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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09 September NewsletterSeptember 2018 Newsletter The mayor’s update NEW PHONE NUMBER FOR CITY COUNCIL We now have a single phone number to reach any of our seven Council Members. 360-379-2980 provides callers with a menu to direct calls to a specific member. The goal is to make it easier for you to reach City Council, so this number will remain the same as individuals come and go. ANOTHER STELLAR AUDIT CONCLUSION! I am happy to report that the State Auditors’ Office completed three 2017 audits of the City that included a financial statement audit, an accountability audit (internal controls and procedures) and a single audit (major federal and state grants). The City received “clean” audit reports for each of these areas, meaning that the auditors found no “findings”, misstatements or significant issues/concerns. I am also very pleased report that our City Manager, David Timmons was recently given the Excellence Award for ci�es under 10,000 popula�on, from the Washington Ci�es Management Associa�on. Our City Manager’s nomina�on for this recogni�on was from one of his colleagues and recognizes the excellent body of work that has been done in our community. What makes this even more special is this recogni�on comes from his peers in the profession. RECRUITING OUR NEXT CITY MANAGER We have known for some �me now that David Timmons, Port Townsend’s first and only City Manager, will be moving into the next phase of his life in pursuit of other adventures next July. Un�l that �me, he will con�nue to focus on the City’s daily opera�ons while comple�ng priori�zed projects. It is up to City Council to find the next City Manager who will be ready pick up the reigns when David heads to his next venture. Council started that process by adop�ng the City Manager Transi�on Plan 2018/2019. (Find the plan in the agenda for the January 22 Business Mee�ng at www.cityofpt.us/video.html ) We have been implemen�ng the transi�on plan through the first part of this year by focusing on execu�ng iden�fied priori�es, reorganizing staff and accelera�ng our budget process to be�er dovetail with the late-year recruitment ac�vi�es. I have also been working with Nora Mitchell, Director of Finance and Administra�ve Services, to create a recruitment plan with guidelines provided by the Interna�onal City Managers Associa�on (ICMA) and best prac�ces used by other ci�es. Recruitment gets kicked off with a strategic planning retreat on September 27 & 28 led by a consultant who will guide the process by drawing on his experiences as City Manager and as an ac�ve ICMA par�cipant. Council Members and Department Heads are preparing for the retreat by revisi�ng the City’s Comprehensive Plan and related func�onal plans. The first retreat day can then be dedicated to priori�zing our broad strategic focus areas for the next five years founded on the adopted community vision that has been ar�culated through mul�ple public processes. At the �me of this wri�ng, we are s�ll crea�ng the process for City residents to provide their thoughts for priori�zing our strategic focus areas. Please watch for press releases and informa�on on our website for details on that process. The second day will be focused on formula�ng the ideal profile of skills, and a�ributes needed to successfuly implement our community’s strategic vision. By the end of this retreat, we will have our first dra� of recruitment materials to pass along to an appointed Community Task Force for further community-based refinement. I can share more on that process in a future newsle�er. For now, I thank you for taking the �me to read about our plans for facilita�ng a smooth transi�on in this important City posi�on. MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Citizen Advisory Board Recruitment The City encourages ac�ve par�cipa�on in local government by solici�ng interested ci�zens to serve on various advisory boards and commissions that make recommenda�ons on specific issues or policies to the City Council. Current opportuni�es to serve include: Library Advisory Board, Lodging Tax Advisory Commi�ee (Recipient), Non-Motorized Transporta�on Advisory Board, and Civil Service Commission (must be a resident of Port Townsend for three years) Applica�ons are available in the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, as well as on the City’s website. www.cityofpt.us Mountain View Pool Compost Facility City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • 360-385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us Ad Hoc Committee on Housing/Special Meeting City Council Regular Business Meeting Historic Preservation Committee Arts Commission Non-Motorized Transportation Board Ad Hoc Committee on Housing/Special Meeting* City Council Workshop Meeting Ad Hoc Committee on Committees Planning Commission City Council Regular Business Meeting EJFR Joint Oversight Ad Hoc Committee on Housing Finance & Budget Committee Park, Rec & Tree Advisory Committee Planning Commission City Council Retreat Board of County Commissioners Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall - 3rd Floor Conference Room City Hall - 3rd Floor Conference Room City Hall - 1st Floor Conference Room Board of County Commissioners Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers 35 Critter Lane City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall, Council Chambers City Hall - 1st Floor Conference Room City Hall, Council Chambers Cotton Building 3:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. 4:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 8 -5:00 p.m. Meeting dates are subject to change. Visit our website for a complete list of meetings and the most current meeting dates and times. * Meeting is tentative JOIN US AT THE LIBRARY! School is back in session and Mountain View Pool now has our Fall schedule. All current schedules and hours are posted on our website: www.cityofpt.us/pool • Swim lesson opportuni�es available • The REDfins are gearing up for another great season • Cosmic Swim is the last Friday of each month from 7:00 p.m. -9 :00 p.m. • Open swim and lap swim �mes - Bring the en�re family! See you soon, in the pool! Compost is s�ll available for sale at our Compost Facility. $12.00/yd or $9.00/yd for 10+ yards Upcoming City Meetings 1. Highest capital revenue – 6th 2. Highest opera�ng expenditures per capita – 4th 3. Highest personnel expenditures per capita – 8th 4. Highest interlibrary loans received and provided. (This one’s misleading because they consider an item borrowed from one of our consor�um libraries an ILL – 4th and 5th ) 5. Highest circula�on per capita – 2nd 6. Highest annual library a�endance per capita – 6th 7. Highest reference transac�ons per capita – 5th 8. Lowest popula�on to staff ra�o – 8th Every year the Washington State Library collects the Washington Public Library Sta�s�cs. Look how our City Library ranked in comparison to other Washington Public Libraries. The City of Port Townsend Public Library made the top ten in eight categories: Mon Tue Tue Wed Thu Mon Mon Tue Thu Mon Wed Thu Tue Tue Thu Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept 4 4 4 5 6 10 10 11 13 17 19 20 25 25 27 27-28Thu-Fri When you decide to undertake a home improvement project, you may be considering style and color. But don’t forget one important step: Determining if you will need a building permit. The 2015 Interna�onal Residen�al Building Code, Sec�on 105.1 provides a list of projects that are exempt from a building permit. When in doubt call and ask one of our Permit Technicians or other Building staff. 360-379-5095. Building permits are required for most construc�on or remodeling projects and they ensure the safety of the work and its compliance with building, construc�on, and zoning codes. Projects most likely to require a permit are those that change the structure or use of a building or have the poten�al to create unsafe condi�ons. These are some types of projects that require a building permit: Add or remove walls, replace siding or windows, change the use of a room (conver�ng a�c space into a lo�), change the plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems in your house (if you obtain an electrical permit from Labor and Industries, you are required to apply for a City Building Permit), re-roof your house, demolish a por�on of your house, build a deck, or build a fence over 7 feet. What if I purchased a house that has had unpermi�ed work done? Contact our Permit Technicians to get you started on the path to compliance. Our staff will work with you to make your home compliant. We want you to be safe. Working without a Building Permit. If you are caught working without a building permit you will be issued a Stop Work Order, you may incur addi�onal fees, and you may have to remove all the unpermi�ed work that has been done. When people do work without the required building permits it slows the permi�ng and plan review process down for everyone. Staff that performs inspec�on and plan review are the same that perform the inves�ga�ons of unpermi�ed work. New Big Belly Trash System Attend a Community Event City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • 360-385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us The City has deployed the new Big Belly trash system in the downtown and uptown areas. The Big Belly units have replaced some of the City-owned trash cans in areas that had the highest volumes and the most frequent overflows. These units have solar compactors that have five �mes the capacity which will reduce the number of overflows that lead to unsightly and unsanitary condi�ons. In addi�on, each of the units has a recycling bin which prevents materials that could be recycled from ending up in the waste stream. The