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Home My WebLink About07For your entertainment the City is co-sponsoring a spectacular fireworks display on the evening of the Fourth at Fort Worden along with activities through- out the day that will appeal to all age groups. Be careful and have a wonderful safe holiday! City Update From City Manager David Timmons The City of Port Townsend has once again achieved 100 percent compliance with our National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in 2003. This achievement is an accumula- tion of a lot of hard work by the operations and maintenance personnel who maintain the 70 miles of wastewater collection and wastewater treatment system in the City. This is not the first award that they have received from the Washington State Department of Ecology; they accomplished this in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, and now in 2003. In 2001, the City’s Com- post Facility also won the award for the treatment facility at this site as well. This year the City is one of the 35 facilities out of 305 in the State of Wash- ington to receive this honor. Please help us extend our thanks to all of the fol- lowing employees; Marel Harstad, David Rodia, and Michael Bartkus (WWTF), John Freitas, Larry Grewell, Mike Smith, Carl Johnson, James Mad- den, and Jay Tjemsland (Streets/Sewer/ Stormwater), James Freitas and Bliss Morris (Compost Facility), and John Merchant (Operations Manager) for their dedication and exceptional per- formance in protecting our community and natural resources for us to enjoy. Pat Bailey, Compliance Specialist; Kelly Susewind, SW Re- gional Manager DOE; John Merchant, Dave Rodia, Marel Harstad and Mike Bartkus City of Port Townsend (360) 379-5047 (email: citycouncil@ci.port-townsend.wa.us) www.ci.port-townsend.wa.us July 2004 Council News From Mayor Catharine Robinson The City Council will hold its last meeting in Council Chambers on Tuesday, July 6 (Monday is the Fourth of July holiday). Starting July 19, regu- lar business meetings will be held at Fort Worden, Building 204 in the "Mess Hall" which is on the first floor of the building. Building 204 is on the main road into the Fort and is directly west of the new Commons building. There is plenty of parking and the building is ADA accessible, if you enter from the parking lot into the rear entrance. There are a couple of meetings during the coming year sched- uled for the Fort Worden Chapel. Workshop meetings will be held in the Waterman & Katz Building, either in the second floor Olympic Room or the basement Pacific Room. Please con- sult the meetings calendar for locations of each meeting. Because there is no live feed to Fort Worden, PTTV will tape the meetings for replay the following evening. Council will move back to City Hall when the annex and renovation projects are completed, about a year from now. The Silver Award for Municipal Achievement from the Association of Washington Cities has been presented to the City of Port Townsend for the Port Townsend Walking, Bicycling & Transit Guide Map. David McCulloch accepted the award on be- half of the City and the Non-Motorized Transporta- tion Advisory Board. The map provides trail users with information on trail surface, restrooms, view- points, difficult intersections, etc., and is coated with a non-permeable surface to protect it from moisture. The map is available in the Finance and Public Works Departments for $3.95. Our foremost safety concern for the City is fire control during the Fourth of July celebration. Remember it is against the law to light any size of firework within city limits (this includes sparklers.) The Police will enforce this law. Our dry weather causes additional safety con- cerns. The City has a permanent debris disposal fire ban. This does not include contained recrea- tional, barbeque and food preparation fires. Port Townsend Public Library Looks to the Future….. The Port Townsend Public Library is currently de- veloping its latest long-range plan. As part of this process, there will be a public conference, “Vision 2010 and Beyond” at which all members of the community are invited to identify and assess the strength and weaknesses of the Port Townsend Public Library. We anticipate a stimulating and productive gathering, which will set the stage for defining the library’s future. Please join us on Thursday, July 29, 7-9 p.m. and Saturday, July 31, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Parish Hall of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1032 Jefferson (Corner of Tyler and Jefferson). If you can attend, contact the library by July 15 so that we can send you an information packet that will help you prepare for the conference. If you have any questions please contact the Li- brary Director Theresa Percy (344-3054). Hope to see you there! RSVP Volunteer Update Now is the time to get ready for sum- mer by helping others and finding rewarding op- portunities. Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is in need of help in many of its work stations. We need people age 55 or older to help us out with: •One on one visitations with nursing home residents •One on one help with the developmentally disabled •Help women reentering the workforce with wardrobe decisions •Drivers for meals on wheels •Assistance with Senior Nutrition Meals at various senior centers •Food bank assistance at all Jefferson County locations These are only a few of the opportunities avail- able. Please call Sandi Olson, Jefferson County Volunteer Coordinator, (360) 379-3951 or email: solson@olycap.org for more information. Marine Resources Committee Supports City’s Eelgrass Meadows by Judy Surber, Senior Planner Eelgrass meadows form a narrow band of rich habitat running just off-shore of our City’s bus- tling downtown. Below the waters, forage fish, salmon, Dungeness crab and numerous other species seek shelter and food among the long strands of grass. The value of eelgrass beds may be overlooked by many, but not by the Marine Resources Committee. The MRC is a citizen-based advisory work group of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners. First formed in 1999, the group is tasked with pursuing eight perform- ance benchmarks for improved marine re- sources. The MRC recently received funds from the Northwest Straits Commission and the Department of Natural Resources for two pro- jects benefiting Port Townsend’s eelgrass beds. This winter, the MRC partnered with the City of Port Townsend to remove a portion of the old railroad trestle located just to the west of Boat Haven. A section of the trestle had broken loose in a storm. For environmental reasons, both the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fish & Wildlife recommended that the trestle be removed. The existing wooden, creosote-treated pilings leach toxins into the marine environment and the structure shades areas of eelgrass. A total of 206 pilings and over 7000 sq. ft. of aquatic shading has been removed as a part of this work. This summer, you may notice several new marker buoys along the city’s downtown shore- line. The MRC is establishing a “Voluntary No Anchor Zone” between Point Hudson and the Washington State Ferries terminal. In an at- tempt to reduce boating impacts to our local eelgrass the MRC will inform boaters about the potential damage their anchors can cause, and encourage them to drop anchor outside the eel- grass areas. Buoys will identify the area with a “voluntary no anchor” symbol. The program will be explained through signs installed at appro- priate places on the shore and through distribu- tion of brochures. For more information about the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee, visit their website at mrc.co.jefferson.wa.us