HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnnual Report 2020_Final2020Annual ReportAnnual Report
2020
Mission:
Champion aspira�ons for a thriving
community as envisioned in our
Comprehensive Plan.
Vision:
A thriving community for all.
2020
Table of Contents
Introduc�on...........................................................................3
Financial Posi�on................................................................4-5
Serving the Community.......................................................6-8
Lessons Learned.....................................................................9
2021 Outlook.......................................................................10
2021 Budgeted Revenues.....................................................11
2021 Budgeted Expenditures...............................................12
Budget Informa�on Explained..............................................13
Did You Know?.....................................................................14
Volunteers...........................................................................15
Your Elected Officials............................................................16
Organiza�onal Chart.............................................................16
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2020
City Hall
Port Townsend Library
Mountain View Facility
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Compost Facility
City Shops
In 2020, 1,217 tons
of yard waste was
collected and processed
with biosolids from the
wastewater treatment
plant to produce
high quality compost
Water Treatment Facility
The u�lity tax revenue is
allocated 45% to General
Government, 39% to
Street Maintenance, 9% to
Parks & Recrea�on, and
7% to Police
The City
manages
200 acres of
parks and
over 31 miles
of trails
Mountain
View Pool was
originally built
as an outdoor
pool (no roof!)
in 1963
Summer
reading
par�cipants
read a total
of 5,571
hours
There are 755
fire hydrants,
110 miles of
water pipe,
and 2,137
valves within
City limits
PT Library has 46,385 physical
items in the collec�on
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Introduction
Open Streets InitiativeOpen Streets InitiativePhoto courtesy of Port Townsend Main Street Program
The year 2020 was not an ordinary year. It was a year of major and universal disrup�on, challenge and uncertainty
at all scales to organiza�ons, businesses, ins�tu�ons, and people – all of us. Not only was a pandemic raging, but,
among other things, we also saw a transi�on in City poli�cal and execu�ve leadership; a local and na�onal
dialogue about race, social jus�ce, and white supremacy; and a long, complex and highly contested na�onal elec�on
with a series of events that have played out locally and shaken our democracy to its core.
While we didn’t get it all right and we’re not there yet, by and large the City team and our en�re community did
well to navigate through strong winds and heavy seas, working together to deliver the services you depend on
and are ge�ng closer to safer harbor.
This brief annual report is meant to deliver a high-level 2020 retrospec�ve to give the Port Townsend community
a clear and concise sense of:
• Our financial posi�on
• How we’ve served the community through our services, projects and ini�a�ves
• Fun facts to help communicate what each City department does
• Lessons learned that will help us do be�er into the future
• 2021 outlook
We welcome your thoughts on this new report, reflec�ons on the year and ideas for how we can work together
this year and beyond to deliver a be�er, fairer and more sustainable community for us all.
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Financial Position
While 2020 presented extraordinary financial challenges to the City as an organiza�on, early and decisive ac�on
helped mi�gate the worst impacts and helped us end the year in the same stable financial condi�on that we started
in (see illustra�on below for a breakdown of the financial condi�on by fund). There were reduc�ons in some levels
of service due to temporary staff furloughs and freezing some posi�ons and spending. This was balanced by crea�ve
new approaches that helped overcome some of the challenges presented by COVID guidelines and restric�ons.
In 2020 the City refinanced the $2.74m s�ll outstanding on the 2010 Limited Tax General Obliga�on Bonds resul�ng
in a gross savings of $556k over the next 10 years. This savings allowed for the City to pay off a $900k line-of-credit,
used for funding various capital projects, without drama�cally increasing the current annual debt service payment.
The City ended 2020 with $16.34m non-voted debt and $2.64m voted debt for a total of $18.98m of General Obliga�on
debt, which is due over the course of the next 20 years. The chart below portrays the next 10 years of General Obliga�on
annual debt service payments and total outstanding debt.
The table below depicts the City’s current General Obliga�on debt capacity. The City has $13.85m available for
non-voted (Council approval only) debt and $17.49m available for voted (Public approval needed) debt.
Although the City has ample debt capacity remaining, the City maintains a fiscal policy on annual General Obliga�on
debt service payments to not exceed 15% of General Government revenues. In 2021, it is an�cipated to be at 12.8%.
