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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-March 2015March 2015 Mayor’s Column — A short February and other work prevented me from get- ting a presentable (OK –lengthy) Mayor’s column together for this newsletter. It’s not for lack of news. With a new Planning Director hired, the City Manager is imple- menting a plan to provide increased support for the Comprehensive Plan update I wrote about last month. Council has adopted the funding plan for our multi-million dollar water system projects that will allow us to stay within our adopted water rate schedule. And we’re finally going to extend Howard Street through to Discovery – a major investment consistent with our Gateway Plan that has been guiding the decisions of City Councils for more than twenty years. All of this adds up to good progress on the three-year stra- tegic plan Council adopted last year. A healthy turnout and plus seventy percent approval for the City and School District ballot measures were a welcome endorsement of the efforts by staff and elected officials in both juris- dictions to present workable options. We hear from a few people quite a lot during the normal course of our business but it takes a ballot measure to give voice to the entire community. Finally, Council had an informative emergency preparedness workshop last month where Bob Hamlin, Director of the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management once again recognized the extraordinary value that skilled volunteers provide throughout our commu- nity. But let’s also take a moment to acknowledge the community support provided by our local for-profit businesses. Doing business IN a small community entails doing business FOR the community and many of the 1,243 licensed businesses in town, whether they make art, books, boats or cheese, operate to some extent as “social enterprises” pursuing a bottom line for com- munity benefit as well as for profit. The City knows that the best businesses to support are the ones you already have, as will be demonstrated when Mount Townsend Creamery moves its growing operation to new quarters on Howard Street. Public Wi-Fi Wi-fi access is now available at City Hall, the Cotton Building, and the Mountain View campus in addition to existing Wi-fi access at the Library. Once logged on to AccessPT, the user must check an acknowledgement recognizing that they are using an unsecured network. Please keep in mind that access may be somewhat limited by bandwidth. Please turn this page to read the City’s Manager’s article defining the primary roles of a city, and the importance of citizen involvement in developing comprehensive planning. The City of Port Townsend and the Fort Worden Public Development Authority are sponsoring a FREE Contractor’s Workshop, Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at the USO Building in Fort Worden State Park. Plenty of Free Parking! Presentations are scheduled from the following:  The Procurement Technical Assistance Center PTAC (www.washingtonptac.org) works to help companies through the entire process of applying for and fulfilling government contracts, from helping to determine what kind of products and services gov- ernment needs, to registration, bidding and more.  Labor and Industries will give a presentation on the prevailing wage law. They will explain how the wage rates are developed, which classification to use, the responsibilities of a prime contractor and a subcontractor and the process of contract close out. They will also be on hand to answer any of your prevailing wage questions.  Builder’s Exchange will demonstrate how to navigate their website and find public projects that are bidding.  Local agencies in the area will go over projects that are going out to bid this year. They will discuss the estimated time of year they will bid, the trades that will be involved and the scope of the projects. Contractors may register by calling Catherine McNabb at 360-379-5089 or by email at cmcnabb@cityofpt.us. A Message from City Manager David Timmons Defining the role of your city government is not as easy of a task as it may sound! Washington has a very complex overlapping system of governance. In city governance there are essentially three elements to consider. Our most basic role is the element that exists called the “City of Port Town- send”. The “City of Port Townsend” is a defined place and a government corporation responsible to develop, deliver and manage the day-to-day operations of a city -- streets, water, sewer, police, parks, libraries, land use, etc. This is the core of any city’s role in meeting the needs of a communi- ty. The Municipal Research Service Center (MRSC) has an excellent website at www.mrsc.org which contains volumes of information about state and local government services and current issues. I would encourage anyone who wants to better understand what a city does to use this site as a source of information. By state law the city is required to look ahead and plan for its utilities, streets, parks, land uses, etc. well into the future. It is the city’s basic role to tax, regulate and guide the development of the city consistent with the policies of the comprehensive plan. All cit- ies in Washington State are required to perform this basic role. The second critical element of a city’s function is working with the partners that help support the community beyond your city government. This includes county government entities -- Jefferson County, the School District, Port District, Public Utility District, Fire District, Hospital District, Transit