PORT TOWNSEND — Today’s Port Townsend City Council session marks a return to in-person meetings — with an online option — for government bodies across Jefferson County.
“As part of the City of Port Townsend reopening plan, the City is inviting the public to participate in City Council business and workshop meetings in the City Council Chambers,” city clerk Joanna Sanders noted in a press release last week.
The council meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. today at City Hall, 250 Madison St. Members of the public can either attend there or on their computers or smartphones by going to cityofPT.us. The link to the meeting can be found under Agendas and Minutes, or viewers can go directly to http://joinwebinar.com and enter webinar ID 578 066 435.
In all such meetings, people can submit written public comments up to two hours before the start of the session via publiccomment@cityofpt.us. Input can also be given live — in person or via computer or phone — with a limit of three minutes per person.
The Board of Jefferson County Commissioners is preparing to hold hybrid, in-person and online meetings, added chairwoman and District 2 Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour.
March 28 is the day of the planned transition; the commissioners hope to meet in person at 9 a.m. that Monday at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St. Meetings also will be livestreamed; information can be found at www.co.jefferson.wa.us under Departments and then Board of County Commissioners.
“I’m kind of chomping at the bit,” Eisenhour said, adding that, since she took office in 2021, she’s had only a few in-person meetings.
“Obviously there’s something different about being in a room together,” she said. “Body language, unspoken communication, just the different energy.”
The Port of Port Townsend Commission has an in-person meeting on its horizon, too. After close to two all-Zoom years, commissioners Pam Petranek, Pete Hanke and Carol Hasse, along with port staff, plan to convene a hybrid meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 23 at the Port Townsend Yacht Club, 2503 Washington St.
“We are testing internet connectivity and equipment early next week,” said port Executive Director Eron Berg, as the meeting will have a Zoom option for viewers on their computers and phones.
Information can be found at portofPT.com under Governance.
“The April and May meetings will likely be on the road with locations to be determined,” Berg said, adding the possibilities include Quilcene, Port Ludlow and the Jefferson County International Airport.
Come late spring, the commission hopes to meet in its new pavilion building at Point Hudson, he said.
The county Board of Commissioners also are working on the technology to enable hybrid meetings.
“We need it to integrate with Zoom and our streaming service, which has proven tricky,” said District 1 Commissioner Kate Dean.
“We would like to remain hybrid long-term,” she added, because more people have been joining commissioners’ meetings since they became available on their screens.
Eisenhour, for her part, said she lacks “the crystal ball,” but hopes in-person and online meetings will be the way from here on out.
“We learned something from the pandemic: More people can attend when they have the option of doing so from home,” she said.
“For me, personally, I really look forward to the day we are together in person. It’s been hard for me to not have access to people for the past two years. It’s been a rough patch for sure.”
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Jefferson County Senior Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3509 or durbanidelapaz@peninsuladailynews.com.