system has been averaging a 15% diversion rate. The system is a “smart” system which can alert staff to cans which are near or at capacity. The system also will produce reports showing pick up rates, recycling diversion percentages and overflow rates. This will allow staff to evaluate placement of current units or the need for any addi�onal units. To read more about the Big Belly system go to www.bigbelly.com Residential - When are building permits required SAVE THE DATE Thursday, October 4th, 2018 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Main Street Girls' Night Out -- Girl Power, Strong Women! Proceeds benefit Jefferson Healthcare Founda�on, to help provide breast and cervical cancer screenings, care and treatment for low income Jefferson County residents, and the Port Townsend Main Street Program, a 501c3 nonprofit. For more informa�on, visit www.ptmainstreet.org. Keeping chickens has become a popular trend sparking code changes country wide to allow for minor agriculture and the keeping of fowl even in some inner city urban environments. Some people like the idea of waking up and collec�ng fresh eggs in the morning, but not as many people enjoy waking up to a rooster’s crow. While roosters are not required for egg produc�on, many people s�ll choose to have them. With chickens being permi�ed in higher density residen�al zones with typically smaller lots, neighbors live closer to each other and are more likely to be affected by the smells and noise that agriculture uses may produce. Chickens are permi�ed in all residen�al zones. Roosters are not prohibited, however, if they are reported as a nuisance they will be treated as any other nuisance offense in the City. An enforcement le�er will be issued to the owner to abate the nuisance on the property and if the situa�on cannot be resolved in any other way than for the rooster to be relocated, that may be the solu�on required to gain compliance. Below are our Municipal Codes related to rooster nuisance Port Townsend Municipal Codes Zoning regula�ons / Nuisance regula�ons / Public disturbance noise prohibited: PTMC Table 17.16.020, Residen�al Zoning Districts – Permi�ed, Condi�onal and Prohibited Uses, under Agricultural Uses, “small animal husbandry, noncommercial” is permi�ed in all residen�al zones.” PTMC 9.08.020(S), “the keeping or harboring of any fowl which by frequent habitual crowing or the making of other noises shall annoy or disturb a neighborhood or any considerable number of persons.” PTMC 9.09.030 Public disturbance noise prohibited, “C. Prohibi�on – Specific. Except as provided in this chapter (see PTMC 9.09.040, Exemp�ons and special provisions), crea�on of the following sounds so as to unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort, and repose of one or more persons of average sensi�vi�es are determined to be public disturbance noises. The list is not exclusive of other sounds that cons�tute public disturbance noise, or noises that are otherwise prohibited by law.” 8. “The frequent, repe��ve or intermi�ently con�nuous sounds made by any animal, owned by or in the possession of a person, including but not limited to, barking, howling, yelping, or whining. Animal noise defined in this sec�on is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, and is subject to abatement procedures, seizure and impoundment, as prescribed by law. “ Having Roosters in Residential Neighborhoods Capital Project Updates City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • 360-385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us JEFFERSON STREET SIDEWALK The project provides a sidewalk connec�on between Uptown and Downtown on Jefferson Street and Quincy Street. It links the sidewalk at the top of Haller Fountain stairs to Washington Street adjacent to the Bishop Hotel. Design is completed, and the project will be going out to adver�sement for bids in September. Construc�on is expected to start end of September and be complete prior to the end of the year. The project includes new curb ramps at Quincy and Washington and an uphill bike lane on Quincy Street and Jefferson Street from Washington Street to Taylor Street. For project informa�on please visit the Public Works Capital Projects webpage at www.cityofpt.us/dsd/capitalprojects.html COMPLETE STREETS PROJECTS The Complete Streets Project is a grant the City received from the Transporta�on Improvement Board (TIB) for mul�ple loca�ons around the City. A sidewalk on 9th Street from Hancock Street to Grant Street will provide be�er access to the hospital district. New ADA compliant curb ramps on Washington Street (Downtown and at the Post Office) will improve ADA accessibility to adjacent exis�ng sidewalks. The projects are in the design phase with construc�on expected to start in the Spring of 2019. For project informa�on please visit the Public Works Capital Projects webpage at www.cityofpt.us/dsd/capitalprojects.html