District. Some areas may also have a Library District, Park District or a variety of 57 other taxing ju- risdictions providing services to a community. The majority, if not all, serve the City and the commu- nities that surround us. There are also many regional intergovernmental organizations and nonprof- its that partner with a city to serve the needs of the community. These organizations serve very large territories and are focused on a single topic, like transportation, environmental programs, community programs (housing) or economic development. The combination of the first and second elements make up the framework of what a city is; however, the third and most critical element is the people that serve in any capacity for the City or its part- ners. They can be elected or appointed officials, employees, volunteers, or just engaged citizens. Everyone involved will play a role in the comprehensive planning process and influence the final out- come. When all is said and done, the process of planning the future of the community will be a combined effort of the City, partners and individuals that will define what we are, who we are, and where we will be heading for many years to come. Please participate and get involved! plastic tubs: dairy, margarine, salsa, etc. buckets limit of 3 plant pots rigid plastic only; 12” max Announcing changes in the City of Port Townsend solid waste and recycling service! We are now accepting plastic: And we will now have a Spring Clean-Up Week provided by DM Disposal During Spring Clean-Up week of April 13-17, 2015, DM Disposal will pick up 3 extra cans/bags of gar- bage and/or yard waste at no additional charge for customers inside Port Townsend city limits. DM Dis- posal will also be picking up one appliance per customer. There will be a $20.00 Freon removal fee for refrigerators and freezers, other appliances will be picked up at no cost to the customer. Here are the Clean-Up Week Details & Requirements:  Extra Garbage/Yard Waste Curbside pick-up only. Up to 3 extra cans/bags of garbage and/or yard waste. Additional cans/bags must weigh no more than 45 lbs. when full. Extra cans or bags of garbage or yard waste should be placed for curb-side pick up by 7:30 am on your regular garbage pickup day.  Appliance Disposal One (1) appliance item per household. Acceptable appliances include: Refrigerators and freezers. (these items will have a $20.00 Freon removal fee and you will need to contact DM Disposal prior to the pickup of these items). Stoves, microwaves, dishwashers, hot water heaters, washers or dryers. (These items should be placed for curb-side pick up by 7:30 am on your regular garbage pickup day). There is no cost to the customer for these appliances. Special Note:  Refrigerators and Freezers must be completely empty and prior to set out the door/doors must be taped shut or removed.  Hot water heaters, washing machines, and dish washers must be drained of all water prior to set out. If you have any questions please call DM Disposal at (360)-385-6612 Family -to -Family Education Program (NAMI)  Series of 12 Saturday classes structured to help caregivers understand and support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well-being  Course is taught by a team of trained National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) family-member volun- teers who know what it is like to have a loved one struggling with one of these brain disorders. FREE Classes. Registration is required for classes that start in Port Townsend on March 28. To register, call (360) 390-4547 To learn more about the local NAMI affiliate log on to: http://namijeffcowa.org/ Friends of the Port Townsend Library USED BOOK SALE Saturday, March 14, 2015 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (8:00 for Members of the Friends) At the Port Townsend Community Center Featuring: a special Children’s Book Room and a large Gardening Collection It’s not too late to join in the fun of the 2015 Family Community Read!! This year’s Book JUPITER PIRATES: Hunt for the Hydra kicked off in February with a fun family event. More activities are planned during the month of March. The Port Townsend Library website has information on these and other Library events! www.ptpubliclibrary.org Introducing the City’s new Parks and Facilities Manager, Alex Wisniewski Alex Wisniewski began working for the City in December of 2014. Alex has spent his entire career in the parks and recreation profession working in all levels of government including city, county, state and federal. Before landing in the Pacific Northwest, Alex worked for the National Forest Service in Michigan as a River Ranger and in Colorado as a Wilderness Ranger, where he trekked into the backcountry for multiple days at a time to educate others about Leave No Trace practices, enforced rules and regula- tions, and conducted trail maintenance. Most recently Alex lived in Flagstaff, Arizona working for 8 years as the Operations and Maintenance Manager for Coconino County’s Parks and Recreation De- partment. When asked why he chose the parks and recreation field Alex responded, “Parks and Recreation is a passion for me and is a part of my everyday life. I grew up in Michigan spending nearly all of my days outside and got into this field because I wanted the ability to provide the same opportunities to others that made me fall in love with being outdoors, the beauty of nature, and the enjoyment of physical activity. To me, parks and recreation is not only a catalyst for these things but also is a foundational component of building a healthy, happy, and connected community.”