NewsletterNewsletterOctober 2017

A Note from the Mayor:

Solid Waste Collection Requirements - Why I can’t put my garbage service on vacation hold any more?

Mayor Deborah Stinson

Autumn has officially arrived in our neck of the woods. The season is marked by cooler temperatures and rain that was much needed after our unusually long and dry summer. Our students are returning to school and our businesses are tooling up for changing patterns driven by colder and wetter days. Here at the City we are in full-blown budget season.

We start the budget process from a solid financial foundation as evidenced by yet another stellar audit result. That said, we are still working out way our of the depths of the recession and facing a growing list of unmet needs.

Some aspects of the 2018 budget will be discussed at every council meeting for the rest of the year. We’ll begin with reviewing projected revenues on October 2 and then take a deeper dive to look at each of the departments and their related 2018 funding needs at our workshop on October 9. That meeting will begin to clarify the 2018 outlook, helping us to prioritize and fine-tune in the following meetings.

Now is the time to be paying attention if you want to share your thoughts on our budget. All City meetings are noticed on our website, www.cityofpt.us, and in local print and radio media. The budget related documents will be attached to the online agenda items or can be viewed at City Hall.

While the full council is focused on the budget, we have recently appointed two ad hoc council committees to focus on other topics. The first is tasked with reviewing the proposal to replace our current ethics code with the Washington State ethics code. Their first meeting has been scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Oct 4 in the City Council Chambers. The second committee is tasked with reviewing specific issues on the affordable housing topic. That committee has yet to be scheduled at the time of this writing, but I expect them to begin meeting before the end of the year. Like all other meetings, these too will be noticed on our website, in the newspapers and on the radio.

The Port Townsend Municipal Code Chapter 6.04.040 states that it is mandatory for the owner of all developed property, all residential (single-family and multifamily) tenantable or inhabited buildings, and/or all places of business within the city to take a service that is provided by the city’s solid waste contractor....Every occupant of the property and every owner of the property for which garbage and refuse collection and disposal services are rendered shall be responsible for and shall pay, without delinquency, all charges therefor.” The City operates garbage service similar to the water utility requiring customers to pay for the basic service whether or not they use. You can opt for every other week versus weekly service. The recycling and yard waste services are also funded from garbage collection fee.

According to DM Disposal, they used to allow a customer to go into “vacation mode.” The City’s contract with DM neither requires nor prohibits this practice, however the reasons for discontinuing this practice have to do with the challenges managing these short-term interruptions in service. DM does its best to respond to the varying needs of its customers. The City will continue to work with DM to make sure they understand our position and that they clearly convey that to their customers. Please contact DM Disposal if you have service questions 360-385-6612.

360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us

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The following committees have vacancies for citizens interested in volunteering: • The Planning Commission provides recommendations to the City Council on land use regulations, Comprehensive Plan amendments and other challenging planning issues. The Commission also conducts public hearings on legislative proposals.

• The Arts Commission promotes and encourages public programs to further the development and public awareness of and interest in the arts, and acts in an advisory capacity to the City government in connection with the artistic and cultural development of the City. Members are selected based on their knowledge and expertise with respect to the performing, visual and literary arts. The many activities sponsored by the Arts Commission include an annual one-act play contest and juried art exhibitions.

• The Library Advisory Board advises the City Manager and City Council concerning the operations of the Port Townsend Library. The board offers advisory opinions concerning the supervision, care and custody of library property; the annual operations budget; purchase of supplies and materials for library patrons; and hours of operation for public use of the library. The board also develops policy for the selection of books, periodicals, maps, materials, and infor-mation services for the library's operation. In addition, the board may make recommendations to the City Council regarding long-range planning of facilities and funding-based proposals.

• The Civil Service Commission administers the Civil Service system pursuant to state law and local Civil Service Rules for employees of the Police Department. This includes establishing dates and types of employment and promotional examinations and certifying employment lists. Eligibility requirements include United States citizenship, a minimum of three years as a City resident, and status as a registered voter in Jefferson County.

Applications are available in the City Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall, 250 Madison Street. Call 379-5083 with questions and to request an application form or download from: http://cityofpt.us/council/boards.html. City residency or employment within the City is a requirement for most positions.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!Citizen Advisory Board Recruitment

• Mountain View Pool was constructed as part of Mountain View Junior High and operated by the school district and opened to the public as an outdoor pool on Saturday, Aug. 31, 1963.• A roof over the Pool was in the works by 1966. It was proposed to be completed along with a gymnasium, a lunchroom, music room and additional classrooms financed by a special bond.• The first organized Swim Team started at MVP in 1970.• The School District was still operating the pool when it turned over the recreational programs to Jefferson County in January 1978. The school and county shared in the Pool's operation and maintenance.• The “Dilbert Dunker” scene from the film An Officer and a Gentleman was filmed in Mountain View Pool in 1981.• The City of Port Townsend took over operations of MVP in 1995.• The City of Port Townsend began managing the REDFins (USA Swimming) age group swim club in 2016. Open tryouts are every Wednesday.

Did you know?

