PORT TOWNSEND — City Council members and Jefferson County commissioners vowed during a joint meeting last week to collaborate on critical issues of economic development, land use and water planning in what could be a first step toward political unity.
Citing a fractious history of city-county competition for water and development, city and county elected officials agreed that more could be accomplished to benefit their residents if government agencies worked together for a better future.
It was believed to be a first for the government agencies: an attempt to shed a history of fighting over water and economic development.
Port Townsend Mayor Michelle Sandoval set the stage for the more than two-hour round-table discussion Thursday night, citing cooperation on two fronts that led to the construction of two 64-car ferries now being built.
City and county leaders worked together to lobby state leaders to make up for the loss of the old Steel Electric ferries, which were pulled from the vital Port Townsend-Keystone route for safety reasons in 2007, Sandoval said.
At the same time, highly competitive Puget Sound boat builders united, she added.
They are building massive components that will be assembled next year as the first of at least three new 64-car ferries, two of which will serve the route between the North Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island.
“. . .They all came together,” Sandoval said. “That’s what we need to do in Jefferson County.”
‘Mutually dependent’
Helping to moderate the meeting, county Administrator Philip Morley said when it comes to the city and county competing for economic development, “we need to get past that.
“We are mutually dependent on our economic health.”
Invited to join the discussion, Port of Port Townsend leaders opted not to attend the meeting on their lawyer’s advice since the port is going through the process with Jefferson County to rezone 24 acres at the port’s Jefferson County International Airport for a light industrial park for a new fire station and private manufacturing uses.
“If the port commissioners were there, it would have put the county commissioners in a very awkward position since the rezone action is still ongoing,” port Executive Director Larry Crockett said.
The county commissioners are expected to act on the port’s rezoning proposal before year’s end.
Nonetheless, Morley called the port “a critical player” along with Jefferson County Public Utility District when it comes to the county’s economic growth.
PUD Commissioner Dana Roberts attended the joint meeting, but did not participate in the discussion.
Joint committee
Crockett said the port commissioners supported the city and county in developing a shared economic strategy for the future through a Joint Growth Management Steering Committee of government leaders to coordinate future comprehensive planning both city and countywide.
Port Townsend City Manager David Timmons said economic development means more than bringing in or retaining new businesses — it means creating affordable housing and strong educational opportunities for the work force.
Sandoval said she believes that was why school leaders should be a part of the conversation.
Come together
Katherine Baril, who supervises Team Jefferson as the Washington State University Port Hadlock Extension executive director, called on county agencies to come together.
The county’s economic development arm, Team Jefferson marks two years in operation after the county dissolved the old, politically divided Jefferson County Economic Development Council.
Citing such communities as Walla Walla, which united and worked through water and economic development issues for a strong economy, Baril urged the leaders to “lower drama” and “increase collaboration.”
“There is no underlying assessment of what’s out there,” Baril said, calling for an inventory of land for technology, agriculture and other uses.
“We wanted broadband in this community but couldn’t get together to get a grant,” Baril said of wider Internet bandwith for greater the information-carrying capacity.
“We cannot get new funding and grants if we are not working together.”
Morley encouraged the city to support Team Jefferson, which he referred to as “the vehicle for us to come together, the city and the county.”
Morley also called of more public investment in time and money on a local basis.
Timmons said coordinated planning between the city and county could be used to address the city possibly extending sewer service to Glen Cove industrial park when it upgrades the Howard Street system during its Upper Sims Way improvement project for future commercial grow on Howard north of Sims.
Labor needed
Timmons said he frequently hears from business owners that they need labor more than land to expand and thrive.
Sandoval said it was not rezoning that created economic development, “it’s people that create economic development.”
Training youth as tomorrow’s work force was vital to economic success, the mayor said.
Al Scalf, county direct of Community Development, said the county and city are the stronger for working together.
“We can hang separately or we can hang together,” Scalf said, adding, “hopefully not on ropes.”
He said the options are that the county and city develop their comprehensive plans and economic development in concert with each other and sharing a vision for future land use.
Water issues
Resolving city and county water issues was another hurdle to overcome, Scalf said.
Timmons said future federal mandates for the city to treat and filter its water sources and Lords and City lakes threatened how the city shares water with the PUD.
He said the city was caught in a balancing act between keeping enough water in the Quilcene River for fish habitat and the city’s growing demand for water.
The officials agreed to give the city and county planning staffs the task of coming up with suggestions for the Joint Growth Management Steering Committee of city and county leaders to consider for final discussion and action.
Morley suggested another joint city-county meeting in February, with continued quarterly gatherings.
“There’s a real value of having these regularly scheduled,” he said.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.