thumbnail_9268586.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6254844/Sequim/Clallam-County/Washington/Sequim-councilors-direct-staff-to-send-letter-on-federal-decision-impacts-after-adding-local-examples","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254844-629c9c40c844ae93c4e98f571c452e4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945748&Signature=Wp0NC9XbE-ud68pXzwjKO8Qt~6d6pgfF-s60vK5zRUcB3OC-OR9oTy4vhaoLHm5pqtYMMV9RzVFuYAblBa4dHRoGO~~RPmc8wF2OzELRkjSxq2UZkbb1UJJCxFIRogbcxjFcVoWcXZ5z1EBSob3uDQASJ8sc8~EzfLYXP7Up6BFb4wGeKYFwcLp6Ld3yGD-keZpaE4JdLT1q5Z6OMjdV6XHIYNSq2ybQz8qwEVSpl5buN12L9W9FNGhd-4F-40BByhzmkNLtkc4ZQ6yyiiKrEZqELymQGt4KvZYUqVADa7MOvdqtue3fOaNynmKIezC4UpZ-cNzmbpAgAgC9rDacWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Sequim City, WA","date","2025-05-01T16:52:58.567Z","article","Sequim City Councilors on April 28 discussed a draft letter addressing the local impacts of recent federal decision‑making and funding uncertainty and directed staff to finalize and forward a revised, bullet‑point version for mayoral signature.

Council reviewed two draft formats and preferred a concise, bullet‑point presentation of impacts. Members suggested adding concrete local examples to make the case more tangible: a news report about a longtime local business that is facing raw‑material sourcing issues and an example from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, which won a federally‑sponsored security grant whose reimbursement now faces uncertainty because of federal timing, staff told council.

Councilor Dan Butler suggested adding lower‑level examples and named a recent Peninsula Daily News article about a local manufacturer expressing supply‑chain concerns. Other councilors proposed adding the library, food‑bank impacts, utility‑service cost instability and nonprofit grant uncertainty to the list of consequences that flow from federal funding or policy pauses.

Action: Councilor Nicole Hartman moved (seconded) that staff revise the draft into the agreed bullet‑point format incorporating the suggested examples and proceed to present the revised letter to the mayor or deputy mayor for signature on behalf of the council. Council consensus was recorded and staff were authorized to finalize the letter; the mayor or deputy mayor will sign on behalf of council, staff said.

Ending: Staff will circulate a revised draft to council leadership and proceed to send the signed letter. Council did not adopt additional motions beyond directing staff to finalize and obtain signatures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session & Regular Session - April 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council discussed and directed staff to finalize a bullet‑point letter describing how recent federal decision‑making and funding uncertainty affect local services, citing examples such as supply issues for a local manufacturer and a suspended grant for St. Luke’s security upgrades.","taxTitle","Sequim, Clallam County, Washington","taxId",72051,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254848,"Sequim Police chief highlights staffing gains, accreditation and shoplifting rise in 2024 report",1357,5829780,7187024,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb&start=5829&end=7187","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb/thumbnail_5829780.jpg","/articles/6254848/Sequim/Clallam-County/Washington/Sequim-Police-chief-highlights-staffing-gains-accreditation-and-shoplifting-rise-in-2024-report","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254848-2457badf26f5df0160d632b5bfb1eafa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945748&Signature=SvlRU4LnTNYFyECNdu20Dhf6VRTK9u1h8QAfc6f9Nky8FoAI4XSJtql3KyxewwXUH6~Q9Xjz6l4XeNg8SLpgUNQIjbGNoi10XquLqgStm1rcCgILJthUkStz3X619w3LjHvFvjFPkyZOoOW5EVGaY2gPClvLziCVmI~XV7puO~XG18scPD8dUCmmMNwugif86LXwWziRfjztK80I64xs217kgWJDkYMNzPDKjFC9zYiWSVB4ooxsdsKaRchrSVSC-Zn3L-SEkDBqqw84dSPKy4EKMYbpMRUoTP-1A9gbNDFNp95h8Y7QJsTHW6caAe4fq8uo~-WF4cY4LjtW-~0xyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Mike Hill presented the Sequim Police Department’s 2024 annual report at the council’s April 28 meeting, summarizing staffing changes, community engagement, crime trends and accreditation work.

