PORT TOWNSEND — City Council members are starting regular office hours Thursday.
Members of the public can speak directly to a Port Townsend City Council member during the office hours, which will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays each week in the mayor’s office on the top floor of old City Hall, 540 Water St.
‘Talk to us’
“If someone is downtown and they have an issue, they can come in and talk to us without having to stand up in a public meeting or fill out a complaint form at City Hall,” said Mayor David King.
The Mayor’s Office currently is used by the council members as a document storage and distribution area.
The idea is for the seven council members to take turns.
King will take the Thursday shift for the time being, he said.
Establishing office hours was first discussed at a retreat in January, King said.
“I expect this could be pretty lonely at first until the news gets out,” King said.
“But if someone wants to come down and talk about seagull poop or some other important issue, they will have that chance.”
Five of the council members — King, Michelle Sandoval, Kris Nelson, Mark Welch and Catharine Robinson — have full-time jobs while Deborah Stinson and Bob Gray are retired.
The hours are structured so both the public and the council have some flexibility.
No evening hours are planned.
King said he plans to bring his laptop to the office and work remotely so “I am not just sitting around waiting for someone to show up.”
King said that if one person shows up each day, it will be a worthwhile venture.
King said the idea of floating hours was discussed, but the council decided a fixed time would be more effective.
Set regular times
“We wanted to set regular times when people know that we are available to talk to them,” he said.
King feels the new office hours will be a positive experience for both the council and the public.
“[Former Mayor] Michelle [Sandoval] had a job where she was out in the community a lot,” King said.
“I sit in an office all day, so these hours will be a way for me to get out more.”
________
Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
