| Transportation Commission will allow public comments during Monday meeting 2/8/05 Port Angeles, WA - Members of the State Transportation Commission should be bracing themselves for a wild night Monday, with the decision to have an open forum on the Port Angeles dry dock project. So far, the commission has been dealing with the dry dock controversy from a distance, getting updates from Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald and his staff, but coming nowhere near Port Angeles since MacDonald’s controversial decision to stop construction on the 60-million dollar project. But Monday, three of the commissioners have agreed to come to Port Angeles for what is now being billed as an “open house” on the dock issue. With emotions running high locally among Klallam tribal members, union workers and business and government leaders, commissioners seem bound to get an earful. From 4:30 to 6:30 at the Red Lion, commissioners intend to have the “informal open house”, followed by 90-minutes billed as a “dialog” with commissioners. The meeting has been scheduled for the upstairs meeting room Red Lion Monday evening. IN OTHER NEWS... DOT closer to alternate dry dock plan Meanwhile, a panel of engineering experts could produce a report on new sites for the dry dock, and overall construction changes for the Hood Canal bridge, as soon as next week. DOT has been seeking the additional help to assess alternate sites for the dock, which would produce concrete pontoons and anchors for the bridge… and how to adjust the timeline and contract for the bridge’s replacement following the shutdown of the PA dry dock construction. 18-different proposals were submitted to DOT for possible dock sites last month, including several sites here on the North Olympic Peninsula. That included the old Rayonier Mill site, and the so-called Terminal 3 Port of Port Angeles property, which is right next door to the present dock site. DOT officials are hoping to select a new site within the next month.
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