Hill said 2024 brought “a year of firsts” for the department, including multiple hires and promotions. The department created a recruitment task force, hired four officers in 2024 and promoted five staff that year, Hill said. He also reported the department received WASPIC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs) accreditation, a voluntary program covering best practices.

Crime trends and workload: Hill described the department’s workload and trends. In 2024 the department handled roughly 11,000–12,000 incidents (about 31 incidents per day) and approximately 1,300 incidents became formal cases (about 11 percent of incidents). He said shoplifting and theft increased in 2024, with more victims electing to pursue charges than in the prior year. By contrast, offenses against persons — including assaults — trended down from elevated 2022 levels.

Arrests and prosecution: Hill noted arrest and charge statistics and described several substantial criminal investigations handled by the department, including an interstate apprehension tied to a sexual‑assault investigation and a 20‑year sentence in an attempted‑murder case resulting from detective work. Hill said the department worked with federal and out‑of‑state partners when needed.

Staffing, training and accreditation: Hill explained that the hire‑to‑solo‑patrol timeline can be about a year (background checks, academy, post‑academy field training). He told council the department faced staffing shortages but had recently reached full staffing; several hires remain in academy or field training. Hill also said the department awarded multiple lifesaving awards in 2024 and will soon bring a new canine handler and dog into service following state certification.

Community priorities: The department’s community survey reported residents wanted more traffic enforcement and greater patrol presence downtown; Hill said the department increased traffic stops by roughly 10 percent in late‑2024 and expanded downtown foot patrols and outreach.

Ending: Hill said a fuller, longer annual report will be posted online and that the department will supplement it when statewide FBI statistics are published. Council asked about federal immigration enforcement; Hill said state law limits local cooperation on immigration enforcement and that local police activities remain “pretty hands off.”","Chief Mike Hill presented the department’s 2024 annual report to council on April 28, citing recruitment and promotions, WASPIC accreditation, an increase in shoplifting and declines in many person‑crime categories; staff said the department is fully staffed but many hires are completing training academies.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254852,"Sequim to move fireworks launch site farther from bald‑eagle nest after staff monitoring",794,7277275,8071471,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb&start=7277&end=8071","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb/thumbnail_7277275.jpg","/articles/6254852/Sequim/Clallam-County/Washington/Sequim-to-move-fireworks-launch-site-farther-from-baldeagle-nest-after-staff-monitoring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254852-9c0914b4ebf5a208ed665c6f0668c919/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945749&Signature=ggephbktkD4-8O64pPWKV0BF7LIYOZtE8qM3St0Yja227NMrJT~xPTq65lKIKiE2oFkP8qg8UsWKrK2rEQkSOH6EOkhIUzClck09ofDX-QKNmCz-lRysjNtnx8wQUU6z49UxJTeKdW32X76in02AKgUPaRg0xAWPUtECPTgWHxKMKBx5YbIVy4q-8~N4T1iPYiOM7DbxkAnS5CSx5LDVpB1uHRAcmCS8D0hjpD~O4s-FayJGHO-Z-~VQR-wQa5PUuQDh2MTr9w0Z6Qk6WNOObRDQQUiZCNqa3zWlw9URnQkDU5vNcfC6KWEqELrXningrSPHSS4W7XdGCXoz5Th0WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public Works staff told Sequim City Council on April 28 that they will relocate the city’s professional Fourth‑of‑July fireworks discharge to a different city right‑of‑way farther from a newly documented bald‑eagle nest.

Public Works Director Paul Busich and Parks Manager Hannah Merrill described drone footage showing a nest with two fledglings near the Gary Oak restoration area and said a revised launch point on city property would be about a half mile or more from the nest.

