HomeMy WebLinkAbout03 March NewsletterCity is now annexed into the Fire District
The results of the vote held on February 12 revealed that two
of every three voters supported the City’s request to be
annexed into Fire Protec�on District #1 (dba East Jefferson
Fire Rescue or EJFR). That result came from both within city
limits and EJFR boundaries, handily exceeding the simple
majority needed to pass. It is very gra�fying to have both the
City and EJFR receive this level of support and you can be
confident that we will be diligent in fulfilling our stated goals
and keeping our commitments.
As a reminder, there are no changes to the Fire and EMS
service delivery we have enjoyed for years. What you will see
in 2019 is a ballot measure from EJFR asking to expand the
Board of Fire Commissioners from three to five members.
That will be followed by a vote finalizing the commissioner
district boundaries and eventually vo�ng to fill those
posi�ons. EJFR will be driving this state-directed process. We
will con�nue to work closely with EJFR during the transi�on
and will provide milestone updates as they occur. For the
most �mely informa�on, bookmark www.EJFR.org and
subscribe to their various social media outlets.
The change in funding comes in 2020 when your property tax
assessment replaces the City Fire/ EMS levies with the EJFR
Fire/EMS levies and decreases the City General Tax levy by
the amount previously dedicated to Fire service. City residents
will have an opportunity to provide guidance during a public
hearing in mid-2020 should the City Council consider levying
one-third of that amount for restricted purposes in 2021. All
these details are laid out on our website at:
www.cityofpt.us/administra�on/page/post-annexa�on-pro
perty-tax-policy-qa
Speaking of our website, here is a reprint of a recent news
release:
City Launches Re-Designed & More User-Friendly City Website
On February 04, 2019, City Manager David Timmons
announced the launch of the City and Library’s improved
websites, www.cityofpt.us and www.ptpubliclibrary.org,
which makes it easier for Port Townsend residents and others
to access services, find informa�on and engage with local
government.
The site includes: a search bar to ease your ability to find
items on the site; a Mega (Master) Menu across the top
with many items to help locate what you are looking for;
and email subscrip�ons so you can sign up to receive
no�fica�on on topics of interest.
The website prominently features links to many of the City’s
most popular online pages, such as job opportuni�es,
permi�ng, the City newsle�er, Library programs, and trash
and recycling informa�on.
“I want visitors, residents and businesses to have the best
experience possible when engaging with the City online.”
– David Timmons City Manager
A compe��ve process was conducted to solicit
experienced government web designers to complete the
website redesign. Municode was selected for its
experience in crea�ng professional and user-friendly
government websites. A taskforce/commi�ee led by Kelly
Graves in City Administra�on with staff members from all
City Departments worked to implement the website
redesign project.
Pyramid Consul�ng delivered a City Communica�on Plan in
2017. The plan included a recommenda�on that the City
improve its website pla�orm to u�lize new technology and
provide more accessible informa�on. The community can
now visit our website to get informa�on and facts about
City happenings and projects.
Since many individuals access the internet from their cell
phones and tablets, the technology needed to work well
with these types of devices. The website u�lizes responsive
web design technology that allows the website to
automa�cally resize for viewing on a smart phone or tablet.
The new site also features improvements to ADA
compliance, language access and general usability.
“I see this as the foundation recommendation plan
implementation. It has modernized our website to make it
easier for residents to navigate and staff to manage. It
provides new features like email subscriptions and sets the
stage for broadening communications through social
media.” – Mayor Deb S�nson
March 2019 Newsletter
The mayor’s update
new City Website has some great new features!
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us
TRANSFERS
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Hopefully you have had the chance to check out our new City website. It is definitely different then our old
website, and there are a couple features that might be helpful to know.
Home bu�on:
The City logo in the top le� corner is the home bu�on, and no ma�er what page you are on if you click this
logo it will take you back to the main home page shown above.
Mega Menu - The mega menu across the top lists four main categories:
Government - Links to pages most directly related to City government such as City Council’s page, Council
mee�ngs, and Boards and Commissions pages. There is a link to civics 101 videos from the Associa�on of
Washington Ci�es to explain some of the innerworkings of a city.
Departments - Each department page has informa�on about what that department does for the City and
the community, as well as related documents and resources.
Community - Community-related items, such as City parks and trails.
How Do I - Another way to help residents find informa�on, with catagories such as How Do I Pay, Regester
for, Apply for.
Search Bar
The new website is set up so that you should be able to find most items in three clicks or less, but some�mes
you just cannot find what you are looking for. If that is the case now you can type the name into the search
bar and it will pull up all the pages with that word in it and a link to get you directly to the page you need.
Make A Difference!
Code Compliance and Spring Cleaning
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us
Ci�zen 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:
Climate Ac�on Commi�ee • Arts Commission • Parks, Recrea�on and Tree Advisory Board •
Lodging Tax Advisory Commi�ee (Recipient • Non-Motorized Transporta�on Advisory Board
Applica�ons are available on the City website boards and commissions page www.cityofpt.us. You can also pick up a
hard copy applica�on in the City Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall. Call (379) 5083 with ques�ons.
City residency or employment within the City is a requirement for most posi�ons. Appointments are generally three
years. More informa�on on the individual boards/commissions can also be found on the City’s website.
Saturday, March 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
(members of the Friends admi�ed at 8:00 a.m.)
Loca�on: Port Townsend Community Center
(corner of Lawrence & Tyler)
If you currently have an ac�ve code compliance case and are looking for assistance to help you achieve compliance, keep in
mind April’s annual Spring Clean Up event through Olympic Disposal.
Spring Clean Up week is April 22nd - 26th - During this �me Olympic Disposal will:
• pick-up three extra 32 gallon garbage cans or three yard waste bags at no addi�onal charge for customers
inside City limits.
• pick-up one appliance per customer at no charge.
*there is a removal fee of $20 (for refrigerators or freezers) plus the disposal weight of the item,
which will be added to your garbage bill.
To schedule an appliance pick up, please contact Olympic Disposal at (360) 452-7278.
Is your business or property ready for inspec�on? To schedule an inspec�on related to your code compliance case, you may
contact Code Compliance Officer, Ka�e Quesada at (360) 379-5094.
The Port Townsend Main Street Program offers Low Interest HUD Loans to Rehab Commercial Buildings in
Port Townsend’s Commercial Historic Districts. APPLICATION DUE DATE: March 15, 2019 at 5:00 .pm. These
funds can help property owners accomplish historic preserva�on goals and safety improvements in their
buildings and is available to commercial buildings in Port Townsend's Downtown and Uptown Commercial
Historic Districts. With these funds, building owners have painted the exterior of their buildings, repaired
roofs, fixed staircases, re-pointed brick facades, installed windows and improved the safety of their buildings.
To learn more, visit www.ptmainstreet.org or call (360) 385-7911.
The Port Townsend Main Street Program is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organiza�on: Our mission is to preserve, promote,
and enhance our historic business districts.
Friends of the Library - Book Sale
Community Happenings
CDs, DVDs and a myriad of books!
2019 Community Read
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us