The Towne Road fiasco continues as the County moves forward toward paving of the Lower Dungeness levee without required permits.
"Responsible Government 101” says you don’t put a project out to bid without all permits in hand, but Clallam plays by its own rules. It is a sad irony, given the many times our county commissioners declared their desire to be good custodians of taxpayer dollars. Now, they gamble with public funds to push through a project that is not needed and is strongly opposed by Clallam residents.
· On June 6, Nordland Construction began preparing the levee for paving and worked for nine days without the required dust, silt, and erosion controls in place, putting the newly-restored, fragile wetlands and floodplain at grave risk.
· Heavy equipment is leaking diesel and hydraulic fluid onto the levee and ultimately into the floodplain.
· When work began on the intersection of Towne Road and Seqium-Dungeness Way, residents who had been given no notice were awakened at 6 00 a.m. to rattling windows and the sight of heavy equipment tearing up their backyards.
Just a few days ago, the commissioners doled out another $500,000 to their project management consultant without blinking an eye. Where was that consultant when all of this was happening on the ground?
French represents a district that desperately needs funds for road maintenance and improvements, among other things, but put funding for an unneeded road in another district at the front of the line. Johnson, who has professed his love for salmon, is apparently indifferent to their survival in the Lower Dungeness.
The quest to bring back Towne Road has brought out the worst in almost everyone involved--from Commissioners French and Johnson, who have supported paving in the face of serious environmental issues, to the county staff who casually brush off public concerns and continually reassure the commissioners that “things are going in the right direction.”
The Dungeness River and the people of Clallam County deserve better. It is not too late to reverse this fiasco, stop the machinery, and keep the levee as an unpaved trail.
Call or write:
Tom Johnson (Nordland Construction): 360-774-1274
Bruce Emery: bruce.emery@clallamcountywa.gov
Joe Donisi: joe.donisi@clallamcountywa.gov
Cathy Lear: cathy.lear@clallamcountywa.gov
Mark Ozias: Mark.Ozias@clallamcountywa.gov
Randy Johnson: Randy.Johnson@clallamcountywa.gov
Mike French: Mike.French@clallamcountywa.gov