HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-April 2015
The City’s Comprehensive Plan, related functional plans, and the zoning and other regulations based
upon them, influence the day-to-day decisions of individuals and businesses that are the true driving force of our community’s future. When the four managing partners of Townsend Bay Marine invested $500K in a new building for refit work in 2006 we did so confident in the community’s
commitment to a working waterfront as codified in the City’s Comp Plan and Shoreline Master Program, and in the Port’s Strategic Plan. In other communities condos and restaurants have displaced marine trades but Port Townsend’s zoning regulations do not permit those uses in the Boat Haven.
Just as these plans influence investments in property development, they, in turn, affect property values, tax revenues and ultimately the burden of individual taxpayers. In the period between 1996, when our GMA compliant Comprehensive Plan was approved, and 2014 the taxable assessed values on which property tax levies
are based increased 153% in the City and 129% in the County. Restricted by the 1% cap on annual property tax increases the amount collected through the property tax levies increased 100%. In this period the property tax on
my home rose 40%, and the assessed value rose 78%. Population growth was just 13% in the City and 22% in the
County. How could the overall property tax revenues increase so much more than that paid by individual taxpayers given the modest growth in population?
Every year the County Assessor adds the cost of new houses, commercial projects and substantial
improvements of existing properties to the community’s taxable assessed value. Property owners making those investments pay the additional tax. Between 1996 and 2013 more than $1.1 billion was added to the County’s
valuation through investments made by businesses and individuals.
This is not a windfall for local government – the majority of the increased revenues are allocated to expanding the public services, fire and police protection for instance, demanded by the new and improved
properties. And like other tax revenues the purchasing power of additional tax revenue based on new construction is eroded every year that inflation exceeds the 1% cap – which it did for all of the years of this period except 2009
(53% total.)
Even so, as the future is inescapable it is much better to have an expanding local economic base than a contracting one – to have the capacity to keep an aging swimming pool open, for instance. Since they address how land may be used and developed these planning documents will continue to affect thousands of business and
private decisions and are key to having the community’s vision incorporated in that future when it arrives.
As part of the City’s state mandated review and update of the Comprehensive Plan, we will continue to
use this newsletter and other outlets to provide context. This month, Councilmember Deborah Stinson provides
an overview of persistent challenges, changed circumstances and emerging trends.
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The first phase of the Plan Update process requires us to assess whether the assumptions underpinning the City’s current Comprehensive Plan remain valid,
or whether emerging trends suggest that amendments are needed. This article summarizes the in-depth Emerging Trends report that will soon be available on the City website.
Throughout this Update process, our challenge is to understand the root causes of the issues we are confronting, to protect our community and mitigate risks as much as we can, and to control those effects we can.
With challenge comes opportunity, and the Plan Update offers the chance for us to outline a positive vision for
how the City can prepare its operations, and the community as a whole, to be more balanced, resilient and secure.
The plans for our City must be made within the context of the global trends that create local impacts and
thus influence our own trends. As we look to the historical record of these trends and carefully imagine their
impact on our future, we can see that the next twenty years are likely to be very different from the last twenty
years. The convergence of globally escalating population growth, energy consumption, climate change and
economic growth suggest unsustainable trends are very likely to impact our community within the next twenty years.
As mentioned in the February Newsletter, the Growth Management Act (GMA) governs what must,
should and could be included in the Plan Update. Following that guidance, we do not anticipate changes to the foundational vision set forth in 1996 and reaffirmed in 2008. Reviewing the objectives outlined in that vision
provides us a starting point for prioritizing what updates we should and/or could include.
The 1996 Plan sought to accomplish four key objectives: Maintain Our Small Town Character; Achieve a Better Balance between Jobs and Housing; Accommodate Port Townsend’s Share of County-Wide Growth; and
Provide Public Facilities and Services within the City’s Financial Resources.
As a whole, the local trend data indicate some successes in achieving these objectives, although the promise of the 1996 Plan has yet to be fully achieved.
First, the City has succeeded in maintaining much of its small town character. This is largely due to
slower than anticipated growth, rather than through the successful development of “mixed use centers” which were seen in 1996 as a central strategy for this objective.
Second, the “gap” between housing prices and wages and incomes appears to have grown wider over the
past two decades. Housing costs are increasing due to the trend of newly arrived residents purchasing homes with existing assets and home equity while an employment base weighted toward lower paid service jobs is decreasing
the ability of wage-based households to participate in the housing market.
Third, although the City has planned and provided the fiscally sound infrastructure necessary to accommodate 36% of the anticipated countywide population growth, Port Townsend’s population as a percentage
of the County has fallen over the last two decades, as more people have chosen to live in the unincorporated areas
of Jefferson County.
Several other trends provide indicators for our ability to achieve these goals. For instance, effective education is critical to the success of individuals and the greater community. We see a steady rise in the levels of
education attainment, an average driven up primarily due to the influx of well- educational retirees. We also have falling enrollment in all categories below high school and hear from potential employers that our educators must
continue innovations that enhance and expand our students’ skill level to meet current and future needs.
The City’s demographic trend over the past two decades has been towards a retirement residential community, with more expensive housing, fewer good job opportunities and fewer young families to support the
school improvements they deserve. As a result, we are experiencing the widening income gap seen on the
national and global stage.
Last but certainly not least, climate change introduces an inescapable aspect not accounted for in the
original plan. Emerging trends driven by a changing climate demand close attention due to the potential for
significant impacts on our local environment, economy, health and well-being.