A timeline of

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360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us

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Daniel Winkler - Edible Mushrooms of the PNW and BeyondPort Townsend Public Library - Carnegie Reading Room • Thursday, Oct. 12, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Daniel is the author of field guides to edible mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest and California (both Harbour Publishing, 2011 and 2012) and Amazon Mushrooms with Larry Evans (2014). He grew up collecting and eating wild mushrooms in the Alps and has been foraging for 20 years in the PNW and working as mushroom educator and guide. Daniel is trained as a geographer and ecologist and works as researcher and NGO consultant on environmental issues of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas. Working in Tibet, Daniel realized that Tibet's diverse mushroom industry plays a crucial role in rural Tibet and thus has been researching Tibet's ethno-mycology for 20 years. With his travel agency MushRoaming LLC he is annually organizing and leading several mushroom focused eco-adventures to Tibet, China, the Amazon, Colombia, the Austrian Alps and the Pacific Northwest.

The Art of Recalling: the Art and Writing of Emilie Demant Hatt and Johan TuriPort Townsend Public Library - Carnegie Reading RoomTuesday, Oct. 24, 7:00-8:30pm

In the early twentieth century, the Danish artist Emilie Demant Hatt and Johan Turi, a Swedish Sami hunter and would-be writer and artist, formed an unlikely bond. She edited and translated his classic work, An Account of the Sami, which included his drawings. He introduced her to the world of nomadic reindeer herders. Back in Denmark, Demant Hatt wrote her own narrative, With the Lapps in the High Mountains, and used Sápmi as a motif in her Expressionist linocuts and paintings; while at Lake Torneträsk Turi continued to write and draw. Barbara Sjoholm has been studying the lives of Demant Hatt and Turi for many years and presents a talk and slide show about their mutual influence and how Sápmi is reflected in their writings and artwork. Copies of Sjoholm’s new biography of Demant Hatt, Black Fox (University of Wisconsin) will be available.

Barbara Sjoholm is the editor and translator of Demant Hatt's narrative With the Lapps in the High Mountains. Her many books include novels about Demant Hatt's youthful romance with Danish composer Carl Nielsen: Fossil Island and The Former World.

Pappenspiel (Puppet Show)Charles Pink House - 1256 Lawrence St. Friday, Oct. 6, 6:30pm"Pappenspiel" is a bicycle-traveling, trunk size, tabletop stage. It is derived from a type of 1850's Central European puppetry and storytelling form using paper figures as illustrations. It is referred to as Papiertheater (paper theater). "Pappenspiel" (paper play) is a community oriented solo show by "Max" Eberhard Eichner, a Berlin, Germany, born and raised artist. Max Eberhard adds to his carefully and for all ages selected tales of the Grimms a kind of "one-man" band with acoustic music accompaniment, original songs and sound effects. Occasionally, extra actors, puppets and puppeteers will join the fun

Not-So-Scary Halloween PartyPort Townsend Library - 1220 Lawrence St. Saturday, Oct. 28, 5:00-6:30A Halloween party for little kids. Enjoy crafts, goodies and stories. Costumes encouraged.

Youth Programs at the Library

Upcoming Library Events

Art in the LibraryNorthwind Arts Center and Jefferson

County Historical Society present:

JIM ALDEN RETROSPECTIVEOctober 27, 2017 - February 20, 2018

Opening Reception October 27, 20176:00-7:30pm • Port Townsend Library

1220 Lawrence St. Port Townsend

360.379.5047 • citycouncil@cityofpt.us • www.cityofpt.us

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Capital Projects Updates

Howard Street Extension Project is close to completion!Howard Street Extension Project is a new roadway that connects Sims Way to Discovery Road. The project ends in a roundabout on Discovery Road. The construction has been on-going for the past year and completion of the project is schedule for October 2017. City Council approved the new roadway from Sims Way to Discovery Road to be named Rainier Street, as the roundabout on Discovery Road lines up with the Rainier Street right-of-way. Items left on the project to be completed are landscaping, lighting and general clean-up.

Water Street Enhancement Project Construction will be starting soon!Construction will begin in downtown again starting in January 2018. The project area is Water Street from Taylor Street to the Ferry Terminal. The project will include: replacement of an existing aging water main, replacement of sewer laterals, stormwater improvements, replacement of sidewalk, installation of ADA compliant sidewalk ramps and repaving Water Street. The project will also include improvements on the south side of Tyler Street (water side) and undergrounding of power, phone and cable. The City plans to advertise for construction in October 2017 and start construction in January of 2018. Construction will be completed by end of June 2018.

The Capital Projects group has a variety of projects in various stages from environmental permitting and/or early design, which include: the Regional Stormwater Facility Project, a Stormwater Management Plan, a new sidewalk and stormwater improvements on Jefferson Street, maintenance and repair of our existing timber crib diversion dam, SR-20 Pedestrian Walkway from Logan Street to Hancock Street, and a Sewer Outfall.

For more detailed projects description or just-for-fun reading, visit the Capital Projects webpage at:http://www.cityofpt.us/dsd/capitalprojects.html