-5-
General Obligation Debt Capacity
2020 Assessed Valua�on (1)2,012,639,062$
General Purposes - Non-Voted
Non-voted General Obliga�on Debt Capacity (1.50% of AV)30,189,586$
Less: Outstanding Non-voted General Obliga�on Debt (16,341,454)$
Less: Outstanding Line of Credit Balance -$
Remaining Non-Voted General Obliga�on Debt Capacity 13,848,132$
Percent of Non-Voted Debt Capacity Remaining 45.87%
General Purposes - Requires Voter Approval
Voted General Obliga�on Debt Capacity (1.00% of AV)20,126,391$
Less: Outstanding Voted General Obliga�on Debt (2,640,000)$
Less: Outstanding Line of Credit Balance -$
Remaining Voted General Obliga�on Debt Capacity 17,486,391$
Percent of Voted Total Debt Capacity Remaining 86.88%
(1) Es�mate from County Assessor's Preliminary Valua�ons 2020 Assessments for 2021 Taxes
Serving the Community
Creativity
The City of Port Townsend aims to deliver the services you depend on, services that underpin our collec�ve success
and well-being as a community. 2020 was no different. We do this under considerable constraints in terms of
human and financial resources, state and federal requirements, and �me. Serving the community as a whole means
some�mes balancing the general needs of many with the specific needs of a few. Serving may mean not fully mee�ng
an individual’s or the community’s expecta�ons, but it does mean that whatever the request or issue and subsequent
outcome, we aim for a respec�ul, transparent, produc�ve and posi�ve experience for us all.
Over the course of 2020, we delivered con�nuity to core services as well as range of projects, ini�a�ves and
outcomes. They are grouped below by five key themes: accessibility, crea�vity, con�nuity, collabora�on, and sustainability.
Accessibility
Created new and integrated opportunities for engagement, involvement and dialogue
• Engage PT campaign designed, launched and implemented as a pla�orm for broad community par�cipa�on
in major ini�a�ves through surveys, events, story-maps, in-person events, and virtual mee�ngs.
• City’s first social media page (Facebook) launched and used for regular communica�on with residents, gaining
over 1,400 followers.
• City Hall front lobby redesigned as a safe, efficient and customer-friendly one-stop shop for the public with
a new team of Public Experience Liaisons.
• Coffee with the City Manager and, subsequent to COVID, KPTZ’s Brewocracy Now! radio show for regular weekly
exchange and Q & A with the City Manager.
Adapted con�nually & almost daily to ensure con�nuity of services and staffing through the pandemic
• New and evolving policies (COVID screenings, exposure protocol) and procedures (facility cleaning, split
crews) to keep staff and our community safe during the pandemic, as well as ongoing quick response
to frequently changing state and federal programs and guidelines.
• Innova�ve con�nua�on of opera�ons – like virtual inspec�ons, online programs and events, curbside
book delivery, online City Council mee�ngs – despite required physical
closure of facili�es.
• New programs like the Open Streets Ini�a�ve to meet urgent community
and business needs by re-purposing public space; new virtual all-ages
Library programming; a mini-roundabout pilot on Washington Street to
reflect community needs, input and shared investment.
ENGAGE PT
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Continuity
Consistent and ongoing delivery of core services that residents, businesses and visitors depend on
• Public records requests, public meetings, risk management, and internal legal services.
• Code compliance, permi�ng, building inspec�ons, and planning.
• Budgets and financial repor�ng, financial forecas�ng and analysis, u�lity billing, business licenses, purchasing
and accounts payable.
• Recruitment, bargaining and internal human resource policies.
• I.T. network security and user support.
• Books and material circula�on including curbside delivery, databases, e-books and audio e-books, children’s
web resources, grab bags, interlibrary loan, programs and events, staff response to patron requests.
• Management of parks and trails systems, maintenance of Mountain View Pool, and facili�es and property management.
• Emergency response, law enforcement patrol, inves�ga�on, special events, and emergency preparedness.
• Street maintenance, opera�ons and programming.
• Stormwater opera�on and maintenance, wastewater collec�ons and treatment, compost.
• Management of trash collec�on and recycling.
• Drinking water treatment and distribu�on.
• Engineering, major capital projects and development review for infrastructure extension.
• Right of way management including urban forestry.
• Fleet opera�ons, maintenance and replacement.
• Community leadership, agency partnerships, workplan and budget development, performance evalua�on
and coaching and stewardship of poli�cal decision-making.
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Curbside pick-up at the Library
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Collaboration
Sustainability
Established, invested in and leveraged partnerships to deliver more lasting benefits into the future
• Created the Intergovernmental Collabora�ve Group (ICG) to galvanize widespread community and ins�tu�onal
support for a COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Ac�on Plan.
• Joined Jefferson County to collec�vely award federal CARES Act funding to a set of near-term community-developed
and ICG-ve�ed and approved COVID relief projects and ini�a�ves.
