The Port Angeles Advisory Board- community members who “serve as a liaison between the Police and Fire Departments and the community” have done a stellar job at a time when large cities like Seattle and Portland are rife with rioting, destruction of property, pillage, unpunished murder, and rampant crime, as a result of defunding law enforcement. They have succeeded in keeping such terrorism out of our town, have fulfilled PAMC 2.26.050(A)(7), given the heavy restrictions under Inslee, and represent our community well. 

We ask that the Port Angeles City Council pay special heed not to make changes to municipal code that has served us well for 130 years in regards to the Public Safety Advisory Board:

1) The diversity of the board’s members are amply sufficient, according to PAMC 2.26.020(F).

2) More importantly, the board rightly upholds that “defendants in any pending criminal matter” or “individuals under active supervision by the Department of Corrections” PAMC 2.26.020(G)  are not eligible to be a member of the board. We do not consent for this measure to be stricken from the code!

3)The board should most certainly not include those who are under the duress of chemical addiction or in the throes of homelessness, as their divided attention to basic needs would detract from the focus of our safety as a city. 

4) Most importantly, we do not support striking PAMC 2.26.050(B) in favor of giving more power to the board in reference to the police. 

5) Lastly, we direct the attention of City Council to the obvious conflict of interest in considering and/or voting on  the petition of Carolyn Wilcox, the wife of Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, a current council member. In furtherance of an exemplary standard of conduct, we move to delegitimize all signatures gathered out of county for Wilcox’s “Diversify the all-white Port Angeles Public Safety Advisory Board” petition.