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Port Townsend council accepts donor-funded shelter for dog park
Summary
The council accepted a donation from the estate of James Stewart Todd to install an engineered shelter at the city dog park; staff said the shelter is expected to cost about $10,000–$12,000 and council accepted the gift after the required disclosure and motion.
The Port Townsend City Council voted to accept a donation from the estate of James Stewart Todd to fund an engineered shelter at the city’s dog park.
Melody Skye Weaver, the community services director, told the council the shelter would provide shade and protection for park users and estimated the cost at "around 10 to $12,000." She described donor interest and asked the council to accept the memorial gift.
A city policy cited by staff requires council acceptance of donations of $10,000 or more. A council member disclosed being the attorney of record for the donor’s estate and stated no financial benefit from the transaction; the member then moved and another seconded the motion to accept the donation. The presiding officer confirmed the motion passed.
Why it matters: City staff said the dog park is heavily used and that a properly engineered shelter is needed given site wind conditions; a 2022 user-count study cited by presenters recorded at least 392 vehicle visits in one week and an annualized estimate of approximately 20,000 visits.
Public comment included support from Dina Adele, who serves as the city liaison for dog-park users and said user counts are likely higher than 2022 figures. Council directed staff to proceed with acceptance per policy; the meeting record indicates the motion carried but does not record a roll-call tally.
