Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04 April NewsletterCity Manager Recruitment Recruitment for Port Townsend’s next City Manager is now underway. The City Council engaged Peckham & McKenney to assist in conduc�ng the search. Mul�ple firms provided proposals but Peckham & McKenney’s approach seemed to be the best fit for us. In fact, the firm’s tagline is “All about fit” which is certainly a major considera�on as we search for the best candidate to serve as our next City Manager. Phil McKenney is the lead recruiter on this engagement, and he spent several days in town in early March, touring our community and mee�ng with members of City Council, Staff and our Community Task Force Lead. Previous newsle�ers provided updates on the earlier public process that included the appointment of a Task Force that engaged the community if the following ways: • 13 City residents represen�ng a variety of community groups, interests and demographics served on the Task Force. • 10 public Task Force mee�ngs were held between October 2018 – January 2019. • One public conversa�on was convened with 40-50 community members in a�endance. • Focus group conversa�ons were conducted with City Advisory Boards and Commissions and the Jefferson County CEO group. • A public survey was sent to all Port Townsend addresses and was available online – all 348 survey responses were read and processed by the Task Force. We appreciate every individual who par�cipated in the Task Force’s process. As a compila�on of all the informa�on shared by the community, the Task Force created and presented documents containing the “Ideal Candidate Profile”, “Opportuni�es for Strategic Leadership” and “Public Process Next Steps” to City Council on January 25th. All Task Force recommenda�ons were adopted as presented. The work of the Task Force was outstanding, and we are extremely grateful for their efforts and the many hours of work on this advisory commi�ee. The recruitment brochure incorporates the work of the Task Force. The applica�on materials can be obtained either through links on the City of Port Townsend’s website, or on Peckham & McKenney’s website: peckhamandmckenney.com Key dates in the search schedule include: • Applica�on Filing Deadline April 29 • Preliminary Interviews April 30 – May 15 • Recommenda�on of Candidates May 20 • Finalist Interview Process June 17 More informa�on will be shared through this newsle�er or, for more up to date details, check the City’s website under Latest News at www.cityofpt.us April 2019 Newsletter The mayor’s update City Council Meetings in April April 1: City Council Business Mee�ng - 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. April 8: City Council Workshop Mee�ng - 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. April 15: City Council Business Mee�ng - 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Check out the New Library Website! City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us TRANSFERS 16.5% Hopefully you have had the chance to check out our new library website! It is definitely different then our old website, and there are some features that might be helpful to know. Here’s some of what you can find on the homepage. Home bu�on - The library 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 homepage shown above. Mega Menu - The mega menu across the top lists four main categories: • Using The Library – Includes subcategories such as: About Us, Using the Library, Services, Support the Library. Here you can find out how to get a library card, where book drops are located and other helpful informa�on. • Services – Includes subcategories for: Databases and Resources. Here you can learn things like, how to stream videos and download ebooks with your library card. Also, you can learn how to support the Library through our Friends of the Library or Library Founda�on groups. • Programs – Want to a�end a story �me or fiber arts program at the library? Look here. • How Do I - Another way to find informa�on, like how to volunteer at the library or read the Friends of the Library newsle�er. Catalog Search Box – Quick access to the en�re online library catalog! Upcoming Events Box – A lis�ng of the week’s upcoming library events. This is just a snapshot of some of the amazing things you can do with our new website. We hope to see you online or in person soon! What’s Happening at the Library? City Solid Waste (Garbage & Recycling) Contract City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us The City is in the process of upda�ng our solid waste contract, and will be focusing on level of service. You can see the presenta�on that was done at the March 11 Council Mee�ng on our website. If you have any ques�ons or com- ments regarding the solid waste contract we ask you to submit them through our concern portal. You can get to that from our main website and click the Report a Concern bu�on. www.cityofpt.us. (click on “March 11 Council Meeing” above to be directed to the solid waste presenta�on) Adult Programs The Metaphysical City: Six Ways of Understanding the Urban Milieu Thursday, May 2, 7:00 p.m., Port Townsend Library, 1220 Lawrence Street Ci�es are perhaps the most complex crea�on of humankind, eluding defini�on and understanding. Using the six metaphors of creature, human being, jail cell, thing/NOT, home, and spectacle and linking these respec�vely to the ci�es of New York, Paris, Cairo, Mumbai, Tokyo, and Los Angeles, I try to add an important tool to the comprehension of the urban milieu. 