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MINUTES
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC)
Regular Meeting Minutes
Wednesday March 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Jefferson County Courthouse – Commissioners
Chambers, 1820 Jefferson Street, Port
Townsend, WA (HYBRID)
Members: Chair Tom Thiersch, Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette, Adam Levin, Nicole Gauthier,
Steve King, and Diana Grunow
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Thiersch called the meeting to order at the appointed time. In attendance were Members: Gauthier, Grunow, and Jefferson County Commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette. Also in attendance was WSF Community and Legislative Liaison Tally Teal. Member King joined the meeting at 10:15 a.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Chair Thiersch opened the floor for public comments, and no comments
were received.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Member Grunow moved to approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of
January 14, 2026, and Special Meeting Minutes of February 11, 2026, as presented. Member
Gauthier seconded the motion. The motion carried.
UPDATE FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES (WSF) STAFF: WSF Community and
Legislative Liaison Tally Teal provided the committee with an update on the change of vendor for
the TRM. A new RFP will be put out leaving an unclear timeline for implementation.
She also noted that the technology behind the upgrade is significant but riders may not experience
much of a difference once it is complete. She answered questions posed by the Committee.
Member Grunow asked about notifications of cancellations over the last couple weeks. Chair
Thiersch advised that there was uncertainty of timeframe for switching boats out for scheduled
maintenance. WSF Community and Legislative Liaison Tally Teal concurred and noted that
reservations are not cancelled until it is confirmed a boat will not sail. The delay in notifications
may be due to employee availability.
Member Gauthier shared that Jefferson Transit will reintroduce a Sunday service pilot on May 3,
2026 through mid-February 2027. This will increase bus traffic to Port Townsend, Bainbridge, and
Kingston ferries.
Community and Legislative Liaison Tally Teal excused herself from the remainder of the meeting
at 10:30 a.m.
• GENERAL DISCUSSION
o Transit connections: Member Gauthier continued her update with the Committee
noting the transit’s public survey is open until March 17, 2026. as well as the Sunday
service pilot program mentioned earlier.
o Road work affecting terminal traffic: Member King announced upon joining the
meeting of a water line leak in the pipeline. He continued to advise the Committee of
work planned later in the year; Upcoming Night Work: Scheduled projects for Sheridan
Avenue and Sims Way will take place at night to minimize the impact on ferry traffic
during water and sewer utility work. Road Improvements projects are a chip seal
project planned for Sheridan and Sims Way. The Sandy Williams project (bike lane
improvements) is in development; however, specific start dates have not yet been
determined. He noted that current traffic counter data may be skewed due to the
ongoing closure of Washington Street.
o Tourism (Adam): Not discussed.
o Ferry Rider: Member Grunow added to her comments with WSF of complaints heard
about surcharges on credit cards.
o Local government: Member Dudley-Nollette updated the Committee on Ferry Caucus
updates and the focus on Housing Bill HB1923 of Mosquito Fleet Act. She shared that
the Senate passed the vote by 44 to 3 on an amended version. The County Ferry asked
for some amendments be pulled, and the consensus was that it may not pass this year.
The County's Ferry Caucus is monitoring House Bill 1923, which aims to expand the
ability of various taxing districts to establish passenger-only "mosquito fleet" ferry
services. The committee discussed the importance of integrating these potential water-
based "microtransit" services with existing land-based transportation, such as Jefferson
Transit, bike shares, and electric vehicle co-ops.
o FAC Executive Committee and FAC-T meetings: Chair Thiersch the last
executive committee meeting, there was concern regarding the lack of engagement
from the Evans School academic study group and the low attendance of Ferry Advisory
Committee (FAC) chairs. To improve the study's quality, the chair plans to push for
better interaction between the researchers and the diverse individual FACs at the next
session. In a positive update, the committee announced the restoration of two-boat
service to Port Townsend, starting with four-day weekends on Mother’s Day and
moving to full seven-day service in mid-June. The meeting also addressed a
membership issue involving a member who has been absent for several meetings
without response, prompting a discussion on creating a formal resolution for unexcused
absences. Finally, the committee agreed that a Commissioner should attempt to contact
the absent member directly to determine if they wish to resign and open the position for
a more active participant.
PUBLIC COMMENT: No comments were received.
CLOSING REMARKS: Not discussed.
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT: Chair Thiersch adjourned the meeting at 11:01 a.m. until the next
regular or special meeting as properly noticed.
Respectfully Submitted by:
___________________________________ ____________
Adiel McKnight/ FAC Clerk Date