Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout071425 Special Session City Council Retreat Meeting MinutesCITY OF PORT TOWNSEND COUNICL MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SESSION RETREAT ON JULY 14, 2025 The Port Townsend City Council met in a Special Session on July 14, 2025, at the Port Pavillion Building located at 355 Hudson Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368, and Bishop Bottle Shop located at 714 Washington Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 CALL TO ORDER Mayor Faber called the meeting to order at 9.15 ROLL CALL Councilmembers present at roll call were David Faber, Amy Howard, Monica MickHager, Owen Rowe, Ben Thomas, and Libby Wennstrom. Staff members present were City Manager John Mauro, Communications and Marketing Director Shelly Leavens, Planning and Community Development Director Emma Bolin, Public Works Director Steve King, People and Performance Director Cynthia Shaffer, Community Service Director Melody Sky Weaver, Finance and Technology Services Director Jodi Adams, Chief of Police Tom Olson and Deputy City Clerk Lonnie Mickle. Mayor Faber welcomed the staff and council members to the 2025 City Council retreat.. City Manager John Mauro provided an overview of the agenda and discussed different exercises during the day's retreat. Positive Reflection Exercise Council members and staff discussed what worked well in the previous months and why. They also discussed how the city achieved success in a three -chair panel during the Positive Reflection exercise. Different staff members took notes on information presented during these discussions. July 14, 2025 Special Session City Council Retreat Page 1 of 4 Isomi =6 - w 0 w am IMM" During this exercise, each individual council member and staff contemplated the following questions: What challenged us and why? What was expected or unexpected. Discussion ensued with the entire group on various city challenges from the previous year. BREAK Council members and staff went on a break. Ign City staff members presented the financial landscape portion of the retreat to Council members. The Public Works Director, Steve King mentioned financial sustainability, A.R. RA funds, local economy, projects happening in the city, strategic planning, community services, affordable housing, and city revenue. Finance and Technology Services Director, Jodi Adams discussed the city's general funds, tourism, construction, and different taxes for the city. City Manager John Mauro spoke on the future of the city's budget and the future needs of the city. Each city staff director presented the financial landscape's Eco cycle for the city. Discussion ensued about the city library, levels of service, constraints on local government, future reserves, financial forecast, lodging tax, hospital construction, city fees, seasonal taxes for the city, and the city budget. LUNCH BREAK Council and staff recessed for lunch at 12:38pm. Council and staff reconvened from lunch at 1:10pm July 14, 2025 Special Session City Council Retreat Page 2 of 4 City Manager John Mauro gave an overview of the remainder of the day's meeting.. Planning and Community Development Director, Emma Bolin gave an overview of the ongoing work on the current Comprehensive Plan. She mentioned code alignments, future meetings with the City Council, economic development, the street circulation plan, parks, and the core services for the city. The group then discussed the following questions: Where are we in the arc and the timeline of the Comprehensive Plan, how can we deliver and stay strategic/forward focused, and What outcomes do we desire? Discussion ensued about the structure of the work for the comprehensive plan, the vision for the city, affordable services, various projects, public safety, and the time limit around the projects in progress. The Strategic Comprehensive Plan Landscape: Part 2 Emma Bolin presented the next exercise for the Council members. This exercise had the staff and Council members discussed the city's priorities for the future projects and what might be required to reach the completion of the projects. Each director discussed different projects within their department. The group discussed short-term rentals, city parking lots, permitting, the police department accreditation, city housing, recruiting large developers, misinformation on Evans Vista, dark skies, and the various policies to help guide current and future decisions. r .. City Manager John Mauro discussed the 2026 workplan. He discussed the implementation of the workplan, and the group exercises. He also asked the Council to think about the top priorities for the 2026 Comprehensive plan, and the expectations of the city's advisory boards. Each city director discussed sections of the 2026 workplan. The directors mentioned employee and community engagement, the great work of the public experience July 14, 2025 Special Session City Council Retreat Page 3 of 4 liaisons, the new portal for permitting, police department accreditation, population growth, the Glen Cove development, street improvements, city trails, the Jefferson Land Trust, financial sustainability initiatives, the library's level of service plans, employee retention, pipeline repairs, Evans Vista, and the Port Townsend Main Street. Council members discussed training, what engagements are working for the community, the city's infrastructure, grant funding, Cappy's trail, the public art inventory, hospitality, legal services, goals of future projects in the city, community service, parking regulation, and the city's deer population management. fork lan exercise The Council and staff discussed the priorities for the 2026 workplan. The group came together to discuss their priorities and advisory boards. Group Photo Council and staff went outside to take a group photo commemorating the 2025 Retreat workshop. John Mauro mentioned city events and that the city budget will be coming to Council. The Council members spoke about what they liked about the retreat, previous retreats, the city's team, accomplishments from the last couple of years and the enjoyment of being Council members. There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was called to recess at 4.38pm. The Council members reconvened at Bishop Bottle Shop at 5,00pm. The get together at Bishop Bottle Shop ended at 7:23pm. Attest: Lonnie Mickle Deputy City Clerk July 14, 2025 Special Session City Council Retreat Page 4 of 4