Dave Timmons has had enough. The former Port Townsend City Manager (at left above, speaking to the city council at their June 12 meeting) came out of retirement in 2020 in response to requests he step in to save a collapsing Fort Worden Public Development Authority (PDA). He gave his contractually required 90-day notice to the PDA’s Board at its June 27 meeting. Ninety days out is also just about the time the PDA’s financial team says it will run out of money.
Timmons cannot be accused of fleeing from a sinking ship. He jumped onto one in 2020, only to learn that the PDA’s hull was riddled with rot and worm holes. As I wrote after watching his heroic efforts in that year, he worked miracles. He managed to steer away from the shoals an organization hobbled by nearly a decade of incompetent and less-than-honest management. He let it be known that the PDA was “a house of cards” ready to collapse from the weight of debt burdens impossible to bear and the misuse—as well as outright theft—of funds by former management and a senior employee now facing criminal prosecution.
He crafted a spin-off of the hospitality arm of Fort Worden’s operations, the only way the operations could survive. His leadership attracted incredibly generous donations. He secured additional credit from lenders already facing millions in losses. He persuaded vendors to be patient about being paid.
Before he stepped onboard to lend an assist and then to helm the PDA that organization had never—never—received a passing audit from the State Auditor. Timmons inherited incomprehensible financial records. He oversaw the gargantuan task of converting from accrual to cash-basis reporting. He did all this with a skeleton staff who joined him in working miracles.
But it may have been a hopeless cause all along. The costs of maintaining ancient, obsolete buildings, heating and electrical systems and plumbing has always been a millstone. Revenues have never been enough to keep up. And something major always breaks. The costs of repairs keep rising. There’s never enough money.
As PDA Board Chairman David King (in blue shirt in top photo) told Port Townsend’s city council on June 12, 2023, “We are not currently sustainable.” The maintenance costs are crippling. and the PDA has “no revenue source for debt” incurred by the prior PDA Board and Timmons’ predecessor.
This is a critical time for the PDA, but Timmons has decided he must leave the organization he has worked so hard to keep alive. It is clear from his letter of resignation and other comments that the impetus for his departure is a deteriorating relationship with Port Townsend City Manager John Mauro and City Council.
“We have reached the threshold that cooperation doesn’t exist,” he told council and Mauro at council’s June 12 meeting.
Inheriting a Nightmare
I went back and read my reports from 2020 about Timmons’ rescue mission. I had forgotten the details about the daunting challenges he faced.
“Fort Worden Out of Money…” led the headline for an article I wrote in December 2020. The opening paragraph explained:
“We really don’t have a future if we try to remain status quo,” David Timmons, Acting Executive Director of the Fort Worden Public Development Authority told its Board of Directors at their December 9, 2020, special meeting.
“The PDA will run out of money in several weeks. It needs over $1.5 million to cover operating and capital costs over the next six to seven months, and then it will face over $1 million a year in maintenance costs while the hospitality industry, its major source of funds, recovers from COVID lockdowns.”
Timmons found a way to keep PDA breathing another 2.5 years.
“Fort Worden Finances Plagued With Problems From Beginning” was the headline of a November 2020 article.
“Its financial reports have never been reliable, according to all the audits conducted of the Fort Worden Public Development Authority by the State Auditor. Every audit since the FWPDA opened its doors has found inaccuracies, omissions and failures to comply with required accounting practices. Recent discoveries, which will be addressed in upcoming audits, have uncovered massive malfeasance and irresponsibility that jeopardize the organization’s continued existence.”
Two other articles from 2020 reminded me of how bad was the mess that Timmons took on: “Fort Worden’s Promised Financial Oversight Never Happened,” and “Criminal Investigators Called Into Fort Worden PDA Mess.”
Then there was the laughable $2 million “glamping” fiasco Timmons inherited: “Fort Worden Glamping A Soggy Mess.”
$125,000 per “luxo tent”! None have ever been rented, not a dime has come back to the PDA.
There was probably no one else in our community up to the challenge.
What’s changed now to prompt Dave Timmons suddenly to submit his resignation?
