Neil Nelson, who was appointed to Port Townsend City Council Position 2 on Aug. 5, had originally intended to run for a council seat three years ago.

Nelson, who moved to Port Townsend in 2013 and started Piecewurx Construction and Remodeling in town half a dozen years ago, said he was feeling frustrated over how inspections were being conducted on a number of projects.

However, once Nelson started meeting other candidates for that council seat, he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t yet sufficiently qualified to serve on the council. He joined the planning commission instead to build up more experience.

“The three years I served on the planning commission gave me experiences that helped familiarize me with the city government’s processes, which in turn boosted my confidence,” Nelson said. “I learned that change comes slower to city government than it does for business.”

Even after City Council member Aislinn Palmer submitted her resignation in May, Nelson still had doubts about whether he’d built up enough experience to submit his application for Palmer’s open council seat.

“We were also getting into the comprehensive plan update, and I was reluctant to tear myself away from that work,” Nelson said. “When I first joined the planning commission, it took me awhile before I felt comfortable even opening my mouth. But over time, I became informed and familiar enough with the issues involved to speak with confidence. I’d settled into a groove.”

However, as both a resident and an employer within the community, Nelson has remained concerned with the city’s housing, infrastructure and budget. On a more personal level, he spoke of no longer allowing his fears to hold him back.

With a salary of $750 per month, Nelson laughed as he acknowledged that “you don’t join City Council for the money.”

He sees his new role on the council to do more than address the comp plan. He is interested in zoning that could increase housing density and allow more versatile usage of existing structures, such as converting garages into studio apartments. Affordable housing is a concern that Nelson takes personally, since it impacts his employees.

“I don’t want to see my workers get evicted from their homes, or lose them to cities in neighboring counties,” Nelson said.

At the same time, Nelson agreed that preserving a certain measure of open space is a “critical” need, for both the environment and for people’s quality of life.

“The last thing I’d want to see is this landscape get leveled,” Nelson said. “I make use of our local trails all the time, and I believe in installing mini-parks and other recreational sites between residential developments.”