PRESS RELEASE - City Launches New Integrated Community Services Department

Department includes Library, Parks and Facilities, and Arts and Culture, and seeks to deliver better, more integrated, more inclusive services to the Port Townsend community.

The City has made changes to its organizational structure to create a new Community Services Department. The new department incorporates existing Parks and Facilities teams, the Library department, and a new Arts and Culture element to oversee the Port Townsend Creative District. Staffing and budgetary decisions were made as part of the City’s annual budget adoption.

City Manager John Mauro says: “This change allows us to better integrate and sustainably deliver services to our community. We’re drawing creative inspiration from elements that provide a high-quality public service like the library, building back some of the elements that have suffered from years of neglect like parks and facilities, and recognizing an opportunity to play a more meaningful role in carrying forward the work of the PT Creative District in expanding living-wage opportunities for local artists.”

Melody Sky Weaver, who has served for 10 years until the present as Library Director, has been appointed as the director of the new department. Melody has a background in fine art and is passionate about access and equity to public institutions such as public libraries and parks, and works to foster environments that support lifelong learning and bringing people together. She says: “I’m thrilled to take on this exciting new challenge, and draw from my experience as a municipal leader, former Library Director, and my time on the subcommittee of the PT Creative District. I’m eager to work with an inspiring team, our partners, and the community to enable a creative fusion of the services our community deeply values.”

The City does not expect major changes to services on the ground, at least initially, but does aim to bring greater creativity, synergies, and vitality to our existing work in these areas. In particular, a new element will emerge in 2025 as the City hires an Arts and Culture Coordinator to steward the ArtsWA-designated Port Townsend Creative District. To this date, Port Townsend Main Street was fiscal sponsor and successfully championed the Creative District’s functions and achievements. Annette Roth, of ArtsWA, notes: "I want to commend Port Townsend Main Street for their excellent stewardship of the Creative District these past several years to create a strong, sustainable district. I look forward to working with the City as the administrator.”

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For more information and updates, follow the City Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/CityofPT

To review the adopted 2025 City of Port Townsend budget, please see: https://cityofpt.us/sites/default/files/fileattachments/finance/page/15261/2025_city_of_port_townsend_budget.pdf

Watch a recording of City staff discussing the initiative with a City advisory body here:
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/player/clip/3340?view_id=4&redirect=true

Listen to a KPTZ interview discussing the departmental integration here: https://kptz.org/2024/11/14/brewocracy-now-11-14-24/