Clallam County, Port Angeles officials press ahead with $22 million joint public-safety project; staff to return with bid documents

Clallam County commissioners and staff on Sept. 16 discussed next steps for a jointly owned emergency operations center and consolidated 9-1-1 facility with the City of Port Angeles, a project now estimated at about $21 million and funded with a mix of federal, state and local sources.

The item drew extended questioning about who will make timely decisions during construction, how the project will be managed and how the county will protect contingencies. "The critical function here will be performed by a project manager," said Todd Milke, the county official directing the project. "The project manager is the critical role. They are people who come from a construction background." Milke told commissioners staff will complete construction/bid documents and return at a work session within roughly two weeks to request authority to go out for bid.

Why it matters: Commissioners emphasized that rapid, day‑to‑day decisions will be required once construction starts — substitutions, grading timing, and market changes can add hundreds of thousands of dollars quickly. Several commissioners urged clearer written language governing the decision chain and information flow before bids and mobilization.

Milke described the project’s recent history and current status. The joint project moved from a roughly $30 million concept down to about $21 million through scope reductions while preserving seismic resiliency and core emergency functions. The design stage is near-final: county staff submitted 90% design documents…