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ADM I N I.'"-,TRKTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: John Mauro, City Manager
Friday, January 3, 2025 360-379-5090 mauro cut of t.us
CITY LAUNCHES NEW INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Department includes Library, Parks and Facilities, and Arts and Culture, and seeks to deliver
better, more integrated, more inclusive services to the Port Townsend community.
PORT TOWNSEND — The City has made changes to its organizational structure to create a new
Community Services Department. The new department incorporates existing Parks and
Facilities teams, the Library department, and a new Arts and Culture element to oversee the
Port Townsend Creative District. Staffing and budgetary decisions were made as part of the
City's annual budget adoption.
City Manager John Mauro says: "This change allows us to better integrate and sustainably
deliver services to our community. We're drawing creative inspiration from elements that
provide a high -quality public service like the library, building back some of the elements that
have suffered from years of neglect like parks and facilities, and recognizing an opportunity to
play a more meaningful role in carrying forward the work of the PT Creative District in
expanding living -wage opportunities for local artists."
Melody Sky Weaver, who has served for 10 years until the present as Library Director, has been
appointed as the director of the new department. Melody has a background in fine art and is
passionate about access and equity to public institutions such as public libraries and parks, and
works to foster environments that support lifelong learning and bringing people together. She
says: "I'm thrilled to take on this exciting new challenge, and draw from my experience as a
municipal leader, former Library Director, and my time on the subcommittee of the PT Creative
District. I'm eager to work with an inspiring team, our partners, and the community to enable a
creative fusion of the services our community deeply values."
The City does not expect major changes to services on the ground, at least initially, but does
aim to bring greater creativity, synergies, and vitality to our existing work in these areas. In
particular, a new element will emerge in 2025 as the City hires an Arts and Culture Coordinator
to steward the ArtsWA-designated Port Townsend Creative District. To this date, Port
Townsend Main Street was fiscal sponsor and successfully championed the Creative District's
functions and achievements. Annette Roth, of ArtsWA, notes: I want to commend Port
Townsend Main Street for their excellent stewardship of the Creative District these past several
years to create a strong, sustainable district. I look forward to working with the City as the
administrator."
lilyof Port
Townsend
ADMlNI.'"-TRKTION
250 Madison Street, Suite 2 � IPort 1rt)wrise d, WA 98368 1360.379.5047 � wwwudtyofpt,us
For more information and updates, follow the City Facebook page at:
To review the adopted 2025 City of Port Townsend budget, please see:
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Watch a recording of City staff discussing the initiative with a City advisory body here:
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Listen to a KPTZ interview discussing the departmental integration here:
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