Mauro versus Timmons
Timmons was Port Townsend’s first city manager. (Michael Hildt was the first “City Administrator.” Timmons was the first to hold the title “City Manager.”) According to a 2019 Peninsula Daily News (PDN) article reporting Timmons’ retirement as PT’s city manager, he graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in environmental studies, then went to work with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources as a zoning manager. In 1978 he was chosen as a city department manager for a town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula then moved on to be the first township manager. He later declined an offer to be Marquette, Michigan’s first city manager and moved to Cochester, Vermont where he served as city manager for 12 years. In 1997 he consulted with FEMA to help the state with four disaster events and was nominated by then Vermont governor Howard Dean to be the state’s secretary of labor. In 1999 he was hired as Port Townsend’s city manager and served continuously for the next 20 years.
At the same time Timmons was asked to come out of retirement to save Fort Worden, John Mauro was stepping into Timmons’ shoes as PT’s second city manager.
Based on information presumably provided by Mauro, the PDN reported that he was coming to Port Townsend from a high-level, high-responsibility job for the City of Auckland, New Zealand. “Mauro currently reports to the Auckland Council CEO,” the PDN related. “He is directly responsible for 20 employees and has a budget of $211 million.”
That wasn’t true, as I reported in an October 2020 article (“Who Is John Mauro?“), I had contacted the city of Auckland seeking confirmation of the PDN story. The response contradicted these claims about Mauro’s qualifications. Auckland’s mayor had referred my inquiry to the Auckland Council CEO in whose line of command Mauro’s position would have been. Through a spokesperson he told me that Mauro did not report directly to the Auckland Council CEO. He was a mid-level bureaucrat in the planning department under a General Manager. He was not “directly responsible for 20 employees and a budget of $211 million.” Half that number of employees reported to him and the budget for which he was “directly responsible” was $1 million. That was in New Zealand dollars, which is about the equivalent of just over $600,000 US.
Mauro’s job in Auckland was “sustainability officer.” He and his small team, as a New Zealand publication reported, “provide thought leadership, drive strategic direction and champion change.” Change in terms of addressing climate change.
Mauro didn’t build anything, maintain or build roads and sewers or oversee police. He provided “thought leadership.”
Fast forward to 2023. The city now managed by Mauro, as we reported May 25, 2023, is heading over a financial cliff. Mauro overspent his current budget by millions due to hiring consultants for projects the city admits it cannot afford (e.g., a new $50 million aquatic center, a remake of the golf course, and the Evans Vista development). The city is eating into reserves and cannot maintain its failing streets. I recently learned from a source in the Sheriff’s Office that county law enforcement is still covering patrols for a city department lacking adequate staffing to do the job.
Mauro publicly defends the city’s “solid financial position” to continue providing basic services. But with Mauro’s unique hold on the English language, in the same breath he qualifies that the financially-solid city’s “ability to continue to do so is hindered by increasing costs in excess of revenues and a steady erosion of services and level of service.” Translated from Maurospeak, the city is heading “over a cliff,” the exact, unvarnished words used by the city’s Financial Sustainability Taskforce.
Mauro had followed his wife to Auckland where she had secured a teaching job. Before that he had been a bicycle activist in Seattle.
Power Play
Mauro wants more control and power over Timmons and the PDA.
The PDA has been slow on churning out financial reports to meet the city’s deadlines. This is being used as a reason to subject the PDA to direct city manager control over its financial affairs, strategic direction and other matters. The hook being used is the 2022 financial report. Under city code, it was due three months after the end of the fiscal year, in March. It was delivered in June. Other complaints have been raised, but in the “Draft Corrective Action Plan” written by Mauro and his staff, it is the annual report being 2-3 months behind that is the main justification for increasing city control over the PDA.
The financial reports provided to the PDA Board are matters of public record and easily available to Mauro and his staff, as well as members of the public. Financial reports were provided to the State Auditor. No request for information has been stonewalled.
Timmons operates with a skeleton staff. The woman described as “critical” to their accounting and reporting had been battling cancer and recently passed away, leaving a huge hole in the organization’s capabilities. As Timmons explained at his June 12 City Council dressing-down, the rest of his staff consists of a clerk at 32 hours/week, an administrative assistant at 32 hours/week, an accountant at 24 hours/week, and a contract CPA providing 10 hours of services weekly.
