Port Angeles and Clallam County approve design, funding plan for joint public-safety facility

Port Angeles City Council and the Clallam County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 15 approved a jointly negotiated design-and-construction agreement for a new joint public-safety facility that will house emergency communications (PINCOM) and the county emergency-management operation.

The agreement clears the way to complete final construction documents and go out for bid; city and county staff said they expect invitations to bid to be posted in about four weeks and said a construction contract could be awarded as soon as late October. Officials said a ceremonial groundbreaking could follow once a contractor is selected, with the facility targeted for completion in spring 2027.

Why it matters: County and city officials described the building as a regionally critical, highly resilient operations center intended to remain functional in major disasters. The project replaces space county staff described as seismically vulnerable and consolidates duplicated functions into a single facility.

Design, budget and funding: County Administrator Todd Milke and city staff told elected officials the project moved from an earlier $30 million estimate…