Clallam County approves $130,500 contract with Economic Development Council, designates it as ADO

Clallam County commissioners unanimously approved a $130,500 personal services agreement with the Clallam County Economic Development Council on March 11, 2020, designating the EDC as the county's authorized development organization (ADO) and tasking it with coordinating regional economic-development activities.

The designation makes the EDC the county's primary contact for state economic-development funding and requires the organization to report on a set of state metrics tied to the contract. Commissioners said the designation is required by state rules for an ADO and that the county frequently contracts the EDC to perform additional services on the county’s behalf.

County officials said the EDC will report the metrics the state requires and will continue providing business retention and expansion support. The decision drew public comment about transparency for a recurring EDC event called “Coffee with Colleen.” Ed Bowen, a caller, asked the county to make clear whether commissioners attend those weekly meetings and how the public can listen in. "I'm asking the County to at least post if you're actually participating in that Wednesday meeting, or is this just an open public meetings act placeholder," Bowen said during public comment. John Worthington questioned whether the council's work was duplicating existing programs and raised concerns about additional EDC spending.

Commissioners and staff clarified that the county lists recurring EDC meetings on the weekly calendar so the public can see if two or more commissioners might attend, and that staff will follow up with the EDC to ensure instructions about how the public may join virtual meetings are easy to find. Commissioners also said attendance by commissioners at informational EDC meetings does not itself create a public-meetings-act violation unless final action is taken or the commissioners participate in a way that effectively transacts county business.

The board moved and seconded approval of the contract and approved it by voice vote. The motion passed unanimously.

The EDC contract is the county's primary mechanism for coordinating economic development and for receiving and reporting on state-directed program metrics.

Items related to the EDC's designation and the county's outreach practices will also be discussed at a joint meeting with the Port of Port Angeles scheduled for April 28, where commissioners said the public can hear more in-depth presentations from regional economic-development organizations.

Actions at a glance: the board approved the $130,500 personal services agreement with the Clallam County Economic Development Council by unanimous voice vote.