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Home My WebLink About07 - July NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter July 2016 A Note from the Mayor... Deborah StinsonMayor For the week of June 6-10, the Pacific Northwest was the focal point of the National Level Exercise known as Cascadia Rising. This drill, designed to test our collective capability to respond to a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resultant tsunami, included government, military and private agencies from the local to the national level. Port Townsend’s participation was guided through Jefferson County’s Department of Emergency Management (DEM). Despite the lack of any additional funding for this drill, the DEM pulled together an impressive coalition of community volunteers, National Guard and staff members representing state and local jurisdictions. As DEM Director Bob Hamlin pointed out, Cascadia Rising was not the end of a long process but rather the beginning. It will take some time to compile the lessons learned from this massive exercise and what we learn will provide the foundation from which we can build an even more robust emergency management plan. While we must wait to hear more definitively about what was learned about emergency management at the local, state and national level, I could not help but notice how clearly this exercise demonstrated the power of working together. Working together is something we must do well if we are to successfully address the vexing challenges of our times. There are many local examples of where we have come together to achieve common goals with mutual benefit. Last year’s drought provides one recent challenge we overcame together. The City worked with State and Federal agencies to increase the capacity of our reservoirs, the Port Townsend Paper Co. took early and deep measures to curtail their water usage and citizens imple- mented their own water conservation methods at home and at work. It took this level of cooperation to see us through to autumn rains. We now have a template for years when water levels fall well below historic lows. (2016 may be one of those years, so please be thinking now about your own conservation measures.) The periodic update to our Comprehensive Plan is another place where broad citizen engagement and cross jurisdictional stakeholder input provided guidance and focus for City Staff, Planning Commission and City Council. The final product that is still working its way through this collaborative process has benefited from those diverse perspectives and will provide us with growth management plan to achieve our collective long-range vision for Port Townsend. We are already looking to our recently adopted Three-year Strategic Plan to help us tackle the five key issues of the Comprehen- sive Plan. Success for each of the identified objectives will require working together with citizens as well as public and private partners. Chief among those is the long-running challenge to provide housing that is affordable within our prevailing wage and income structures. Some promising partnerships are already starting to form and I look forward to seeing more such efforts in the coming months. I hope that, like me, you are reassured and energized by the vision of the collective impact we can bring to bear by working together. Pictured Above: Front to back: Matt Stewart – JC Public Works, Chris Bruning – WA DOT, Dan McDaniel – JC PUD, Joe Nole – JC Under Sheriff, Mike Evans – PT Police Chief, Sam Neville – EJFR, Bob Hamlin JC DEM, Mark Clemens – JC DEM, Julia Danskin – JC Public Health Photo provided by Keppie Keplinger of DEM 360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us The City has hired our first Code Compliance Officer The Code Compliance Officer will be working to develop the city’s code enforcement program and is responsible for investigating and enforcing building, land use and other nuisance regulations under the Port Townsend Municipal Code. The purpose of these codes is to preserve and improve the health, safety and general welfare of Port Townsend residents. You will see additional articles in upcoming newsletters on specific topics related to code enforcement. The Code Compliance Officer will be working with property and business owners to voluntarily bring their properties into compliance to the benefit of the property owner as well as surrounding neighborhoods to ensure that Port Townsend remains a high quality place to live, work and play. Code compliance actions are taken by priority status, in response to citizen concerns or complaints as well as compliance issues related to other city departments. Daily fines, civil or criminal infractions and/or involuntary abatement processes are only taken as a secondary approach when attempts to gain compliance through voluntary efforts by the property owner are unsuccessful. Typical calls for complaint include; garbage, junk vehicles, attractive nuisances, zoning and critical areas violations, vacant buildings, illegal dwelling units, sign regulations and weed and vegetation fire hazards on private property. If you have been notified in the past by Development Services that a code violation exists on your property or in association with your business, you may be contacted to check the status of compliance on your case or to determine if further action is necessary. If you are unsure if your case was resolved or need assistance on corrective steps towards compliance, you are welcome to contact the Code Compliance Officer. As we enter the summer months with drier weather and a potential repeat of the drought issues experienced last year at this time, we would like to ask that you help us keep our community safe by cutting and maintaining any grass and vegetation on your properties to reduce potential fire hazards. The Code Compliance Officer has already started receiving complaints in this area and will be sending letters out asking that property owners maintain the vegetation on their property. To report a concern or potential code violation access the Citizen Concern/Request Form links provided on our main website page. THERE IS NO OPEN BURNING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF PORT TOWNSEND As a special message for the month of July - Use of fireworks within Port Townsend city limits is banned. Possession or discharge of any fireworks is illegal within city limits. For more information regarding fire