This is the entirety of Timmons’ staff for all PDA’s administrative, executive and accounting tasks. There is no money to hire anyone else. The services of the communications and public relations contractors, PDA Chair David King told Council, were ended because there is no money to pay them.
Mauro has also faced staffing shortages. He has filled gaps by hiring expensive outside consultants. City Council approved a $4.7 million supplemental budget to cover his overruns. Tax increases are looming ahead to get more money to run city operations. The PDA has no taxing authority. It cannot just demand that citizens give it more money, and it has no reserves to cover “supplemental” budget increases.
The PDA is currently required to provide quarterly and annual financial reports. Mauro is demanding that the PDA now provide monthly financial reports. At the June 12 Council meeting, Timmons explained that they do not have the staff to do that, unless those few staff people are taken off the other work they must do. Mauro was dismissive of the limited resources Timmons has, and somewhat mocked his vulnerability to losing any staff time.
(It must be noted that while Timmons was struggling with lingering problems from ten years of mismanagement and facility crises plus the loss of the full contribution of a key team member who was fighting cancer, Mauro took himself off on a five-week vacation after enjoying recent significant increases to his compensation package.)
Mauro’s “Draft Corrective Action Plan” would require the PDA to provide financial reports a week in advance of city oversight meetings, blaming past failures to do so on “struggles preparing the materials due to a lack of process and efficient financial reporting structure/form [that has been] hindering the FW PDA to meet required timelines.” Timmons and King tried to explain that the city’s meeting schedule does not align with the PDA’s own financial reporting schedules and creates huge problems for an understaffed accounting team. Their explanation fell on closed ears.
John Mauro (top left) responds to David King and Dave Timmons (at the podium) on June 12.
The rest of Mauro’s “Draft Corrective Action Plan” turns to inserting city staff in the business operations of the PDA. It would have the city get involved in utility cost allocation and negotiations with the “partners” (the tenants) at Fort Worden. The city would also direct the PDA in resolving billing disputes with the hospitality spinoff.
The PDA was recently forced to increase its line of credit to cover shortfalls caused by delays in the receipt of expected grants. Henceforth, under Mauro’s plan, the city will decide whether the PDA can increase its line of credit.
Mauro is demanding that the city have authority to approve or disapprove capital projects and capital planning.
Mauro wants the city to “monitor and coordinate on future PDA grant applications.” He wants to participate as a partner in strategic planning in order to “right-size the structure to meet future needs.”
Mauro wants to increase the PDA board to 9 members, with the mayor appointing at least three additional members.
All this to “correct” an annual report being delivered a few months late, even though nothing in the provided report was called out as being false, incomplete or incorrect.
It appears that the late financial report is being used as pretext, or at least an opportunity, to increase the city manager’s control over the PDA and its executive director. As Timmons pointed out to the Council on June 12, these are not “corrective measures. This is an enforcement action. We have reached the threshold that cooperation doesn’t exist.”
Timmons Resignation Letter Says More
Timmons submitted a lengthy letter of resignation. He reflected on his 45 years of public service and the challenges at the PDA that he, his staff and Board confronted together. He thanked the local institutions that stood by PDA and helped keep the ship from sinking. In that long letter, he provides more insight into his motivation for leaving now. He did not have much reason to recognize the city’s contribution to the fight.
Compared to the Herculean efforts of others, and the votes of confidence from lenders and vendors, the support of the City of Port Townsend pales in comparison. Banks extended hundreds of thousands of dollars in new credit. Private individuals donated half a million dollars. Lawyers donated valuable time. Architects, plumbers, construction companies, electricians and fuel suppliers did not act on overdue billings and “never wavered in supporting us with their patience….”
Jefferson County provided two grants, one for $378,000 to help secure debt restructuring and another of $150,000 towards restoring a critical building.
The Washington Department of Commerce helped the PDA secure and close out several grants, the last in the amount of $697,000.