• Joined the North Olympic Legisla�ve Alliance (NOLA) alongside Clallam and Jefferson County partners to coordinate
advocacy for economic development and the well-being of the North Olympic Peninsula.
• Drew together housing providers alongside Jefferson County to deliver a Housing Strategy supported by a successful
vote by City Council and the Jefferson Board of County Commissioners to levy 1/10th of 1% sales and use tax for
affordable housing.
• Advanced discussions with the Port Townsend Paper Company, commi�ng to a value engineering study and a
path forward to address and invest in the next 100 years of the Port Townsend water supply system through
the forthcoming Mill agreement.
• Joined the Port, PUD and Jefferson County to commission an economic analysis to help protect the Port Townsend
-Coupeville and Kingston-Edmonds ferry routes.
Led a strategic, integrated & long-term approach to crea�ng social, economic & environmental value
• Developed a balanced 2021 budget despite the predic�on of historic revenue loss, and put the City on a sustainable
path toward even greater stability into the future.
• Delivered the PROS Plan, reflec�ng hundreds of community perspec�ves and se�ng a clear vision for sustainable
parks, recrea�on and open space in Port Townsend.
• Created and launched the Library Strategic Plan to guide delivery of core services, steward assets and resources
and amplify impact through partnerships while living within our means.
• Determined the future of the golf course with a three-year transi�on to alterna�ve use.
• Launched and substan�ally completed the work of the Ad Hoc Commi�ee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement
to take a deep dive into our community’s needs of law enforcement and how law enforcement can con�nue
to evolve in the face of structural racism.
• Completed and communicated the greenhouse gas emissions inventory in partnership with other agencies and
volunteers and sought grants and partnerships to address climate adapta�on.
J E F F E R S O N CO
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W
ASHIN G T O N
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Lessons Learned
No one could have an�cipated the challenges of 2020. We made decisions and took ac�ons to the best of our
abili�es, but missteps are inevitable. With the right a�tude and courage for honest introspec�on, missteps
are also an opportunity for significant learning and improvement.
Measured that way, 2020 was rich in lessons. Six key points among many:
1 Partnerships prevail – but can slow things down. The difference between trying to work
in isola�on and doing so in partnership is tremendous. Well-executed partnerships enable
far greater progress on complex issues, but working together takes extra �me and effort.
While the ICG process was a great success of 2020 (with an ac�on plan, funded projects
and deepened rela�onships), the necessary quick ac�on occasionally strained and tested
our abili�es to s�ck together and stay focused.
2 Community goals are challenged by structural problems outside of direct City control.
While housing affordability and supply is a core strategic goal for the City of Port Townsend
and our community, the required funding and policies are not in place to ensure success.
Moreover, rela�ve isola�on, small scale and cost of infrastructure create addi�onal challenges.
The troubled Cherry Street project required more City subsidy than an�cipated – approximately
$1.8m in total – and this strained budgets and community expecta�ons.
3 Expect infrastructure to fail – eventually. Port Townsend has been rela�vely lucky in
ge�ng extra years from very old infrastructure. The watermain break on Water Street late
2020 was a reminder that without con�nual renewal, infrastructure will fail. We will likely
need to iden�fy new revenue sources and to discuss the community’s ability and willingness
to invest in infrastructure to turn the �de and make steady progress to ensure service con�nuity.
4 Good people make all the difference – if we can find and keep them. Recruitment and
reten�on of quality talent is challenging for most organiza�ons, but even more so when
the cost and availability of housing make living in Port Townsend increasingly difficult.
Port Townsend is commi�ed to recrui�ng, training and retaining excellent staff, despite
reasonable limits to compensa�on and benefits. A number of major recruitments happened
or began in 2020, and there are s�ll vacancies across many departments. Those and future
staffing decisions have long-term legacies and impacts so need to be taken with the utmost
focus and though�ulness.
5 Measurement matters. Comple�on of ini�a�ves is important and one way to measure
success, but without a clear defini�on of what success looks like, it’s nearly impossible to
measure short and long-term progress toward goals and to be sure those ini�a�ves are
the right ones. There was no clear, integrated and quan�ta�ve system for measuring what
ma�ers in 2020. While quan�ta�ve assessments and metrics have clear limits, the lack of
such baselines or regular assessments allows for wildly varying interpreta�ons of performance
– at the individual, organiza�onal and community levels.
