Forks City Council Hears Community Concerns, Sets Hearings for September
Published 1:30 am Thursday, September 11, 2025
The Forks City Council met Monday, August 25, addressing a wide range of public comments, updates, and formal actions.
Public Comments
During public comment, Dr. Sarah Huling spoke about the city’s Capital Improvement Plan and urged support for proposed improvements at the animal shelter at the airport. She also asked that Friends of Forks Animals be included in the process. Additionally, she requested that the city acknowledge receipt of emails in the future so senders know their messages were received.
Corey Pearson raised concerns from a recent community meeting she organized, including the strain of unmanaged growth on city water and infrastructure and potential illegal utility hookups from unregistered short-term rentals.
Phemie McCracken questioned the city’s ongoing Otta Seal project, citing reports of problems with the same contractor in Morton and asking what recourse would be available if Forks experiences similar issues.
Lissy Andros, director of the Forks Chamber of Commerce, reminded the community that the Forever Twilight in Forks Festival is approaching and encouraged volunteer participation. She also raised concerns about unsafe speeding along Calawah Way.
John Witherspoon shared multiple road-related concerns, including a lack of crown in his street, the surface posing safety issues for bikes and play equipment, and the need for a reduced speed limit on Trillium Avenue. He also requested signage warning drivers of deaf children in the area.
Council Actions
The council approved several items, including:
Setting a public hearing for the Decker Annexation on Sept. 22.
Adoption of Resolution 528 establishing an electronic funds transfer policy.
Scheduling a Capital Improvement Plan hearing for Sept. 22.
A modification to the Riverside lease at the Industrial Park, allowing the city to look in to funding opportunities for the company.
Ferguson Appeal
A discussion item on the agenda was the closed record appeal filed by Dave Ferguson regarding the Planning Commission’s approval of a Vertical Bridge tower near his property on West Division Street.
City council legal counsel Charlotte Archer explained that the council’s role will be to review the Planning Commission’s record and ensure fairness in the process. Archer also noted she will ask council members to confirm whether they have discussed the matter outside of official proceedings.
Maridee Pabst, representing Vertical Bridge, requested dismissal of the appeal. Councilmember Joe Soha moved to reschedule the review to Sept. 22 to allow Ferguson’s attorney to participate. The motion passed unanimously. A revised legal notice will be published and updated notices mailed to affected parties.
Department Updates
Public Works Director Paul Hampton addressed several public comment concerns, saying an engineer can review Witherspoon’s concerns about the crown in his street. He said illegal utility hookups are rare and monitored, and explained the city opted for Otta Seal due to the prohibitive costs of asphalt paving. Grant funding from the Transportation Improvement Board helps determine what projects move forward.
Police Chief Mike Rowley reported his department continues to focus on slowing drivers on Forks Avenue, where vehicles have been clocked at 60 mph entering town. Officers have also seen significant speeding on Bogachiel and Calawah. Rowley noted a pursuit occurred south of town several weeks ago.
City Attorney/Planner Rod Fleck added that the council will consider adoption of the Clallam County/Forks Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan in late September or early October.
The council also heard about speed limit reductions at the entrances to Forks. Data recently collected by WSDOT will be reviewed, with more information expected in October.
Mayor Tim Fletcher closed the meeting by encouraging residents to bring their questions forward, both at council meetings and when encountering city officials in the community.
The next city council meeting will be on Sept. 22, at 7:30 p.m.