The city, for its contribution, awarded “a competitive grant of $5,000 … and were cooperative with late utility billings.” But unlike the other players in this drama, the city acted to make life more difficult for the Fort Worden PDA, when “they passed code revisions more suitable to provide punishment for the past situation, not necessarily supportive of our current needs.”
Towards the end of his letter, Timmons said that he had learned in his long career not to take the path others would have you take when you know that is not the right path. “I believe we have reached the point where our paths are no longer in agreement.” For the “past several weeks,” indicating that this was a recent decision, he says he had been having discussions with some of the Board about “my desire to begin the process to transition to new leadership in the role of Executive Director.” He remains “open to discussions about serving in a limited role as an advisor to pass on institutional knowledge. But other events keep derailing this critical conversation while we continue putting out the most recent fire.” (Author’s emphasis.)
The PDA Board had nothing but effusive praise for Timmons, whose last day will be September 28, right about the time the PDA runs out of money. The hearing on Mauro’s plans to increase his control over the PDA is scheduled for August 21. A public hearing must be held before the plan can be voted on by Council.
For the video of the June 27 PDA Board of Directors meeting in which Timmons submitted his resignation, click here. The agenda packet for that meeting, containing Mauro’s Draft Corrective Action Plan and Timmons’ resignation letter may be viewed at this link. The resignation letter is attached as the very last document in the agenda packet.
Jim Scarantino was the editor and founder of Port Townsend Free Press. He is happy in his new role as just a contributor writing on topics of concern to him. He spent the first 25 years of his professional life as a trial attorney, then launched an online investigative news website that broke several national stories. He is also the author of three crime novels. He resides in Jefferson County. See our “About” page for more information.
Early on after Mauro had been hired, he gave a bit of a speech to council identifying himself as very ambitious. He used “ambitious” three times during that self introduction. That was the first big clue that something was amiss. The PT Free Press article on Mauro by J. Scarantino gave more clues; Mauro’s claims of experience were not quite accurate. And now he is demanding to have control of the PDA’s portion of Fort Worden.
Mauro has used his “unique hold on the English language” to cast shades of rainbows and bluebirds on his plans for this little town. And he is quite facile with the concepts of collaboration and town meetings — always in control of who he invites around the table. It’s Mauro’s way or leave the table a la David Timmons.
Mauro got the buy in of the school district, port district, and hospital district to push for a project named Healthier Together Aquatic Center. Essentially this is a concept for a full service YMCA; a facility similar to those found in metropolises with populations of hundreds of thousands of people. Recently, Mauro’s team put a price tag on building such a facility — $37M-$54M to build, no mention of costs of managing and operations. One might ask how such a facility became a priority in this tiny town of 10,000.
The City’s contracted help has put out a video “for your viewing pleasure”, describing the need for a recreation taxing district. If the city council goes along with this idea, you will have a chance to vote on this proposal. How else can such grand plans be paid for: a $5M remodel of the golf course, unknown costs to tear down the pool and gym at Mt. View and revamp the campus, build a multimillion dollar aquatic center and put up a parking lot. Concepts not yet addressed are the costs to maintain and staff these projects and pay down the debts over time.
Mauro will need more than a unique way with the English language to push his ambitions into reality.
Better minds than mine might be able to resolve the financial problems at Fort Worden. If facing continued losses, generally there are only three options: 1) find ways to increase revenues, 2) find ways to cuts costs, 3) declare bankruptcy.
Sometimes unforseen circumstances make a business model unprofitable and untenable. Think about the fate of horse-drawn carriage makers or buggy whip manufactureres.
If not even the savviest business executive can make Fort Worden survive using its current model, maybe there can be another model. How about redeveloping it for housing or a mixed use development.
But don’t let the city manage it. The Cherry Street project, the condition of its roads, and its pending financial cliff demonstrates that the city cannot even provide the basic services that good government demands.
I don’t understand why Mauro wasn’t fired for lying on his application to the city. Something is very wrong here.
The ghost of George Carlin whispers in my ear. “Two autocratic fascists get into a bar fight”. I smile and try to get some perspective.
