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Home My WebLink About081122 FW_ Wednesday Afternoon Update_ Port Townsend_Coupeville Service Suspension ________________________________ From: Vezina, John Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2022 1:30:34 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Tom Thiersch Cc: Dean, Rachel; Libby Wennstrom Subject: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension ________________________________ ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. ________________________________ Mr. Thiersch, Thank you for you feedback and suggestions. As I’ve heard of no other complaints from elected officials or ferry advisory committee members, I believe our current system is both reasonable and appropriate. WSF’s “large” communications department is comprised of eight people with an already heavy workload. At this time of organizational stress it would be unfair to ask them to take on more responsibility. John From: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2022 1:23 PM To: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov> Cc: Dean, Rachel <deanr@wsdot.wa.gov>; 'Libby Wennstrom' <lwennstrom@cityofpt.us> Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension WARNING: This email originated from outside of WSDOT. Please use caution with links and attachments. Mr. Vezina, Thank you for attaching the email in which you notified me of additional recipients. I’ll point out that it was the only time over the last several years in which you notified me of additional recipients and, if I had not sent you my initial “Thank you”, I would almost certainly not have become aware of those other recipients this time around. It’s important that I have better visibility as to the recipients for each email from your organization to help me do my job of informing both my community and my local officials of significant developments without clogging up their inboxes. Councilmember Wenstrom, I again apologize if my forwarded messages are causing any problems for you. When I receive a message that begins with “Port Townsend FAC Members”, I can’t in good conscience rely on an assumption that the message has been sufficiently broadcast. Decisions as to which particular subjects are relevant to which officials can’t always be perfect and BCC lists aren’t necessarily comprehensive or accurate. I’ve attached a few examples that illustrate that need for better visibility of email distributions. One recent example that we discovered is that the list of local administrators for our community that you had been using was incomplete because it did not include the Jefferson County Administrator. WSF has a large communications staff; I think WSF should consider adopting a new approach to replace to the current email BCC list(s) method for keep FACs and others informed. My first recommendation is that you send the same message (not a “similar” ones) to all parties. Second, a simple method for distributing these kinds of notices to FACs and others would be to expand on the existing service used for other WSDOT notifications https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WADOT/subscriber/topics or use new lists that are separate from but in parallel with the existing Ferry Alerts https://wsdot.wa.gov/Ferries/RouteAlerts/alerts A set of 10 per-route “Local Ferry Route Status Updates” lists could ensure that all those who are interested in that route are kept up to date on all the details; the emails that are currently sent to FAC members and others could be posted in one step to such lists; this might ease the burden on WSF staff. New FAC members could be enrolled in the relevant list by WSF when WSF is first notified that they have been appointed to a FAC (and, of course, they could choose to opt-out just as with all other WSDOT lists). Local electeds and other officials could similarly choose to use those lists to stay informed. Tom Thiersch Chair, Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), Port Townsend terminal tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> P SAVE PAPER - Please do not print this email unless absolutely necessary. From: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov> > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 7:30 PM To: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> >; 'Libby Wennstrom' <lwennstrom@cityofpt.us <mailto:lwennstrom@cityofpt.us> > Cc: Dean, Rachel <deanr@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:deanr@wsdot.wa.gov> > Subject: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Mr. Thiersch, As I’ve explained to the FAC executive committee, I send alerts/updates to relevant elected officials, and then Rachel sends the same/a similar message to relevant FAC members, usually within minutes. We then notice media and passengers. For your reference, I’ve attached our email exchange from yesterday, in which, due to the previous request you mention below, I emailed you who I’d messaged. To be more specific for the future, for your community that is: Senator Van De Wege, Representatives Tharinger and Chapman, Jefferson County Commissioners Dean, Eisenhour, and Brotherton, Mayor Faber, and Port Townsend city councilmembers At this challenging time for WSF passengers and staff I hope we can work together to communicate civilly and respectfully. John From: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 5:42 PM To: 'Libby Wennstrom' <lwennstrom@cityofpt.us <mailto:lwennstrom@cityofpt.us> > Cc: Dean, Rachel <deanr@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:deanr@wsdot.wa.gov> >; Vezina, John <VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov> > Subject: [EXTERNAL] RE: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension WARNING: This email originated from outside of WSDOT. Please use caution with links and attachments. I’m sorry for any duplicates, but as you can see I have no idea who else has been informed because WSF uses BCC: for these notifications. It is my obligation, as the chair of our local Ferry Advisory Committee, to inform local officials of any significant information to the fullest extent possible. I have asked WSF on more than one occasion to identify the list(s) of recipients to avoid this problem but, so far, they have failed to appreciate the inconvenience that their procedure can create. By my CC: of this to the WSF / FAC liasons, I hope that the message gets through. Tom Thiersch From: Libby Wennstrom <lwennstrom@cityofpt.us <mailto:lwennstrom@cityofpt.us> > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 5:11 PM To: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Both BOCC and City Council are also copied on these updates, no need to resend, but thank you! On Aug 10, 2022, at 4:58 PM, Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> > wrote: CAUTION: External Email FYI Tom Thiersch Chair, Jefferson County Ferry Advisory Committee (FAC), Port Townsend terminal tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> P SAVE PAPER - Please do not print this email unless absolutely necessary. From: Dean, Rachel <deanr@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:deanr@wsdot.wa.gov> > Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 2:35 PM Cc: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov <mailto:VezinaJ@wsdot.wa.gov> > Subject: Wednesday Afternoon Update: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Port Townsend FAC Members, Eagle Harbor maintenance staff working on the Salish have found additional issues they estimate will take three days to repair, taking it out of service for that time. The Sealth, which is finishing its annual inspection this afternoon, will be available for service later today. This will allow us to move the Chetzemoka from Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah to Port Townsend, which we’ll do after its 6.30pm sailing this evening. This will suspend service on the Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah route for the rest of the day, while the Chetzemoka makes a five-hour trip tonight to Port Townsend for service tomorrow – starting at 9.30am due to previously announced tidal cancellations. We fully appreciate the impacts of having service between Port Townsend and Coupeville suspended for two days and appreciate passenger’s patience while we work to restore service with limited options. Thanks, Rachel Rachel Dean Legislative Analyst WSDOT- Washington State Ferries Pronouns: she/her/hers From: Dean, Rachel Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2022 10:08 AM Cc: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV <mailto:VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV> > Subject: Wednesday Update : Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Port Townsend FAC Members, Good morning. Repairs on the Salish continue, which are now expected to take until late afternoon/early evening. We understand the significance of suspending service on a route and will return the vessel to safe service as soon as possible. We will be alerting the public through passenger alerts and social media. Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks, Rachel Rachel Dean Legislative Analyst WSDOT- Washington State Ferries Pronouns: she/her/hers From: Dean, Rachel Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 6:39 PM Cc: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV <mailto:VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV> > Subject: Update : Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Port Townsend FAC Members, Good evening. Repair staff estimate the Salish will be repaired early tomorrow afternoon. We’re therefore planning to restore service on the route by mid-afternoon. With only one other boat able to serve the route, which would take five hours to move from Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah to Port Townsend/Coupeville, further stressing vessel crewing, unfortunately we won’t be able to restore service until then. Passenger alerts will be going out soon and I’ll update you tomorrow on repair progress and service restoration for the route. Thanks, Rachel Rachel Dean Legislative Analyst WSDOT- Washington State Ferries Pronouns: she/her/hers From: Dean, Rachel Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 12:26 PM Cc: Vezina, John <VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV <mailto:VezinaJ@WSDOT.WA.GOV> > Subject: Port Townsend/Coupeville Service Suspension Port Townsend FAC Members, Good afternoon. The Salish, currently assigned to the Port Townsend/Coupeville route has been removed from service due to coolant leak which will take a dive to analyze. With three boats able to service the route and the Kennewick out for repair work and the Chetzemoka serving the Pt. Defiance/Tahlequah route, this suspends service on Port Townsend/Coupeville for the remainder of the day. Passenger alerts to that affect will go out soon. We will work closely with Vessel Maintenance colleagues on repairs to the Salish, discussing service options for the route if it can’t be returned to service within 24 hours. Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks, Rachel Rachel Dean Legislative Analyst WSDOT- Washington State Ferries Pronouns: she/her/hers