50 Things to Do with a Poem - A Workshop in Honor of Na�onal Poetry Month 20 Thursday, April 18, 7:00 p.m., Port Townsend Library, 1220 Lawrence Street It’s �me to get poems out of drawers and notebooks and computer files and into the world. Whether you have wri�en one poem or a thousand, beau�ful words are meant to be shared. Over her many years as a prac�cing poet and wri�ng teacher, Joanne Clarkson has compiled a list of 50 things to do with poems. Par�cipants in this workshop will discuss these ideas, complete with successful examples. Addi�onal materials include: places to publish, wri�ng prompts, and how to stay posi�ve in the face of rejec�on. The event is free and poets and poetry lovers of all levels of exper�se are welcome. North Olympic Peninsula Farming Film Fes�val - Oyster Farming Thursday, April 25, 7:00 p.m., Port Townsend Library, 1220 Lawrence Street Free film - Oyster Farming: Restora�on of the Olympia Oyster and Community Shellfish Farming and Water Quality Restora�on. Youth Programs Sing-a-Ling with Keeth Apgar from Harmonica Pocket Thursday, April 11, 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Port Townsend Library, 1220 Lawrence Street Sing-A-Ling gets toddlers, preschoolers, families and the greater community into our bodies and singing together. Part story �me, part sing-along and fully loaded with laughs, the select songs and rhyming stories in this show combine finger play, movement, picture books, upli�ing acous�c music and an engaging, highly-interac�ve banter between audience and presenter. Pappenspiel Friday, April 19, 5:30 p.m., Port Townsend Library, 1220 Lawrence Street "Pappenspiel" is a bicycle-traveling, trunk size, tabletop stage. It is derived from a type of 1850's Central European puppetry and storytelling form using paper figures as illustra�ons. It is referred to as Papiertheater (paper theater). "Pappenspiel" (paper play) is a community oriented solo show by "Max" Eberhard Eichner, a Berlin, Germany, born and raised ar�st. All ages are welcome. www.cityofpt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1887&meta_id=165061the presenta�on that was done at the www.cityofpt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1887&meta_id=165061the presenta�on that was done at the March 11 Council Mee�ngwww.cityofpt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1887&meta_id=165061March 11 Council Mee�ng on our website. If you have any ques�ons or comwww.cityofpt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1887&meta_id=165061 on our website. If you have any ques�ons or com Code Compliance City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360)385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us Community Happenings Effec�ve May 29, 2017, The City of Port Townsend adopted into the Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC), Chapter 17.57 Bed and Breakfast Inns and Tourist Homes, and Chapter 5.45 Opera�on of Bed and Breakfast Inns and Tourist Homes. On July 3, 2017, the Development Services Department issued le�ers advising previously permi�ed Short Term Rental owners of the newly adopted regula�ons. One requirement is to include their City issued six-digit, Short Term Rental business license number on all adver�sing of their Short Term Rental unit, including online vaca�on rental websites. On May 1, 2019, the City’s Code Compliance Officer will begin issuing enforcement le�ers to any Short Term Rental owners opera�ng outside of the condi�ons issued with their approved condi�onal use permit, and/or not displaying their six-digit, Short Term Rental business license number on all adver�sements associated with their Short Term Rental. If you have ques�ons regarding your Short Term Rental, please contact Code Compliance Officer Ka�e Quesada at (360) 379.5094. kquesada@cityofpt.us Having a mini-business emergency? Port Townsend Main Street Program "LENT Microloan Fund Loans” for businesses in the commercial historic districts, deadline is Monday, April 15, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Purpose of LENT Funds: Low-Interest Microloan Funds are a tool to offset some of the financial impacts businesses endure from emergency situa�ons, though business development proposals will be considered. Priority will be given to business owners who are experiencing a loss of business due to natural disaster, infrastructure failure, major equipment failure, etc. If you’re not sure whether or not your project qualifies, please call the Main Street office at (360) 385-7911 to discuss. Even if we can’t fund your project through LENT, we may be able to point you in the right direc�on! Future quarterly LENT deadlines are July 15, and Oct. 15. *Emergency applica�ons will be reviewed in a �me sensi�ve manner. For more informa�on, visit www.ptmainstreet.org Seeking volunteers for the Port Townsend Main Street Earth Day Spring Clean Up! Help us spiff up downtown on Saturday, April 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Volunteers are asked to bring hand tools, gloves and wear work clothes, and meet at Adams Street Park next to Ni�y Fi�y's on Water Street. Merchants in the historic districts are asked to give special a�en�on to their storefronts, a�ack sidewalk li�er, and fix up planters or order flower baskets for their stores. Please contact the Main Street office at admin@ptmainstreet.org if you would like to help. Thank you! Main Street Collaborator of the Year Awarded to The City of Port Townsend! This award celebrates those who have passion, dedica�on, are entrepreneurial, and connect with other businesses and nonprofits. Their collabora�ve community spirit strengthens our community. The City of Port Townsend was a truly commi�ed collaborator in 2018, and this spirit is con�nuing into 2019. They contracted with the Port Townsend Main Street Program for a marke�ng and communica�ons plan during construc�on which brought visibility and energy to downtown for six months. This provided a crucial match for an important economic development grant the nonprofit received through First Federal Community Founda�on. The City is a lead contributor in the Main Street Tax Incen�ve Program. City staff par�cipated in all the Main Street merchant coffee mee�ngs. The City made a key $10,000 commitment to bring the Washington State Main Street conference here which provided an economic boost when downtown needed it—during construc�on. It was a major success. In 2019, the Port Townsend Main Street Program will be able to enhance downtown ligh�ng in the winter months, thanks to funds from the City of Port Townsend Lodging Tax Advisory Commi�ee.