This story seems to want to paint David Timmons in a positive light. Perhaps to drive home how bad Mauro is. Timmons was part of forming the FWPDA, a city shadow entity in case you forget, as was David King, at the time appointed mayor. They originally wanted full title to all of Fort Worden, Community concerns whittled that down to a 50 year lease on the upper campus. Special interests who rented were soon called stakeholders. One was head of the FWPDA board. One board member owned the local paper. A person fired by the city for ethics violations was installed as FWPDA Executive Director. What could go wrong? Oddly dozens of comments foreseeing what happened and also spoke of alternate business plans were removed from articles from that time in Leader archives. I called out the Leader and replaced them. Don’t know if they are still there. I still have them. Like seeing the future. The bottom line was “inclusive not exclusive”. Exclusive won. Autocratic won.
Timmons left the city with 17 million in debt and the road conditions many are aware of. Of course, there is parking which a police volunteer said was purposefully “dumbed down”. Defunded is the current word used in similar situations. Mauro has no problems with that approach. “Car bad. Parking bad. Bicycle good. Me good. Need pay raise. Need $5,000 a year car allowance. Need 5 week vacation. Need clueless council to run over.” Wishes granted. Is there an autocratic fascist genie?
Remember Timmons as City Manager along with Sandoval, Stinson, Faber, Howard and others ignored incomplete and missing audits for years from the FWPDA. The State did as well. Lots of slack cut. Prior to Covid. So, in my opinion and that of others Timmons shares responsibility with where things ended up. That being using capital improvement money from Kitsap Bank for day to day operations. Explain that lack of control of your customer’s money. There is more which would take more space and your attention span than is available.
I would respectfully disagree that Timmons deserves some sympathy. He managed a crime scene. A petty thief scapegoat was found. The real criminals are still wandering around Fort Worden last I heard.
So, “Two autocratic fascists get into a bar fight”. One takes the opportunity to bail out. Remember he wasn’t working for free. The focus was moved away from millions upon millions of dollars in wasted money from glamping to Makers Place and God knows where else. Look at the petty theft and no further. Ignore that there is a power core of folks in PT that created the FWPDA and managed every aspect up until now. Ignoring audits was key. For years and years. So, was the purpose of Timmons to “fix” Fort Worden for all of the people of the State, it being a State Park, or “fix” a crime scene avoiding responsibility for all involved?
Timmons as a sympathetic autocratic fascist character in a story. Great fiction. Mauro as a scheming power hungry autocratic fascist? Now that’s believable. Perhaps there was no bar fight. Just an excuse to bail out and shift focus a little. I wonder how much Timmons was paid in the process. Most won’t wonder at all.
I echo your sentiments! Disgusting, and yet, they will do nothing!
I’ve always thought that the Fort would be the perfect location for a McMenamins operation! They’ve got money, they’ve got vision and impeccable taste in remodeling lodging that celebrates the history of wherever they are. Of course, PT powers that be would scuttle it. Because McMenamins has other successful locations in Washington and Oregon, and this town seems to be against anything that makes sense, or larger businesses that pay taxes. 2nd idea is to use houses to rent to local people. Very much in need of that. Don’t know how it would pencil out, but…
What does the Fort Worden Public Development Authority (PDA) have in common with pricey Healthier Together Aquatic Center, the Cherry Street project and cap-and-trade fuel tax schemes? Financialization – mechanisms to create debt and transfer assets from the indebted to debt owners.
Financialization is often promoted by well-meaning activists who are focused on their causes. For example, they may believe making gas unaffordable will save the environment without considering the impact of rising energy costs on every aspect of life and the disparate impact on low income residents.
Financialization is usually the reason a proposed taxpayer funded scheme involves transferring public assets for private gain. The forces behind the scheme are complicit in the scam while electeds and promoters are pathetically naïve.
It’s important to learn about predatory finance and call it out instead of debating ideological cover stories. Charles Hugh-Smith is a good source.
“Finance is no longer about greasing commerce and the construction of assets, roles it played for thousands of years; finance is now a vast skimming machine for the few to enrich themselves at the expense of the many, a set of swindles that skims from what remains of the productive economy to benefit financiers, corporations and speculators.” – Charles Hugh-Smith
https://www.oftwominds.com/blogfeb23/no-finance2-23.html
I find this article a little odd given the authors lack of support in the pass for Mr.Timmons. Given that the money would run out in 3 months time, wouldn’t it have been beneficial for the PDA to ask Timmons to leave Bills? so they could at least use the funds for Timmons salary to the remaining months to pay other bills?
