Putting the key into the Key City | Guest Viewpoint

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When I began as city manager in November, I wasn’t aware that I’d have about four months of “normal” before abruptly shifting to over a year of “exceedingly abnormal.”

I was lucky in those first few months to share coffee with members of the community, enjoy meeting staff and councilmembers, learn first-hand about the wide range of facilities we operate and services we provide, and discover an astonishing network of people and organizations that breathe life into this special place. I savored it then, but drink the nostalgia even deeper now given the past year.  

You have been patient and understanding. Many city services changed, slowed or even stopped as we all tried to navigate what will be known for decades ahead as an ever-changing, complex and challenging time. Thank you.

The city team has been tenacious and dedicated. They invented new ways of working, continually adapted to changing guidelines and information, and tried to steadily deliver on our commitment to serve our community, sometimes through exceptionally tough professional and personal stresses. Thank you.

The spring sun has started to shine some rays of hope, including the limited physical reopening of the Port Townsend Public Library (with more hours as of Tuesday, April 6) and the Mountain View Pool (with more capacity starting Monday, April 19).  

This Monday, April 12, we added city hall to the mix. Services and hours will be limited for now. From Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to
2 p.m., the new front desk will handle almost all inquiries with limited appointments available for technical needs like permit reviews.

It’s a careful phased start. Like with the library and pool, we’ll turn the dial toward more hours and more services as we go. 

But even with limitations, it feels really good — perhaps even optimistic, celebratory, victorious — to invite the community back into your building. You can find details, learn about hours and services, and make appointments by clicking the banner at the top of our homepage at www.cityofpt.us. 

Please help us quicken the pace on the hours and services we offer. That means visiting or making appointments only when you can’t do so virtually. 

It means, even if vaccinated, masking and distancing and staying vigilant on how we can all protect each other while we’re still in this.  

Finally, it means bringing a sense of calm, consideration and kindness into the building with you — patiently noting limits on capacity, the floor dots of where to stand to stay distanced, and the staff who are trying their best to get you what you need.  

When this is all over, we’ll make up for lost time: We’ll throw the doors open and celebrate together with very visible smiles on our faces.

(John Mauro is city manager for Port Townsend.)