At a special meeting on Oct. 27, the Port Townsend City Council approved a temporary code change to simplify and expedite the permitting process for homeless encampments.

The interim ordinance changes all encampment permits to Type 1A, effectively streamlining the process by eliminating the need for a notice of application and limiting the ability to appeal, according to the agenda bill. 

Type 1A permits are administrative and do not require public hearings or public comment. 

“Because it would be in everybody’s best interest for these to be streamlined, given the Nov. 3 expectation that people would be leaving the site next to DSHS, we wanted to allow our shelter providers to apply for a permit and get expedited review,” said Planning Director Emma Bolin. “So, the interim ordinance in front of you tonight would change some of the typed permitting decisions from a Type 3, requiring a public hearing, to a Type 1A.” 

“It also will limit appeal rights,” Bolin said. “So the only appeal rights are with the applicant. The city does maintain the ability to modify, withdraw, or revoke permits if there is noncompliance.” 

Council members waived council rules and approved the temporary code change on its first reading, with Mayor David Faber acknowledging that the change could “end up creating some pretty notable backlash from parts of the community.” 

“I am more than willing to stand up to that,” he said. “But it’s just knowing that all of us on council could be having the exact opposite collection of people brigading into the council chamber and yelling at us for letting homeless people live near them. I think that is a risk worth taking and a source of ire worth dealing with.” 

Ahead of the council’s vote, about 75 people from the community, including city council, city staff, housing providers, outreach workers, people with lived experience and people experiencing homelessness gathered for a special city council meeting at the edge of the Evans Vista encampment to discuss ongoing outreach efforts, winter safety concerns and the city’s planned timeline.

The crowd included all members of the city council: David Faber, Amy Howard, Ben Thomas, Neil Nelson, Monica MickHager, Libby Wennstrom and Owen Rowe, as well as Planning Director Emma Bolin and Public Works Director Steve King. City Manager John Mauro was not in attendance; officials said he was at a conference in Tampa and is expected to return Nov. 2. 

Outreach workers told the group that fewer people remain in the visible section of the encampment than before the deadline was set, but providers argued that the shift does not reflect successes in most cases. They argued that many residents have simply moved deeper into the woods or out of view, making it challenging to monitor health and safety, and to provide access to services. Public health department staff warned that pushing people away from outreach without a ready alternative could lead to deteriorating health and lost medications as winter approaches.

OlyCAP emphasized that a severe shortage of shelter and housing remains a key hurdle. They cited 260 households waiting for housing across Jefferson County, but the number of available beds remains in the single digits at any given time.   

Many people with lived experience of homelessness and residents of the encampment urged the council not to force those remaining at the site into unsafe spaces or even further from services. One speaker said the city was “knowingly doing something with a predictable outcome.” Another said that forcing people to leave before winter would put lives at risk.

Faber told the group that the purpose of the gathering was to focus on immediate conditions, placements, and how best to ensure the safest possible resolution for the remaining residents. He said the council has already set policy and has very limited capacity to change enforcement timelines, even as members recognize the moral weight of the decision.

He said that city staff have warned that they cannot maintain the site indefinitely and that the city must uphold its public health and safety obligations.