Busich and Merrill described the city’s review and said staff concluded the new launch location remains on city property but is substantially farther from the nest. “We’re just going to transition where the fireworks are let off. It’s still on our property. It’s going to be over half a mile away,” Busich said. Staff said that change eliminates the need to water down the oak restoration site as part of the professional display and reduces direct proximity to the nest.

Merrill said Parks and Events planned public outreach and surveys about events through June and July and noted the city had contacted other jurisdictions: of 25 peninsula and Puget Sound municipalities surveyed, 15 still do fireworks activities (13 over water), and 10 have never had or have discontinued fireworks.

The council discussion included concerns about climate, drought risk and air quality raised by Councilor Harmony Redder. Redder said, while the relocated launch point is a good near‑term fix, broader questions remain about summer fire risk and public‑health impacts of fireworks smoke. Busich and Merrill said staff will continue weekly or biweekly monitoring of the eagle nest ahead of and after the July 4 display and will fly drone checks before and after the event.

Outcome and next steps: Staff recommended and council accepted (no formal ordinance or vote required) moving the professional launch point on city property to the alternative right‑of‑way and continuing wildlife monitoring and public outreach. Staff also proposed to pursue a community survey on city‑run events later in the summer to gather broader public input about events such as the July 4 display.

Ending: Staff will brief the council on monitoring results as the season approaches; no formal policy change or ban on fireworks was proposed at the meeting.","City staff showed drone footage of a nest with two fledglings near the existing launch area, said moving the professional fireworks discharge to a different city right‑of‑way puts it more than half a mile from the nest, and proposed ongoing monitoring and public outreach.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6254856,"Sequim officials outline water system assets, planned projects and funding gaps at April 28 work session",3013,918945,3932815,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb&start=918&end=3932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3168862-0b4666e5a09676933837c01231eb9ecb/thumbnail_918945.jpg","/articles/6254856/Sequim/Clallam-County/Washington/Sequim-officials-outline-water-system-assets-planned-projects-and-funding-gaps-at-April-28-work-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6254856-9432bb6b6ab8dbca702cf88019afc44a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945749&Signature=Ik-VKscbI~f1nog7QMomgW2PH21-HcbeHsLDdzgn6SWHgetDQrzSX9Gx~seEunwrffYYBJFI56ww84G1qp2LG3STIdW7RFREQhUmY7kLZRtNO4U38CjR4mM8TOOdi9SnjBewkrc1xng6TkLEVecm7tjQ9zd9MUIDSle5oyO42BRktaoAWeJlfTQhi6Qd02akFoZPaHpptEd-0FY4BDhHAKho5yNnpg58ShsPi2M9TzczL0Czw6dtk-TRXZNWwz-yE5gKWTigVCeIuadyO3qY9yqan5zk5R-Ti216z-o2syuwNh3AiHegWyAzVcL3nYy-pN~zEYsYavBR30BqLgya1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Public Works Director Paul Busich told the Sequim City Council during an April 28 work session that the city’s water system is “one of the two most important features or functions that the government performs,” and stressed the need to fund and maintain aging infrastructure.

The discussion included a technical overview of supply and distribution, condition-assessment methods, the city’s automated meter initiative and near-term capital projects. Staff outlined available funding for 2025 projects and noted a multi‑million‑dollar gap in longer‑term needs.

The water system overview: Public Works Director Paul Busich, Utilities Manager John Christiansen, City Engineer Nick Dosti and Administrative Services Division Manager Amy Doherty described the system’s components and condition. “Without healthy water, the community such as we have or any community really could not exist in the form that we have,” Busich said.

John Christiansen summarized supply and distribution: “The City of Sequim operates 2 groundwater well sites and 1 rainy well site. We have 7 traditional groundwater wells spread across these 2 sites,” he said, and added that combined reservoir storage is about 3 million gallons, enabling six pressure zones served by roughly 77 miles of transmission and distribution mains. Staff reported about 3,100 potable meters in the system and roughly 2,000 isolation valves.