regulations please see the East Jefferson Fire-Rescue website at: http://www.ejfr.org/index.php To contact the City’s Code Compliance Officer: Katie Quesada/360-379-5094/kquesada@cityofpt.us Overgrown Vegetation Due to record drought issues over the past year vegetation can be very dry and more susceptible to catching fire, with the potential to spread to adjacent structures and properties. Overgrown vegetation violates sections 9.08.020E, 9.10.010D and 16.04.020D of the Port Townsend Municipal Code (adopting section 304 of the International Fire Code). If you receive a notice from the City of Port Townsend that your property is in violation, please take corrective measures to cut your vegetation back by the deadline prescribed and contact the Code Compliance Officer for a follow up site visit in order to close your case out. Property owners have ten (10) days to correct the violation. If grass, weeds, or noxious vegetation are not removed within that timeframe, daily fines and or abatement action will be enforced to obtain compliance to keep our neighborhoods’ safe. Mountain View Pool is now offering a Youth Summer Pass. For only $100 kids age 4-18 years get unlimited access to the pool from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Come Everyday or twice a day.Stay cool this summer at Mountain View Pool! 1925 Blaine St • 360-385-POOL(7665) • www.cityofpt.us/pool 360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us Port Townsend Main Street Program’s Downtown Port Townsend rocks with free all-ages Concerts on the Dock Thursdays July 14th through September 1st at Pope Marine Park Plaza. This music on the waterfront is sponsored by the Port Townsend Main Street Program, Homer Smith Insurance, Kitsap Credit Union, Uptown Pub & Grill, Port Townsend Fudge Co., KPTZ 91.9 FM, The Peninsula Daily News, The CoLab, the City of Port Townsend and generous local businesses. Local vendors and a Beer/Wine & Cider Garden contribute to the festive atmosphere. Seating opens at 4:30pm, music from 5- 7:30 pm. • July 14th – Kevin Mason & The PT All Stars • July 21st – Uncle Funk & The Dope Six • July 28th – Locust Street Taxi • August 4th – Toolshed Trio with Abakis • August 11th – Olympic Express Big Band • August 18th – Cold Comfort with Kilcid Band • August 25th – Joy in Mudville • September 1st – Lucky Brown & The Funk Revolution 2016 GMA Periodic Update slated for Council hearing The City is in the process of conducting a "periodic update" to its comprehensive plan and development regulations. The comprehensive plan is a 20-year planning document that sets the framework for the physical, social and economic development of the City. The 2016 update includes mandatory revisions necessary to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA) as well as locally suggested amendments to: • Prepare Port Townsend for transition and resilience • Promote a wider range of housing types and • Foster economic development During the 2014-2015 public participation program, these issues were identified as community priorities. Public input was received via stakeholder work groups, a Town Meeting with over 100 participants, SpeakUp PT on-line survey with over 500 participants, SpeakUp PT Discussion Forum for each of the five elements of the Comprehensive Plan, written and verbal comments to the Planning Commis- sion/Council. Planning Commission reviewed the draft amendments during a series of ten meetings (January 14–May 26, 2016). The public was invited to submit written/verbal comment at each of the Planning Commission meetings. Council will consider the Planning Commission recommen- dation at an open record public hearing, anticipated in early August. Please check the City’s meeting calendar on the city website at: http://www.cityofpt.us/ How do I provide input on the 2016 Comprehensive Plan Updates? 1) Review Draft documents at City Hall or via the city’s web- site: http://www.cityofpt.us/dsd/compplan.html 2) Attend public hearing before Council and offer verbal testimony 3) Use eComment on the City’s website: http://cityofpt.us/video.html 4) Submit written comments to City Council either to 2016Update@cityofpt.us or to the City Clerk at 250 Madison Street, Suite 2, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan Concerts on the Dock For more information, visit www.ptmainstreet.org 360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us Summer Reading ProgramSummer Reading Program Water Treatment Facility Construction Update: At the reservoir, the reinforced concrete roof at 160 foot diameter is complete and shoring inside the tank is being removed. The reservoir pre-stressing contractor should be on site early July to start wrapping the outside of the tank walls with tensioned wires and a shotcrete coating. At the water treatment facility (WTF), the building is now closed in with a raised seam metal roof. And the membrane filter process equipment is in place with plans underway for piping and electrical to connect the various process systems. A major milestone was recently accomplished with the success- ful tie-in of the project to the existing raw water 24” pipeline currently feeding the City. The Off-site utility contractor for water, sewer and communications feeds to the plant has completed their work, and the Jeff Co PUD has pulled new electrical power transmission wires to the plant site. Note that the new trail installed by the project along the east side of Rainier Street from Discovery Road to the trail extension to intersection of Howard Street and 20th Street is paved and open. An orange construction fence acts as a safety divider to separate construction traffic from an access road along a portion of Rainier Street. S ave the Dat eSave the Dat e More info c oming in t he August News lett er Please be safe and remember that the individual use of fireworks is always prohibited within City limits. Join the Port Townsend Public Library for an odyssey of adventure! Together we will explore Ancient Greece, the tradition of the Olympic Games, health, tness, and friendship. All ages are encouraged to sign up for the library’s Summer Reading program. Kids and teens who read for 10 hours get a free book and if they read for 50 hours they are a “Super Reader” and they get an awesome t-shirt designed by Jesse Watson. Adults can earn a t-shirt if they read 100 hours. See the library’s great programs at http://www.ptpubliclibrary.org/ Have a Safe & Happy 4th of July