December 2025 Message from Councilmember Owen Rowe

December 1, 2025

Values of the Quiet Season

The end of the year is a good time to pause and reflect. The days are shorter, and it feels like we should put that limited time to good use. Trying to turn back the clock never works—even the extra hour we got when daylight savings time ended was only borrowed from the spring!

We can celebrate our achievements, grieve our losses, and consider how to do better in the year to come. We can gather in community or reflect individually. Our inner voices may be quiet, but they often make for better listening than the shouts and hullabaloo of the wider world.

Our world is changing. Some changes we sought, and others we sought to prevent or avoid. But we’ll never get different results if we don’t change what we’re doing. It turns out that we can’t stop change. Our only choice is to adapt—to change how we respond. That choice is guided by our values. Here are some of mine:

Perspective. I always try to bring a long-term perspective to my work on City Council. Our 2026 City budget invests in our future by building physical infrastructure, financial reserves, and a strong staff team. We’re just finishing work on the once-a-decade renewal of Port Townsend’s Comprehensive Plan, which will guide land use and development decisions for the next 20 years.

Empathy. Every decision Council makes could affect thousands of people for generations to come. I try to imagine what Port Townsend will be like in 20 years. I might be here or not. How can we listen to and learn from future residents? How can we make this place a welcoming home, not just for the people who are here now, but for those who will come after us?

Generosity. Port Townsend is full of non-profits and individuals who give their time and resources to serve others. That includes dozens of people who volunteer their time and expertise on City advisory boards: Thank you! (Check out which boards have openings.) We’re all working to make this place the best it can be. Connecting to the long-term perspective, how can we pay that generosity forward to benefit future residents?

Creativity. Port Townsend has many fine artists, but solutions to our problems call for creative thinking of all stripes. Algorithms, whether AI or social media, can’t be creative—they can only regurgitate what’s already been said. I prefer actual people! And to celebrate our artists, be sure to nominate them for an Arts Award.

Responsibility. You can’t change other people; you can only change how you respond to them. I’m always to working to build systems and processes that invite and incentivize people to do their best, instead of punishing them if they fall short. It’s not always easy to bring that to approach to government, and sometimes I’ll fall short myself. What can I do better? Let me know at orowe@cityofpt.us.