I have never shown a “lack of support” for David Timmons or any other public official. I report on facts, engage in analysis and reach conclusions and form opinions. I was very critical of the Cherry Street Project, but never made an ad hominem attack on Timmons. I have never met him. On the other hand, he did a terrific job keeping the PDA afloat. The PDA Board could ask him to leave at any time, I suppose. I doubt that will happen until they at least have someone to step into the job.
Sue Wahlgen——-You have said exactly what I have been saying for years! McMenamins would be the only organization I can think of who could take on this project, make it run successfully and with integrity. The proof is in every project they have done. Oh then there is the housing. So many homes in a town without enough housing. Let tourists stay in hotels and let locals live where they work. Put a priority on housing the new McMenamins employees. This creates that 15 minute village people are so interested in these days as well.
The city proposals –“Draft Corrective Action Plan”–to engage in much more extensive oversight and even control of the Fort Worden Public Development Authority (FWPDA) threatens to render the city liable for the finances of the FWPDA. This would breach the wall between the city and the FWPDA likely to undermine the city’s original purpose when it created the FWPDA. This threat is significant in light of the especially precarious state of the city’s own financial health.
On February 21, 2021 the city was advised by its legal consultant Alice Ostdiek, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth PC, that consideration of the exercise of city authority over the FWPDA could render the city responsible for the financial obligations of the FWPDA. Excerpted below is one of the salient points of attorney Ostdiek’s advice which is available from her Memorandum of 2-24-21 (Agenda Bill AB21-036) pp 26-29 @
https://cityofpt.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=2227&meta_id=188599
Brief Background on Public Development Authorities
The most salient feature of a PDA is that it has a legal and independent existence apart from the city (or county) that chartered it. The closest analogy in the private sector would be wholly owned but separate subsidiary corporations of a parent company. This shields the chartering entity [the City] from liability, and, when operating properly, provides elected officials with some assurance that an important public task will be carried out effectively under the guidance of a board whose single focus is to carry out that function for the public.
City Manager John Mauro confirmed his understanding of that advice when he spoke at the April 5, 2021 city council meeting, which can be accessed @ https://cityofpt.granicus.com/player/clip/2227?view_id=4&redirect=truebeginning (VI. Unfinished Business). His comments introduce the issue of city oversight of the FWPDA @13:58 and then he states @ 14:50
Mauro @ 16:21:
“ . . . the City needs to oversee, not control the PDA. And that it’s appropriate for all of us to be very clear what the roles are hence these code changes to clarify roles and to be very very clear that if that goes too far and the consequences are that the City becomes quite a bit more liable financially and legally. And that’s not something we are looking forward to– picking up that extra responsibility. “. . .going into line items and actually operating and controlling the Fort Worden PDA. That’s a bright line for us . . .[to avoid].”
I suggest citizens urge the city council to abandon John Mauro’s “Draft Corrective Action Plan” in light of attorney Ostdiek’s advice because it threatens to render the city liable for the legally enforceable financial obligations of the FWPDA. Not to mention that Mauro’s Plan appears to have driven away the only person in Port Townsend who could handle this complexity, David Timmons.
This comment is available in expanded form @ “Draft Corrective Action Plan”–MAURO–FWPDA
@ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tu9cuwH14viRvm14A8vxA6-4sVTKmdMWgfK2ZPzJkWc/edit?usp=sharing
When I was attending meetings early on, there was in the PDA charter a section that said if the FWPDA defaulted or went bankrupt that title or ownership (at that time full title was sought) would go to the City of Port Townsend. I brought that up as a concern at a meeting and was shouted down by someone who turned out to be a Seattle attorney who said it was only a draft proposal and not relevant. I believe I looked further into that, and it was in fact in the final draft at that time. The tactic was to shut down concerns. Beat back concerns.
Point being those with legal backgrounds might clarify with the co-management set up if there is a possibility that FWPDA defaults and the City takes over. Is required to take over. Seems some might be pleased if that happens.
