PORT TOWNSEND – The three Jefferson County commissioners, in a unanimous vote Tuesday, approved a resolution committing the county to cut greenhouse gas emissions to levels 80 percent lower than 1990 levels by 2050.
It also mentions an intention to monitor energy usage countywide.
The resolution was meant to be signed jointly by the commissioners and the Port Townsend City Council, but some council members have reservations about signing the resolution as it is.
Chairman Phil Johnson, D-Port Townsend, said at Tuesday’s commissioner meeting that he received an e-mail over the weekend from Councilman Geoff Masci, who asked Johnson to hold off on signing the resolution.
“I read in the Peninsula Daily News this morning that you folks were going to adopt in your consent agenda the climate change joint resolution that your staff prepared. Please wait,” Masci wrote to Johnson.
He said the City Council has altered the language of the resolution considerably to be more consistent with state efforts on the subject.
Earlier this year, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an executive order committing to limit greenhouse gas emissions to levels 50 percent lower than 1990 levels by 2050.
Masci was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.
The City Council is expected to consider adopting a similar resolution at its July 2 meeting.
The county commissioners said that amendments could be made to the resolution they signed on Tuesday, once the council adopts it.
