SEQUIM – The City of Sequim and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe are looking closely at a potential co-ownership of John Wayne Marina, and the Sequim City Council will consider the idea at their next meeting on January 4.

City Manager Charlie Bush says the Tribe approached them in November with a proposal to split the cost of a marina infrastructure assessment that both parties were planning to do anyway, and that doing so would lower the City’s costs to about $40,000.

The Port of Port Angeles has issued a Request For Information (RFI) to any parties interested in either a transfer, sale or lease of the property. Port Director Karen Goschen told KONP that the Port is suggesting giving those interested the entire year of 2019 to respond to the RFI, and another year for the Port to analyze their submissions.

Bush says he’s recommending the City enter into a three-way contract between the Tribe, the City and the Port that would require the Port to reimburse the City and Tribe for the cost of the study if they make a decision to transition the marina to another party prior to January 1, 2020, though that would appear unlikely based on the Port’s stated timeline.

He says the Tribe has confirmed that they support the idea.