HomeMy WebLinkAbout11 November_2023_newsletterNewsletterNewsletter
NOVEMBER CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS:
NOVEMBER 2023
A Note from City Manager John Mauro
I recently gave a presenta�on in Aus�n at the annual mee�ng of city managers from around the country and the world. One of my take-home points centered on the form and feel of a community. In essence, whether you care about safety, economic viability, equity and the social fabric, climate change, housing, green space, mobility, pure financials, or all of the above, communi�es o�en succeed or fail based on how well they consider compact, quality, urban form and how well they cleverly weave together a range of elements important to the community. I am fond of the “fail to plan, plan to fail” mantra, but I’d like to take it a step further. I think it’s more “fail to plan clever, plan to fail forever.”
Back to Aus�n. Big, small, or in between; east, west, or central; progressive, conserva�ve, or both; every community and community leader I spoke with is wrestling with a similar set of challenges. Despite these real and common struggles, I believe in our community – that we’re uniquely posi�oned with some incredible strengths like how much we care, how well we can work together, our rich historical context, our natural geography, and some truly talented and visionary individuals.
For instance, the vision for the Evans Vista neighborhood, shown below, the Financial Sustainability Ini�a�ve, and smart, balanced budgets have emerged largely because of these strengths. We’re now envisioning how almost everything can be rolled up into a comprehensive vision for our future.
Enter our Comprehensive Plan. We’ve already taken a running start at integra�ng many of the elements I noted above. But now we’re ready to weave together a bold, integrated plan that helps guide everything we do toward our community’s vision for the future. Failure is not an op�on. Instead of coas�ng into barriers, we’ll need to wrestle cleverly with a future we collec�vely choose for genera�ons ahead. For the sake of a bright community future, we need you as part of that. I invite you to join us. It’s an ideal opportunity to set aside our own individualism to think and act like a community – to make that quirky, authen�c, awesome place we call home possible indefinitely.
City of Port Townsend
250 Madison Street
(360)385-3000
www.cityofpt.us
11/06/23: Business Mee�ng
Including the City Manager’s
Proposed 2024 Budget
11/13/23: Special Business
Mee�ng
5:30pm Tour of Mountain View
Campus and Pool
6:30pm Council Workshop held
at Mountain View
11/20/23: Business Mee�ng
Including the Evans Vista Final
Design Presenta�on to City
Council
Mee�ngs are subject to change. Please view our website calendar for an up-to-date mee�ng schedule:
www.cityofpt.us/calendar
Job Openings
Love where you live and looking for a great career? The City is hiring in several departments including Finance, Public Works, and the Police Department. For a full list of posi�ons, visit: www.cityofpt.applicant-pool.com/jobs/
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360) 385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us
OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PERIODIC REVIEW
What is a Comp Plan?
Port Townsend uses a Comprehensive Plan, o�en called a Comp Plan for short, to chart how we want the city to grow over the next 20 years. The Comp Plan sets big goals and policies, like our land use zones. Development regula�ons, like height limits, and ac�ve plans, like the Urban Forestry Plan, are used to implement the goals and policies in the Comp Plan.
A Comp Plan’s parts are called “elements” and can include:
• A Community Direc�on Statement
• U�li�es and Capital Facili�es Elements
• Land Use, Housing, and Transporta�on Elements
• Economic Development and Arts & Culture Elements
• Other informa�on like the Rainier Street & Upper Sims Way Subarea Plan
What is a Periodic Review?
Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA) requires us to thoroughly review our Comp Plan every 10 years. Our review is due June 15, 2025. The periodic review is an opportunity for us to collec�vely look at the big picture, see connec�vity, and share ideas. It is when we ac�vely compare our current plans and policies with new legisla�on, ensuring our community is up-to-date, and when we work closely with our community to ensure we all have a voice in planning the future of Port Townsend.
How can you get involved?
Share your vision for 2045! Over the next 14 months, the City will hold a variety of events so that Port Townsend’s residents and workers with diverse perspec�ves have equal access to providing input to the Comp Plan. Opportuni�es will include interviews, workshops, Planning Commission and City Council mee�ngs, online outreach, and youth engagement through schools. We’ll share more informa�on soon, including a project website with public surveys and a schedule of events. In the mean�me, please contact Long Range Planner Adrian Smith at asmith@cityofpt.us to learn more. Planning and Community Development Fun Fact!
Did you know that Port Townsend has been awarded over $725,000 in state grants for City long range planning? These funds will be used for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, Mul�-modal Transporta�on Plan, Shoreline Master Program, and to develop a new Urban Forestry Plan. The City will engage the community in working on these plans over the next year and a half.
City Council will discuss design concepts for Evans Vista on November 20.
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360) 385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us
Emma Bolin, Director of Planning and Community Development
Emma has been a municipal planning leader for the past nine years and a public servant for over 15 years. She joined the Port Townsend City team in 2022. Skilled in enhancing teams and customer service to improve where we live for exis�ng and future genera�ons, she finds joy in public engagement, team leadership, long range planning, climate resiliency, emergency management, and project management. Emma and her team are known at the City for their coordinated Halloween costumes and for using a cow bell whenever the team meets a goal.