6 Expect the unexpected. As soon as COVID-19 hit, much of the 2020 workplan was
immediately irrelevant. A number of ini�a�ves, from parking management to deer
management, were paused indefinitely to re-priori�ze and ensure con�nued delivery of
core services. By some community accounts, this was a failure since there was no delivery
of those commitments, by other community accounts, this shows a high degree of
necessary agility. Either way, iden�fying core priori�es and building some degree of
flexibility and uncertainty into future workplans may allow for easier pivo�ng and reduced
disappointments.
-9-
2021 Outlook
While s�ll unsteady, the storm clouds are dispersing and 2021 already looks brighter. A range of vaccines are being
rolled out across the region, na�on and world. Financial and programma�c relief to employees, employers, individuals
and communi�es is being sized up at federal and state levels. The Port Townsend community has drawn closer
together and worked hard to survive the cold and dark winter with aspira�ons of returning ac�vi�es, services,
events and visitors for later in the year. The City of Port Townsend has a skinny but sturdy 2021 budget, a clear set
of 2021 priori�es and strong poli�cal leadership and partnerships with an eye on the next several years.
Thank you to all of our community members who worked �relessly, selflessly and in strong partnership with us this
past challenging year and who have commi�ed to doing so in 2021. There are many opportuni�es to get involved
by suppor�ng local businesses, by volunteering �me or money, by staying informed and engaged in issues that
ma�er to you, by joining a board or commission, or by running for local office. We encourage you to con�nue to
invest in our collec�ve future.
The goal isn’t to survive or even to recover – it’s to build back, bounce forward and thrive. It will take �me, and 2021
will likely be another transi�on year, but it will be a transi�on forward and a step toward a be�er, fairer and more
sustainable community for us all.
-10-
Photo courtesy of Port Townsend Main Street Program
2021 Budgeted Revenues
-11-
2021 Budgeted Expenditures
-12-
What Does all This Mean?
-13-
Taxes - Sales Tax, Property Tax, Business & Occupa�on Tax, U�lity Tax, and Excise Tax
These revenues fund many of the core services:
• City Administra�on
• Library
• Parks, Pool, & Trails
• Police
• Street Maintenance
Charges for Goods & Services - mainly U�lity User Fees
The por�on generated by u�lity user fees are restricted to the opera�on, maintenance and infrastructure
improvement of the water, sewer, and stormwater systems.
Intergovernmental Revenues – Grants & State Subsidies
Restricted to the purpose for the funding.
The City Manager presents a budget to Council each year around November. The budget provides an
expecta�on on revenues the City will receive, along with the an�cipated costs to effec�vely delivery
services to the community.
Each fund is budgeted separately and has its own dedicated revenue source, which in most cases the
revenue may only be used for the purpose or service the fund provides (e.g. the u�lity funds collect
revenue that is restricted to providing u�lity services and infrastructure).
The fund budgets can either be balanced (revenues = expenditures) or the Council may approve the
drawdown of fund reserves, which may lead to a reduc�on in the year end cash posi�on.
Once all funds are budgeted, they are rolled up into one city-wide budget and presented to Council for
adop�on by the last Council mee�ng in December.
U�li�es has the largest budget due to the cost to operate and maintain the system, along with the cost
to provide the necessary infrastructure.
The main expenditures across all funds are staff costs (salaries & benefits) and professional services
(goods and services provided by third par�es in the normal course of opera�ons).
Revenues originate from three main sources
Expenditures are based on the appropria�ons authorized by City Council.
The Library has given out
1,043 Craft and STEAM Kits
Top five adult fiction Books in 2020:
1. Whiskey When We're Dry
2. Where the Crawdads Sing
3. City of Girls
4. Blue Moon : A Jack Reacher Novel
5. A Gentleman in Moscow
The garbage, recycling
and yard waste trucks
make approximately
190,000 stops combined
each year as part of the
City’s collections
contract with Waste
Connections
The City pays over
$140,000 per year for
over 600 street lights
City street crews spent
nearly 2,200 employee
hours performing
vegetation maintenance
in the right of ways
Top Five DVDs in 2020:
1. Downton Abbey
2. The Bookshop
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
5. Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Definitive Collection
The City water
department
filtered and
distributed 350
million gallons of
water in 2020
Our Wastewater Treatment
Plant has earned an award
from the Department of
Ecology (DOE) for the last
22 years in a row
Chetzemoka Park is
over 100 years old!