Climate change impacts most likely to occur in our region are currently being studied and an early draft of
a report due out later this year shows that Port Townsend is on track for temperature variability, sea level rise and
changing watershed dynamics. And despite these challenges, we could experience rapid and currently unpredicted population growth as our region becomes a destination for those suffering much greater impacts across the
country. Whether these changes become obvious during this twenty year planning period or later in the 21st
century, the mounting costs and consequences of adapting to all these impacts will be challenging for us all.
While the trends are becoming better understood, it is not possible to predict with any degree of certainty
how events will unfold. Consequently, it is critically important that we focus on building individual and community resilience – the ability to manage change while maintaining our essential identity. Port Townsend has a proud history of resilience born by our self-reliant nature and willingness to work together.
The Plan Update process sets the stage for the ongoing community dialog and action required to bend these trends toward a desirable outcome. This newsletter, the City website and the local newspapers will alert you to future opportunities to engage in this process. Please participate!
April 2015
Port Townsend Water Resources Update
Port Townsend’s municipal water supply is dependent on rainfall and melting snowpack in the
Olympic Mountains. Whereas most years the maximum snowpack at the beginning of April
reaches close to 80” at the Mt. Crag reporting site (4000’ elevation), this year, as of mid March,
there is only 8”. Melting snow typically continues to feed stream flows through July. Most years
this results in the City beginning to draw from the Lords Lake Reservoir (500 million gallons) in
early September. The amount of water available to the City at any given time is dependent on
many factors. Accumulated snowpack is a key element but not the only one. The need to utilize
stored water also depends on how much rain is received during the summer months and how
early the fall rains begin as well as daily temperatures and water quality.
The City has drought operation policies in place and will be meeting with our largest customers,
including the Port Townsend Paper Corporation, throughout the spring and summer to discuss
the water situation.
Conservation is always important and we encourage our customers to reduce unnecessary wa-
ter use by doing such things as fixing leaks and watering lawns and gardens only as much as
necessary. However, implementation of our water shortage response plan is not necessary un-
til we have to start drawing on our stored water in Lords Lake.
Additional information is available on the City’s web site http://www.cityofpt.us/waterquality.htm
Spring Clean-Up Week
April 13-17
The City of Port Townsend and DM Dis-
posal are offering a Spring Clean-up
Week for customers inside Port Town-
send city limits.
On April 13—17, DM Disposal will pick up
3 extra cans/bags of garbage and/or yard
waste at no additional charge, and one
appliance per customer.
There will be a $20.00 Freon removal fee
for refrigerators and freezers. Other ap-
pliances will be picked up at no cost to
the customer.
If you have any questions, please call DM
Disposal at 360-385-6612.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Citizen Advisory Board Recruitment
The following committees have vacancies.
Arts Commission
Historic Preservation Committee
Library Advisory Board
Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory Board
Parks, Recreation and Tree Advisory Board
Applications are available in the City Clerk’s Office on the
second floor of City Hall, 250 Madison Street, Port Town-
send, WA. Call 379-5083 with questions and to request
an application form or download from www.cityofpt.us
(Boards & Commissions). Appointments are for three
years.
City residency or employment within the City is a
requirement for most positions.
eComment now available for City Council Meetings
This new feature gives citizens another way to voice their opinions. The Council receives your
public testimony before they discuss and take action on the topic. All meetings are open to the
public and public comment is solicited at most meetings. All agenda packet materials are
available and City meetings are broadcast live over the Internet. Archived videos, meeting ma-
terials, and minutes are accessible in a searchable archive. http://www.cityofpt.us/video.htm
Contact the City Clerk for more information or questions (Joanna Sanders 379-5083).
JEFFCO FREE LEGAL CLINIC
Presented by Clallam-Jefferson County ProBono Lawyers
April 11, 2015 from 12:00—3:00 PM
Port Townsend Senior Center—620 Tyler Street
This is a FREE, Open to the Public
Legal Advice One-on-One Consultation
with an Attorney
No Appointment is Necessary
Bring your questions and documents regarding:
Child Support Dissolution
Custody Landlord/Tenant
Domestic Violence Public Assistance
Creditor/Bankruptcy Employment
Wills & Estate Planning Foreclosure
For more information call 360-504-2422 or email
probonolawyers@gmail.com
DEAL WITH POISON HEMLOCK NOW!!
Poison Hemlock is a highly toxic plant that is already popping up all over Port
Townsend. You can recognize this noxious weed by its dark green fern-like
leaves and purple splotches on the hairless stem. The pretty white lacy flowers
start appearing in early summer, and beware – all parts of the plant are toxic.
There have been reported deaths in Washington from ingesting.
If you find poison hemlock, now is an excellent time to remove it – the plants
pull up easily as the ground is soft from the winter rain, and there are no flow-
ers or seeds with which to be concerned. Be sure to wear gloves and eye pro-
tection, leaving no skin exposed. Bag the plant(s) and take them to the Jeffer-
son County Yard Waste composting facility. Do not compost yourself and do
not burn as the toxins can be released into the air.
The Jefferson County Weed Board can help with identification and general advice. Call (360) 379-5610 ext
205, email noxiousweeds@co.jefferson.wa.us or visit our website at www.co.jefferson.wa.us/WeedBoard.
As Yard Sale Season is
upon us…. The City asks
you to review the follow-
ing information regarding
the Prohibited Posting
Of Signs
The PT Municipal Code
17.76.070 L. prohibits “Signs
attached to utility poles or traf-
fic signs.” This includes gar-
age sales, announcements,
advertising, etc.
Please contact the City’s
Development Services Dept.
at 379-5095 with questions
about sign regulations.
Job Announcements for the City of Port Townsend are posted at: http://www.cityofpt.us/Employment.htm