• In spite of our Police Department doing a great job with the limited resources it has, in recent years Port Orchard has gone from having one of the lowest crime rates for cities its size in the state, to 6th highest in violent crime. For a city our size to have a higher per capita violent crime rate than Seattle is something I believe is simply unacceptable.
• We need to provide more funding and more support so our Police Department can more effectively combat the increased wave of crime as our population grows. I will support Police Chief Al Townsend’s efforts to change this situation immediately upon becoming Mayor.
• Drugs are the major problem, and the root cause of many other crimes - such as theft, break-ins, shoplifting, car prowls, home invasions, and more. Identity theft is also closely tied to drugs.
• I will implement new ideas such as using the RICO statute to encourage building owners not to allow drug activity on their properties. I’ll also have the city attorney write a clause for property owners to insert into their leases that says if drug activity is discovered, the tenants agree to immediately vacate the property and forfeit any and all damage deposits as well as any and all pre-paid rent.
• I will propose the City Council implement Chief Townsend’s suggestion that we adopt a crime-free multi-housing ordinance similar to the one being used very successfully in Lakewood and Tacoma.
• The Sheriff’s Department has agreed to coordinate with our Police Department to establish a uniform release time for county prisoners, so unaccompanied prisoners can be escorted out of our city. Currently they’re released, in Port Orchard, often at night, without supervision.

Business Climate & Economic Development
Port Orchard is no longer an easy place to do business. We need to change that so we can recruit and attract new, clean businesses that will provide family wage jobs for our citizens and for their children, well into the future.

• The planning department has become a dysfunctional bottleneck making it difficult for new business to become established here and for existing businesses to expand. We actually have less businesses in the city now, than we did last year. I will work to solve that problem, which will help our existing businesses grow, as well as attract new ones.
• The Mayor also functions as the city’s personnel manager. By applying proven private-sector techniques, current city procedures will be reviewed and the cost-efficient use of staff addressed.
• Lowering crime rates has been proven to positively impact a city’s ability to encourage new families and new businesses to come to the community. So putting more cops on the street will not only reduce our crime rate, but spur economic development as well.
• I will explore hiring an economic development director such as Bremerton has successfully done to be a “salesperson” for the city, actively targeting and recruiting the kind of companies, development, and redevelopment we want here with quick processing of permits to help them get established.
• I will implement new ways of raising money, without new taxes, to encourage creation of living-wage jobs.

Downtown Redevelopment and The Waterfront
You only need to take a walk downtown to see what we need to improve in Port Orchard. Development doesn’t cause growth, it’s a response to demand. That’s why developers are already lining up to buy our downtown buildings and redevelop what is the last, reasonably priced waterfront left in the Puget Sound region. Whether we like or not, whether we want it or not, change is inevitable. Responsibly managing that change within the narrow confines of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) is our key challenge. We are only going to have ONE opportunity, and we’ll have to live with the results for a generation or more, so we need to do this RIGHT!

• The GMA will force us to accept taller buildings and mixed-use redevelopment on the waterfront along Bay Street whether we want them or not. Quality development of retail and shops on the street level, and a variety of living spaces above, will help us retain our small-town ambiance, while complying with the GMA and meeting the housing needs of a growing population.
• The Port of Bremerton conducted a study that showed each visiting boater spends an average of $165 per day of moorage locally. We currently have little downtown to for them to spend it on. We must provide expanded services for visiting boaters - things like a marine supply store, a grocery store, a bookstore, and more.
• We are using our most precious resource, our waterfront, to park cars. Urban parks make cities much more livable, and a more enticing place to do business. Let’s expand the existing public park between the waterfront and Bay Street and leverage it into a desirable amenity for our city.
• Let’s explore the possibility of building a conveniently located parking garage with a walkway to the downtown waterfront.
• Expand the Boardwalk to run from downtown to the Annapolis ferry terminal.
• We must only accept proposals for high-quality projects that will enhance our city, with developers contributing their fair share.