Listen to Emma’s recent interview with KPTZ on the Our Town podcast here: www.kptz.org/2023/10/02/emma-bolin-pt-planning-director/
Curious to learn more about the City’s Evans Vista project? Visit the Evans Vista webpage and check out Emma Bolin’s “Google Review From the Future: Evans Vista 2030.”www.cityofpt.us/engagept/page/evans-vista-housing-development-master-plan
“...Evans Vista personifies our local vibe. Diverse and affordable housing options cater to all. The abundance of open spaces, trails, community gardens, and gathering spaces promote individual and community health, fostering connections among residents. The mix of market-rate and affordable housing boast Port Townsend’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. Accessibility is on point, with homes serving various mobility needs. Jefferson Transit's bus routes now conveniently stop at Evans Vista, enhancing commuting options. Amenities like bike racks, covered bike stands, and easy access to the Larry Scott Trail further improve the living experience...” - Evans Vista Resident 2030
CITY STAFF FEATURE
Bayside Housing and Services
Emma and the Planning and Community Development team work closely with many local housing partners, including Bayside Housing and Services. Bayside has offered over 73,400 nights of safety in transi�onal housing, including case management services, to improve the economic and social independence of individuals and families experiencing homelessness and poverty in Jefferson County.
Bayside serves people who are currently without shelter or who are unstably housed by first giving them a safe place to live. Bayside then guides program par�cipants—seniors, veterans, families with children, those with major physical or mental health challenges and disabili�es—towards a�aining permanent housing and the skills needed to remain housed.
Alongside this work, Bayside is involved in the restora�on of Port Townsend’s historic Starre� House in the Uptown neighborhood and the future development of the property currently housing Pat’s Place, in partnership with the City of Port Townsend. Bayside is planning to develop Pat’s Place into a 26-unit apartment for permanent supported housing.
To learn more about Bayside, visit: www.baysidehousing.org
COMMUNITY PARTNER FEATURE
The 1889 Starre� House
City of Port Townsend • 250 Madison Street • (360) 385-3000 • www.cityofpt.us
Author Talk with Tim McNulty at the PT Public Library
CITY NOTICES
Water System Flushing
The City of Port Townsend Water Department will be conduc�ng water system flushing from November 2023 through January 2024.
Water distribu�on lines need to be flushed periodically to prevent water quality problems. As part of the flushing program, fire hydrants are tested to support fire protec�on in the community. Flushing traces of minerals and sediment from the pipelines may cause short term but harmless changes to the appearance of the water. If the water has a brownish color, it can usually be eliminated by running taps for a few minutes. If discolored water persists for more than a few hours, please call (360) 385-3000.
Temporary Closure of City Permit Desk, Co�on Building, and Library Restrooms
Pardon our dust! The upper floors of City Hall are undergoing an interior remodel, comple�ng needed acous�cal, flooring, and space planning for public and staff work areas. Addi�onally, the Public Library window and restroom remodel projects are also beginning construc�on. All remodel projects are scheduled to begin November 1 and will run through early January.
During construc�on, temporary restrooms will be set up outside the front doors of the Library, and the Co�on Building will be u�lized as temporary staff offices. The Planning and Community Development (PCD) permit desk on the 3rd Floor will be closed November 8 – 9 and January 3 - 4. PCD staff will not be available during the closure, but online permit submission will be open. The Co�on Building will re-open for public rental in January.
Author Talk with Tim McNulty at the PT Public Library Thursday, November 2, 7:00 p.m.
Join Port Townsend Public Library and Braided River publishers in celebra�ng the launch of a new book—Salmon, Cedar, Rock & Rain: Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. A vibrant collec�on of storytellers with deeply held connec�ons to the Olympic Peninsula will share images and personal stories about the past, present, and future of this incredible place. The event will feature writer Tim McNulty, lead author of Salmon, Cedar, Rock & Rain, and special guests. Learn more on the library’s website: h�ps://ptpublicli-brary.org/library/page/author-talk-�m-mcnulty
EV Carshare Ribbon Cu�ng at the Chamber Wednesday, November 15, 12:30 p.m.
The City of Port Townsend, Climate Ac�on Commi�ee, Jefferson County Chamber, and OlyCAP have partnered with ZEV Co-op to offer the community a non-profit, member-owned, coopera�ve electric vehicle (EV) carshare program. ZEV Co-op offers affordable EV carsharing and aspires to make zero-emission vehicles easily available to all Washingtonians, regardless of income or place of residence. Funded in part by a WSDOT grant, there are currently two ZEV Co-op EVs available in Port Townsend.
Join Zev Co-op representa�ves and community leaders for a ribbon cu�ng event at the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, 2409 Jefferson Street, on November 15 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
To learn more about Zev Co-op visit: www.zev.coop
PUBLIC EVENTS