PORT TOWNSEND — The Board of Jefferson County Commissioners engaged in discussion around what an economic development framework should look like for the county.
In keeping with a goal for the year — to gain clarity on steps to be taken for economic development — the intent of the discussion was to begin organizing high-level ideas to be brought to the Intergovernmental Collaborative Group (ICG). The ICG is composed of members from the county, the city of Port Townsend, the Port of Port Townsend, the Jefferson County PUD and the Economic Development Council.
County commissioner Heather Dudley Nollette said she struggled with understanding the use of the term framework, questioning its use over goals or a strategic plan.
Board chair Greg Brotherton struggled with the idea too, noting his preference for spending time digging into the details of a project.
“My understanding is it’s allowing us to find how our specific project goals align with another group’s project goals and make it, ‘Oh, we’re going to do this thing now,’” he said.
“Maybe it’s just as simple as, ‘What does economic development mean to each of these jurisdictions,’” Dudley Nollette said. “I think that’s what I’ve been referring to as the series of hard conversations that we need to have. We are really still very much at odds as far as what we think this community needs to thrive.”
Brotherton facilitated the discussion around a PowerPoint presentation. On key markers of economic prosperity, the county is on the wrong end of the spectrum consistently, he said.
“There’s more inequality, less housing affordability, on pretty much every metric that is tracked, we are suffering,” Brotherton said.
Choosing how to approach the conversation needs to be grounded in the county’s values, which can be found in the core documents it produces for its direction, Brotherton said. Documents mentioned included the comprehensive plan, which is currently being updated, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, the county’s forestry program and others.
“We have a bunch of documents that should serve as the bulwark for what we want to happen,” Brotherton said.
EDC Team Jefferson and the North Olympic Development Council, conveners of economic development partnerships in the county, also should weigh in on the direction that government participation in economic development takes, he said.
Broader conversations have included questioning whether the county government should participate in economic development at all, and if so, what levers it has at its disposal, Brotherton said.
Finding ways to participate in Opportunity Zones (OZ) is one such lever. OZs are federally designated tracts that provide tax incentives for long-term private investment in distressed communities. In Washington, the state’s Department of Commerce works with counties and local entities to nominate eligible census tracts for designation by the governor and certification by the U.S. Treasury, according to the Department of Commerce.
Jefferson County’s current Opportunity Zones include Port Hadlock and Brinnon, including areas toward the county’s west end, Brotherton said. That could change as maps are being revised, he added. Commerce will accept redesignation applications beginning March 10, with new OZs being made official at the beginning of next year.
The county faces a number of barriers to developing its economy.
“Our workforce housing is in distress,” Brotherton said. “I see a lot of infrastructure problems.”
Brotherton shared a number of slides from a presentation given by former EDC Team Jefferson board member Ray Sparrowe in 2024.
As of 2023, Jefferson County had the highest median age among surrounding counties. It had the lowest housing affordability for the median buyer compared with Clallam and Mason counties. It also had the highest income inequality ratio when compared with Clallam, Mason and King counties.
Brotherton led the board through an exercise wherein commissioners stated their opinion on the county’s status across a number of core areas that mark a thriving community.
Commissioners rated categories on a scale of 1-10, with 1-3 being deficient, 4-6 adequate and 7-10 abundant. The three commissioners’ responses were combined for a median rating.
In healthcare — taking affordability, access and convenience into consideration — the commissioners landed on a four rating.
Commissioners noted that, for a rural hospital district, Jefferson Healthcare performs well.
“(In population), we are smaller than Queen Anne (in Seattle) and over an area that is larger than Vermont,” Brotherton said. “I would grade all these things based on that standard of a really massive geographical area. There’s some areas that we don’t serve sufficiently at all. I would say on the West End, all of these are inadequate.”
The group gave secure and affordable housing a two.
Robust education received a four, with commissioners noting that the county performs exceptionally well in ongoing adult education.
Specialized sectors and career pathways were given a four, with the maritime industry identified as strong, though commissioners said the county’s range of pathways is limited.
Social fabric and community engagement received a seven.
Small business and creative sector support were given a five. Commissioners referenced EDC Team Jefferson and the APEX program, for which program manager Justine Wagner of the Clallam Economic Development Council presented earlier in the meeting. APEX focuses on providing technical support to small businesses seeking access to government contracts.
Access to nature, clean water and green space received a unanimous 10.
Dudley Nollette noted that those features are a major part of what makes Jefferson County desirable, and that development discussions often have centered on how to protect them.
Critical infrastructure — including waste management, roads and broadband — received a five, with Brotherton noting that the rating reflects improvement over previous years.
Finally, commissioners rated government transparency and engagement, referred to during the discussion as flat government, at a six. Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour noted that while some community members are highly engaged, participation often comes from the same group of individuals.
“I’d like to see (the survey) go out to the public, let the public tell you where they think you are and what they think we need,” Shelly Yarnell of Brinnon said during public comment.
Dudley Nollette said that she loved the idea of putting the survey out to the public, as the county considers how it might increase surveys more generally.
The board may share the survey with members of the ICG ahead of its next meeting, which will take place next month.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com.
