I hear many locals and visitors say they avoid coming into Port Townsend due to tight parking many days. Enforcement of two-hour parking for five of six days has stopped.

Read municipal code, chapter 10.04 on parking. This is at least the fourth year in a row, resulting in the cultivation of some residents, business owners and employees who take parking spots all day and eliminate hundreds of two-hour rotations daily for customers.

I have sent many photos and emails since 2015 to the City Council and manager, police and two promotional organizations. It is in my face in front of my business, Forest Gems Gallery, every day. All business suffers, along with customers.

Volunteers were not maintained, or other options tried. If there is no police staff/budget to maintain the volunteer force, it should go back to the city manager, who reports to the City Council. I have to do lots of expensive things I don't want to do in business. We all have limited funds, and obligations. This avoidance has cost paid staff and council nothing. Vote.

The city manager's job is to establish budgets and work with all department heads to make sure the duties of the city are accomplished. He is overseen by the mayor and council. The city website explains it and municipal parking code.

This is at least the fourth year that this "complex issue" has been kicked down the road. There are few superficial answers from the city; follow-up questions are important. There seems to be no questioning of priorities or process. "The issue is being studied." Who is studying why enforcement of a municipal code was halted by a sole city employee and council, with detriment to business. Without enforcement, the damaging people filling the vacuum are predictable. Lawsuit? Damages?

HARVEY WINDLE

Port Townsend