The park was
established in 1904
as Port Townsend’s
first community
park
The Library
has had
29,067
curbside
pickups
The
Library had
76,751 check
outs in
2020
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Volunteers
Volunteers are a very important part of the City, and we welcome interest from individuals who would like to
volunteer their �me and experience providing support for the services that keep us running! If you are interested
in volunteering for the City visit our website and fill out an applica�on to get started:
www.cityofpt.us/parksrec/page/be-volunteer
Parks or Trails
You may be interested in working with a group to Adopt A Park (provide monthly upkeep and general care of a
specific park). Or you may wish to work with a group to Adopt A Trail with the same goal in mind. Some maintenance
items include: taking care of a specific favorite garden, weeding and plan�ng, and clearing brush and providing
trail maintenance.
Library
In the past, volunteers at the library have done a variety of tasks such as checking in returned items, assis�ng
with book repair and mending, assist with the Books on Wheels Program, etc. Currently, there are opportuni�es to
join the Bookworms to care for the gardens and landscaping around the library.
Police Department
Members of this team work to assist officers and supplement police services in tasks ranging from office help
to ci�zen patrols and emergency/disaster prepara�on. Volunteers will receive extensive training prior to working,
and all candidates will be carefully screened prior to acceptance. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved
in your community and gain valuable job experience.
Community Advisory Board/Commission
Serving on a City board or commission is an important way for the public to engage with City government.
Community advisory boards are established by the City Council to assist their decision-making by providing
specific advice on issues from a resident perspec�ve.
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Taxes - Sales Tax, Property Tax, Business & Occupa�on Tax, U�lity Tax, and Excise TaxThese revenues fund many of the core services: • City Administra�on • Library • Parks, Pool, & Trails • Police • Street MaintenanceCharges for Goods & Services - mainly U�lity User FeesThe por�on generated by u�lity user fees are restricted to the opera�on, maintenance and infrastructure improvement of the water, sewer, and stormwater systems.Intergovernmental Revenues – Grants & State SubsidiesRestricted to the purpose for the funding.The City Manager presents a budget to Council each year around November. The budget provides an expecta�on on revenues the City will receive, along with the an�cipated costs to effec�vely delivery services to the community.Each fund is budgeted separately and has its own dedicated revenue source, which in most cases the revenue may only be used for the purpose or service the fund provides (e.g. the u�lity funds collect revenue that is restricted to providing u�lity services and infrastructure).The fund budgets can either be balanced (revenues = expenditures) or the Council may approve the drawdown of fund reserves, which may lead to a reduc�on in the year end cash posi�on.Once all funds are budgeted, they are rolled up into one city-wide budget and presented to Council for adop�on by the last Council mee�ng in December.U�li�es has the largest budget due to the cost to operate and maintain the system, along with the cost to provide the necessary infrastructure.The main expenditures across all funds are staff costs (salaries & benefits) and professional services (goods and services provided by third par�es in the normal course of opera�ons).
City Organizational Chart
Mayor Michelle Sandoval msandoval@cityofpt.us
Deputy Mayor David Faber dfaber@cityofpt.us
Council Member Amy Howard ahoward@cityofpt.us
Council Member Ariel Speser aspeser@cityofpt.us
Council Member Monica MickHager mmickhager@cityofpt.us
Council Member Owen Rowe orowe@cityofpt.us
Council Member Pam Adams padams@cityofpt.us
Community Members
Mayor Council Members
City Manager
City Staff
Appointed by the City CouncilPrepares City’s annual budgetEnforcement and implementation of policiesDirects allocation of City resourcesWorks with staff to cary out day-to-day operations
Deliver City services such as: water, sewer, street maintenance, parks and trails maintenance, permitting, utility billing, library services, public meetings and engineering.
Elected by the CouncilServes two-year termSets agenda for Council meetingsRuns Council meetingsHas same voting power as Council MembersHead of City for all ceremonial purposes
Elected by the communityServes four-year termCreate policies for the CityApproves Ordinances/Resolutions
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Directory
Ways to stay Engaged
City Hall General Front Desk (360) 385-3000
Compost Facility (360) 385-7908
Development Services Department (360) 379-5095
Finance Department (360) 385-2700
Golf Course (360) 385-4547
Library (360) 385-3181
Mountain View Pool (360) 385-7665
Parks, Recrea�on & Community Services (360) 344-3064
Police Department (360) 385-2322
Public Works Department (360) 379-5096
For more informa�on on any topics from our annual report, please call the front desk (360) 385-3000
• Sign up for our digital online newsle�er: www.cityofpt.us/newsletter/subscriptions
• Listen to KPTZ’s Brewocracy Now with John Mauro every Thursday at 12:10 pm.
• Stay up to date on current City ini�a�ves: www.cityofpt.us/engagept
• Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CityofPT
City of Port Townsend | Annual Report 2020
250 Madison St., Port Townsend, WA | (360) 385-3000 | www.cityofpt.us
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