A Plan to Revive Downtown

It's no big secret that our downtown area has been in decline for some years. As I've been out doorbelling, the single most asked question has been, "What are you going to do about our downtown?"

I'm putting the finishing touches on a proposed marketing plan for the downtown business core. I've run this by a number of the merchants there as well as some other successful business people from South Kitsap, and they all seem to agree it's a solid strategy that will work. Here's the abbreviated version, but after you read it, I'd like your feedback.

I believe we need to leverage our biggest asset downtown, which is obviously the marina. The Port of Bremerton has done a study showing the average boater spends $165 per day of moorage. The problem we have, is not enough spending opportunities for the kinds of things those boaters want and need when they're in port.

What I'm proposing is that we market downtown as a destination — the "Marina District" or something like that — and do it in much the same way a shopping mall is packaged. First come the "anchors." In a mall situation, that's Macy's, Nordstrom, Sears, etc. What we'll use for anchors are the kinds of businesses the boaters are telling us they need — a grocery store, a marine supply store, a liquor store, etc. From there, we go out and actively recruit the kinds of businesses that are a good, long term "fit" in terms of downtown tourism, shopping, and serving the needs of both visiting and local boaters.

We do that by establishing a marketing committee comprised of representatives from the Port Orchard Bay Street Association, and the Chamber of Commerce, along with an accountant to do the numbers and make a solid business case for the folks we'll be recruiting, and the Mayor acting as the chief salesman, head cheerleader, and running interference with the city bureaucracy if necessary — which by then, will be operating with an entirely new, business-friendly attitude. After all, leadership and attitude do come from the top.

I had a meeting recently with a potential grocery store operator — two fellows who own a successful grocery store in a nearby location. I had earlier called the owner of six buildings downtown — four of which have space available — and he connected me with his local representative. We showed these two grocers three different sites. We then had lunch at Amy's with the two grocers, a commercial Realtor, and Amy. A couple of downtown merchants also stopped by to answer questions and help "sell" these fellows on Port Orchard.

We learned some invaluable things that will help us with landing other potential merchants. Those include:

• The two gentleman we met with agreed our basic marketing plan is a good one that should work.
• They agreed the potential for a successful 9,000 to 12,000 square foot grocery store certainly exists downtown.
• For a grocery store to be successful, the parking situation needs to be addressed at two of the three locations.
• In their view, downtown IS going to be revitalized. It's simply a case of "when" not "if."
• Redevelopment of downtown, which will bring more residents to the area, will only increase the chances of success.

While I didn't expect we would sign them on the dotted line during this initial meeting, I'm encouraged by the results of our first effort. We will continue to work on this and keep you posted. I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Online Services
Upgrade the City’s Web site to become a user-friendly tool for citizens.

• Make it possible to pay city bills (water, traffic fines, etc.) online.
• There are interactive crime mapping and on-line reporting tools available for municipal websites for citizens to report minor crimes. These also track where sex offenders are located and will allow citizens easy access to this information.
• Establish a free, citywide Wi-Fi network - begin downtown and expand out.
• Get the existing fiber-optic ring extended into Port Orchard.
• Establish an interactive, online city newsletter, making it easier to communicate directly with the city council and the mayor.

Grants
There is a myriad of grant funding available from the state and federal government as well as private foundations for everything from parks to economic development, to equipping first responders. We need to establish a comprehensive program to identify what we need, what is available to help fund it, and go after this money on an ongoing basis. If we don’t, some other city certainly will.

• One grant issue for the city currently is the option to acquire a new marine patrol boat worth $375,000 from SafeBoats. However, the required 25% match isn’t budgeted.

Volunteers
Increase the use of volunteers.

• The Police Department is the only city department utilizing a significant number of volunteers. That helps supplement paid staff because there isn’t additional money budgeted. Other city departments, including administrative, parks, and public works could also benefit by increased use of volunteers. I would like to coordinate a volunteer program with the community service committees of our local service clubs.