The city of Port Townsend is planning to reprioritize asphalt street repairs, but it comes with new duties for property owners.

In order to concentrate on the deteriorating asphalt roadways throughout city limits for its developing comprehensive streets program, the city is planning to revert vegetation control in public right-of-ways back to adjacent private property owners.

The city council met Monday, March 6 to discuss the potential change.

Since most municipalities already require property owners to maintain vegetation control, city officials noted, Port Townsend will follow suit, citing the extensive time and costs of maintaining right-of-ways.

Approximately one-third of all street maintenance hours is dedicated to vegetation control, according to the city.

The city dedicated almost 1,600 hours in 2021 to maintaining vegetation on right-of-ways, according to city documents.

Based on the recent allocation of $908,000 in banked capacity funds to be used on streets maintenance, the city plans to repair and improve Port Townsend’s deteriorating roadways.

Rather than using inefficient, cold mix asphalt the fix up the roadways as it did in prior years, city crews will use hot asphalt to save time and money. Shifting vegetation maintenance to property owners is part of that cost-saving and time-saving objective.

The idea to reprioritize street maintenance staff time away from vegetation control to pavement maintenance comes from city staff, and would require adjoining property owners to take over responsibility for vegetation control.

While no official actions have been made, Public Works Director Steve King delivered a presentation and staff report on the matter for city councilmembers Monday evening.

“Residents can do minor landscaping without a permit if they aren’t doing major work,” King said.

“If you’re doing major work, ask,” he added. “Get a permit and we’ll help you through that process.”

City staff are planning on drafting new nuisance codes for shifting right-of-way responsibilities and vegetation control to property owners, with the city anticipating new code changes to be voted on by the city council in early April.

“Change is hard for us, but it should never be what stops us,” Councilmember Monica MickHager said during the meeting. “This is good that we’re going back to our staff working on the roads.”

Some expected city code changes for property owners include keeping vegetation along the street and on street corners trimmed to improve sight lines for drivers; keeping sidewalks free and clear of obstructions or defects, which includes snow, ice, and mud; controlling noxious weeds like English ivy and wild carrot, with priority for poison hemlock and Scotch broom; mowing grass and removing garbage between the roadway and sidewalk; keeping ditch lines clear to control and prevent drain and culvert clogs; and preserving street trees, with any pruning, planting, or removal of trees being permitted through the city.

“[Poison] hemlock is a challenge in several areas of our town,” King said. “We encourage property owners to contact the [Jefferson County Noxious] Weed Board, and get advice on how to deal with this.”

City street crews will begin ditching work this month to restore and maintain drainage.