Clallam County staff told commissioners on Aug. 18 that the county will assign a partially forgivable Department of Ecology loan for the Flores Acres utility project to the City of Sequim, and that Sequim will assume implementation and related right-of-way work until the neighborhood is annexed.
Why it matters: Flores Acres is an unincorporated county island within Sequim’s urban growth area. County staff said Sequim has secured additional Department of Health funding, is positioned to manage utility construction (including sewer tie-in and later annexation), and can better run a single coordinated bid and construction package.
County presentation and findings: staff said the city will handle utility connections and manage roadway work in county right-of-way until annexation, and noted the neighborhood includes 54 homes. Staff and city officials said the project provides sewer connections, modern water service and fire hydrants that will improve public health and fire protection; septic failure remains the immediate environmental risk.
Financial and implementation details: the county’s Ecology loan to Flores Acres is partially forgivable and partially repayable; homeowners will pay the non-forgivable portion through a local improvement district (LID) assessment. The county will place the interlocal agreement on the regular meeting agenda for signature.
Next steps: commissioners agreed to sign the interlocal agreement at the next regular meeting, permitting Sequim to proceed with the bid and construction schedule anticipated to start in spring, subject to final funding release and permitting.