Port Angeles- The fluoride issue for Port Angeles took an interesting turn at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, when city officials voted to suspend adding fluoride to the city’s water supply pending a new advisory vote.
Back in December of 2015, members of the city council overrode the results of an unofficial survey that indicated citizens were against maintaining fluoride in their drinking water. At that time the city council voted 4 to 3 to keep adding fluoride.
At last night’s meeting, Mayor Patrick Downie asked the city council to reconsider its earlier decision. Four city council members agreed with Downie, and for now, the addition of fluoride to Port Angeles water will be suspended.
City Clerk, Jennifer Veneklassen, spoke with KONP about last night’s move by the city.
Veneklassen said that the city will have the fluoride turned off within the next day or two. The fluoride facility itself will remain intact pending the outcome of that citizen advisory vote in November of 2017.
The fluoride treatment currently costs the city approximately $18,000-dollars per year. Discontinuation of fluoride treatments until December 2017 would result in an approximate savings of $24,000.
Costs for ballot measures or advisory votes are shared by the entire County and are based on the size of the jurisdiction and the number of items on the ballot. The city estimates that placing the water fluoridation question on the ballot would cost about $1,500 including the inclusion in a general election voters’ guide coordinated by the Clallam County Auditor.
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