Ocean Shores could soon have another local transportation option — Abby Cab of Aberdeen has asked the city for approval of a new license to operate a taxi service for the North Beach.
The City Council on Monday will consider the application at its regular meeting.
“We travel to Ocean Shores several times a week. We have stopped and talked to local business owners and the general public. We have been urged to have a taxi in your city on a full time basis. We see this as an mutual opportunity for both your community and our company and would like to service your area,” said a letter to the city from Abby Cab owner Jo Koehn and manager Jim Monroe.
The company has operated in Grays Harbor since June 2017, and the letter said Abby Cab has accounts with businesses such as Grays Harbor Community Hospital and Airlift Northwest.
“All of our drivers have gone through the Washington State Patrol background check for the city of Aberdeen, as well as Hire Right for AAA,” the company letter said. “Our taxis have all been inspected by officer Wayne Schmidt of the Aberdeen Police Dept. and comply with all state and local ordinances, licenses and insurance laws. We would be honored to be a part of your growing community. We are in negotiations with a resident of Ocean Shores to be one of our first taxi drivers out there.”
In other action on Monday, the Council will consider a request to approve an $80,999 agreement with GeoEngineers as the consultants to map and delineate the wetlands in the Ocean Shores dunes where the city plans to build a firebreak/public access trail on the outer edge on the high dunes. The consultant previously worked for the city on the preliminary planning for the project two years ago.
“We are asking them to work with us to delineate the wetlands, plan, complete a field assessment and subcontract the topographic surveying the trail area and the space along both sides of the proposed firebreak/trail,” the mayor’s request to the Council states.
A letter to Mayor Crystal Dingler from GeoEngineers senior biologist David Conlin and associate wetland scientist Joe Callaghan said: “We are excited to have this opportunity to continue to provide our services in support of this important public infrastructure project. Because GeoEngineers previously provided a feasibility study and preliminary wetland verification in support of the project, we are well-positioned to move forward to the next stage of project development, both rapidly and efficiently.”
If the agreement is approved, the company said it is in “a position to begin work within a couple weeks” after receiving authorizationto proceed.
“March is a particularly good time to complete wetland delineations in the interdunal coastal areas,” the letter noted.
