HomeMy WebLinkAbout022415 Final Minutes - Tech Committee
OUTLINE MINUTES
2016 Comprehensive Plan Technical Committee
(Name of Committee, Board, Task Force, Commission)
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Time: 3:00 Location: City Hall, Conference Rm. 3 Scribe: Judy Surber
Members Present:
Jared Keefer, MPH, RS (Jefferson County Director of Environmental Health and Water Quality)
Guests:
None
Staff Present:
Judy Surber (Planning Manager)
Topic Recommendation/Action Follow-up
(if needed)
Meeting Purpose
–Judy Surber gave an
overview of the purpose of the Growth
Management Act & meeting goals. The
Planning Commission is developing a
recommended workprogram for the 2016
Comprehensive Plan Update. As part of
that process we need to:
- Identify key data sets that describe our
community
- Examine whether the assumptions
underpinning the Plan remain valid.
- Identify data sets that demonstrate where our
plan has succeeded or fallen short
- Identify changed circumstances (or lack of
change) that indicate the need to amend the
Plan.
- Committee was directed to keep a view
towards those trends the city may be able to
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Topic Recommendation/Action Follow-up
(if needed)
affect through policy, regulatory changes, or
capital investment.
Review of 1996 Comprehensive Plan
Judy described Key Concepts of the 1996
Comprehensive Plan
Overview of Potential Data Sets
Judy Surber reviewed data sets that had
been identified by staff and the Planning
Commission based on Economic
Feasibility Study for the Howard Street
Corridor, Speaker Series at the Planning
Commission and the Comprehensive Plan
Assessment Criteria in Chapter
20.04PTMC and input from the 2/19
Technical Committee
Optional Amendments - Themes
Judy gave a brief overview of the trends that
have been identified and based on these
trends, the four potential optional amendment
“themes” that have emerged:
Economic Development; Planning for
Transition and Community Resilience;
Revisiting the Mixed Use Center
Designations; Policies and Capital
Improvements that Support Young
Families and Youth
Given limited time and resources the City
Council may choose to focus only on the
2
Topic Recommendation/Action Follow-up
(if needed)
GMA mandated updates or choose to
address a limited number of Optional
Amendments. However, the process could
include “placeholders” for future action on
optional themes identified.
Q&A: Jared discussed trends:
Children tend to be poor, more
prone to drug and alcohol abuse,
and mental health issues.
Obesity – tends to be on par with
other jurisdictions
Middle class disappearing
Increasing occurrence of Mental
health
Jefferson Co. is federally
recognized as a shortage area for
dental/primary/mental health care
Jared anticipates continued job growth in
healthcare sector.
Jared suggested a ‘health in all policies’
approach to address health trends for the
comp plan update.
He suggested the City continue to work
on:
Living wage jobs – Howard Street
Non-motorized infrastructure
3
Topic Recommendation/Action Follow-up
(if needed)
improvements (e.g., trails,
crosswalks, sidewalks, and
lighting)
Stormwater infrastructure
Services (e.g., access to food and
clothing stores)
Steps to support young working
families (existing and new)
Being from the younger demographic,
Jared appreciates Port Townsend for:
Small town character
Sense of community
Restaurants
Trails
Quirky individualism
Work in proximity to home (no
long commute through traffic)
Jared is on the food policy Council. In
regards local food, he noted that the
definition of “local” varies – here, he
would say food from the Peninsula.
Public Comment
None.
Next Steps:
Judy described the process
for developing the Work Program
including Workgroups for each of the 5
Plan elements, a Town Meeting and
Hearings before the Planning Commission
and City Council.
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