KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro were joined by City Council member Libby Urner Wennstrom who is Port Townsend’s Council liaison to the Fort Worden PDA, so, of course, the PDA was a topic of discussion.

(Airdate: January 2, 2025) KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and co-host Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro were joined by Assistant City Engineer Jeff Kostechka and we talked about an upcoming workshop-style open house focused on improving walking, biking, and connectivity in our neighborhoods. This is part of the effort to update the Active Transportation Plan which is in turn part of the Comprehensive Plan update. The plan was originally created in 1997 and was last updated in 2010. The open house will be Wednesday, Jan 15 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Community Senior Center at Tyler and Lawrence in uptown Port Townsend.

Brewocracy Now was not cancelled this week due to the holidays. Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro returned from a short vacation and joined Taylor Clark as they discussed developments with the Fort Worden PDA as well as fielded a listener question about the possibility of housing on the some portion of golf course.

Taylor Clark was joined by Emma Bolin, Director of Planning and Community Development, and Adrian Smith, Long Range Planner for the City of Port Townsend. We discussed next steps in the process to develop and refine the 2026 Comprehensive Plan. An Active Transportation workshop will be held at the Uptown Senior Center in the Community Center at 620 Tyler Street starting at 5:30pm on January 15, 2025.

KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro welcomed Jeff Bohman of the Peninsula Trails Coalition. We talked about the history and future of his organization and of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Taylor Clark and John Mauro welcomed Chimacum Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Mauk. We had an interesting discussion about change management – the process of having a vision of the future and then encouraging a good faith dialogue about what changes might be needed to move in that direction.

KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro welcomed Mari Mullens, Executive Director of PT Mainstreet and Jeannine Kempees, a PT Mainstreet board member and owner of About Time Clothing & Shoes. We talked abut the upcoming events taking place in both downtown and in Uptown. We also talked with Deputy Mayor Amy Howard about the training she has been doing with the Association of Washington Cities (along with Council Members Rowe and MickHager). We also got an update on the new Equity, Access, and Rights (EAR) Advisory Board.

KPTZ’s Taylor Clark heard from Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro about three ‘C’s: the CARES Program, Capital Projects, and Community Services.

KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro talked with Port Townsend Director of Public Works Steve King about the work going on on Lawrence Street and also Tyler Street: sidewalk improvements, drainage and rain gardens, trees and also future pavement plans. There’s a QR code literally on the sidewalks that you can scan for more information.

KPTZ’s Taylor Clark and Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro discussed the ‘elephant in the room’, namely the recent articles in the Port Townsend Leader about City Manager Mauro.