It also seems a sad state of affairs if only David Timmons can navigate what the FWPDA has become. I just had two regular customers today who manage and managed major corporations. One spoke of just one $300 million contract they were currently managing as we talked about what was new. One of dozens in his pipeline. That is quite a bit of material and manpower to manage. I have to believe that many could do the Directors job at the FWPDA. With less baggage and toxic history coming in. Could that person mesh with the corrupted status quo here is the question.
No matter what one thinks of David Timmons or John Mauro the people of the city and state deserve those who work for all equally. And earn trust.
It seems all of the people of the State of Washington through State Parks have become addicted to specific people and money from sources like grants and donations. It was the concern back then and the reality now.
Other ideas and methods were not listened to. All now are on the FWPDA ride.
In private business you do business with those who show they can be trusted and have a good resume’. You avoid those who give good reason to be avoided. The FWPDA is not Fort Worden. Some folks wanted and took on a huge responsibility that should have been to serve all of the people of the State. Seems we are in failure mode part 3 or 4.
Will the city be “forced” to take over due to language in the charter if this round also fails? If John Mauro’s hubris, excessive pride or self-confidence is an issue, then Council is not managing their staff or doing the work required of them. Cart and horse stuff. As always.
Very useful information. We’ll see if it comes up at the 8/21 hearing. Thank you.
Do you fully understand what a “15 minute village” would mean? Yes, it sounds good on the surface, but what will you do down the line when they start fining you for wanting to step outside the designated perimeter?
In 2015 I reviewed the operations and marketing potential of Fort Worden, perhaps the only detailed review out of the five or six “strategic plans” done for the Fort over the last 20 years. As one of your commenters here noted, the Fort needs to increase revenues and cut costs, but more importantly it needs a strategic plan for how it will compete in the market. It needs new investment to compete, and unfortunately it no longer has the debt capacity for that investment.
In 2015, having written a CERB grant for the PDA to create such a plan, I did an operational and market plan for the Fort, but it was largely disregarded. (Robeson also diverted half of the grant to design studies used to justify the glamping and Maker’s Square projects). My recommendations then were to convert the barracks to family hostels that would generate cash flow, add rainy day amenities to sell the off seasons, improve meeting equipment and facilities to boost meeting sales, change the accounting system to standard hospitality industry formats so that managers could make better day-to-day operating decisions, improve the margin on room sales, and outsource the group food-and-beverage business to local caterers and restaurants. To my knowledge, none of this has been done.
Dave Timmons has done a good job keeping the ship afloat, but he has not navigated it to a safe port. Simply reorganizing the legal structure did not address these basic business issues. Now there is talk of hiring an economic firm to do a strategic plan, but the firm in question lacks the detailed knowledge of the hospitality industry, the management experience, and the turnaround management skills to create a useful plan. And, with $6 million in long term debt, the Fort now lacks the capacity to make the necessary improvements. Timmons negotiated what is effectively a “pretend and extend” loan, perhaps because the bank does not want to admit the need for a write down, but a good turnaround manager could probably institute a “cram down”: a much, much lower balance that it might just be able to repay. As things now stand, the PDA cannot even pay interest, much less amortize its debt.
The big question here is Port Towsend’s ability to manage big projects. The community has only so much leadership. The Fort is an important economic asset and needs to survive. I prepared the marketing strategy for the Howard Street business park on Evans Vista and with the exception of a public user, none of those lots have been sold. Now there is talk of a large housing project, “Evans Vista”. Given all the other projects crying out for attention, how will the city manage that one?
Thanks for jumping here with your firsthand knowledge. The city could very well end up being shouldered with the PDA’s debt if it does not keep an arm’s length relationship in place. As for the how the city will manage to keep all its balls in the air….well, there’s still the Cherry Street Project which they haven’t even managed to get ready for a fire sale for a third of the cash offer John Mauro blew off in 2020. Right now the city is staffing vacancies with consultants and ran over budget already by $4-5 million and required a supplemental “budget adjustment.”
McMenamins representatives toured Fort Worden shortly after the FWPDA obtained its lease from State Parks and rejected the idea of getting involved.