Condition assessment and testing: Staff described several assessment tools. Physical coupon dye-testing provides a lab measure of pipe wall condition for exposed pipe samples, while newer acoustic methods use sound waves to estimate wall thickness without taking mains out of service. A 2023–24 federal EPA lead‑pipe screening required third‑party review and field checks; results showed no lead in the city system, staff said.

Daily water quality sampling and regulatory testing are performed in accordance with Department of Health and EPA requirements. Staff noted crews must hold state certifications (WDM2 and cross‑connection control specialist) to operate and maintain the system.

Meter automation and SCADA: Staff said late‑2023 work began a citywide conversion to advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) using radio units on existing meters. Amy Doherty told council full billing‑system integration was expected by early May and a customer portal by mid‑summer, which staff said will allow customers to view usage and set leak alarms. Staff also described plans to introduce SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) more broadly after a new deep‑well control building is online, with a strategic rollout planned in later years.

Production, consumption and leakage: Staff reported average daily production of just over 1,000,000 gallons per day (about 372 million gallons per year) and said single‑family residential consumption averaged approximately 146 gallons per day per equivalent residential unit (ERU) across the city. The city’s three‑year rolling distribution system leakage was reported at roughly 6 percent, below the 10 percent national standard.

Planned capital projects and funding: Staff identified near‑term projects in the capital improvement program (CIP): the Silverhorn deep well (control building, chlorination station, new main), a West Sequim Bay water expansion (developer contribution cited), and a Reservoir Road water‑main and booster design and future construction. Doherty said the city received a $555,000 Opportunity Fund grant for design of the Reservoir Road booster station and that the project’s construction estimate is about $4 million. A loan supporting the deep well was described as a low‑interest financing with 20‑year repayment; staff cited a public‑works loan amount of about $4,830,000 and said roughly $1.6 million remained to finish the well.

Doherty summarized 2025 funding: monthly utility rates were budgeted to cover about $2,900,000 of $3,000,000 in operating costs, and staff presented a 2025 capital project budget figure (shown in staff slides as about $4,125,000). Staff said there are about $63,000,000 of unfunded water projects identified in planning documents; staff attributed roughly $16,600,000 of that to repair and replacement and about $46,600,000 to construction projects.

Discussion and next steps: Staff said additional condition assessment (coupon testing, acoustic testing, hydrant and valve exercising) and asset management work will guide priority replacements. Busich and Doherty emphasized grants as a preferred funding source but noted the expectation that utilities maintain rates sufficient to support system work. Staff said they will return to council with focused funding and rate discussions, and that SCADA implementation will proceed in phases tied to the deep‑well facility.

Questions from council and staff followed on testing responsibilities, rainy‑well operation near the Dungeness River (staff said turbidity occasionally forces shutdown of that source but groundwater supplies can fully supply the city), and climate‑change monitoring and conservation measures.

The presentation closed with staff noting the water system plan is a state‑mandated document that drives six‑year CIP priorities and longer‑range (10–20 year) planning.

Ending: Staff recommended continued condition assessments, using AMI data to catch leaks sooner, pursuing grants for large construction projects and advancing the deep‑well and booster station designs. Council did not take formal action during the work session; staff will return with finance and rate details later this year.","Public Works leaders described Sequim’s wells, reservoirs, 77 miles of mains, recent meter automation and near-term projects including a deep well and reservoir/booster design funded by a $555,000 Opportunity Fund grant, while warning of roughly $63 million in unfunded water projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sequim councilors direct staff to send letter on federal decision impacts after adding local examples

Sequim Police chief highlights staffing gains, accreditation and shoplifting rise in 2024 report

Sequim to move fireworks launch site farther from bald‑eagle nest after staff monitoring

Sequim officials outline water system assets, planned projects and funding gaps at April 28 work session