As the year came to a close, the Local 20/20 Steering Council took time to reflect on how we continue to fulfill our mission of “Working together to foster a regenerative, sustainable, resilient, equitable, and inclusive community In Jefferson County through action and education.”
Committed to inclusiveness, the Steering Council undertook an examination of our social justice focus facilitated by Usawa Consulting, resulting in changes to our mission statement, our Steering Council practices, and the works of our Action Groups. Committed to community outreach, in 2024 Local 20/20 participated in the Jefferson County Home Show Expo, the Jefferson County Connectivity Fair, and the All-County Picnic (see details below). We co-sponsored the Global Earth Repair Foundation’s Climate Film Series and made plans to support the 2025 Global Earth Repair Convergence (note: this event has been postponed). Our 52 Weekly Announcements reached 1700+ people on events and resources related to sustainability and resiliency. We also published eleven PT Leader columns on a variety of topics related to our mission (example here) and began work on a new initiative related to educating the community on local water issues. The Steering Council also agreed to sign on to the America Is All In coalition of organizations committed to action and advocacy to meet the U.S.’s goals under the Paris Climate Agreement.
The 2024 All County Picnic was hosted by Local 20/20’s Neighborhood Preparedness (NPREP) action group in August. Practicing a skill needed in disaster response, NPREP and their DEM and TPA partners quickly pivoted to the Fairgrounds when we got 10-day notice that our usual location was no longer available. The highlight was a simulated community briefing 24 hours into a widespread earthquake featuring an array of local response officials. That powerful story yielded a strong uptick in preparedness activity. We also transitioned from YOYO (You’re on Your Own) to WOOOT (We’re On Our Own Together). In that spirit, NPREP is working in closer collaboration with other volunteer groups involved in disaster preparedness and response. We also switched our organizing tool away from the now-copyrighted Map Your Neighborhood program to our locally created Neighbors Help Neighbors and are launching a new HUB response concept that can stand alone or be attached to an organized neighborhood.
Local 20/20’s Climate Action group monitored four King Tides for their predictive value in identifying sea levels that result in local impacts to better help us prepare for sea level rise and reported the results to local officials at the city and county level, as well as working with the Jefferson Marine Resource Committee to share them on SoundIQ. Climate Action also supported the local EV Workgroup, which has been collaborating on building out the EV charging infrastructure in the county, including the new fast chargers on Sims Way. We helped inform the community about opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of households and businesses by maintaining JeffersonCAN.org, publicizing the Rural Energy for America Program and C-Pacer programs, the ZEV Co-op carshare cooperative, and the wood stove rebate program. Climate Action also has begun working with Beyond Waste on the issue of glass recycling in the county.
Beyond Waste (BW) met the first Wednesday of each month to discuss such topics as food waste composting and the Organics Management Act, Jefferson County compost and soil health, and challenges with recycling, glass bottle reuse, and more. The Port Townsend StyroCyclers, a Beyond Waste project, has recycled more than 16 tons of polystyrene since October 2021. BW in 2024 adopted the Artist in Residence (A.I.R.E.) program, which brings an artist to the Transfer Station where the selected artist is given gleaning rights to the pile of offloads with the goal of making art to bring our issues around waste to the forefront in an impactful way. The artist receives a stipend and an exhibit. This year BW also took over the updating of the Moving it On Guide, a reference for where to donate, recycle, repair, or reuse local resources. In addition, BW members serve on the Jefferson County Solid Waste Advisory Committee and the Solid Waste Facilities Task Force, advocating for future municipal food composting capacity and educating members on sound waste practices. BW members also participated in Repair Events put on by JeffCo Repair.
Through research, policy advocacy, and education, Local 20/20’s Transportation Lab promotes a local transportation system that minimizes the need for personal motor vehicles in favor of walking, biking, and transit use. A highlight of 2024 was Moving in the Right Direction 2, a full-day conference in April that attracted nearly hundred participants, among them national and international experts. This full workshop was the 2nd annual event, and resulted in extending their track record of high quality public seminars that engage community members, city and county and transit staff, and elected officials. In addition, TLab provided a strong community push for removing parking minimums within the city of Port Townsend, a proven means for reducing motor vehicle use, and hence GHG emissions. TLab also weighed in on several infrastructure projects, and is currently engaged in the process of updating the Active Transportation Element of the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
Local 20/20’s Health & Wellness group, also known as Citizens for Healthcare Access, exists to identify barriers to healthcare and advocate for change. One of the biggest barriers to healthcare continues to be denial of care by insurance companies, an issue that takes a toll on our citizens and on the staff and finances of our local public hospital. Members continue collecting local stories and resources to share at community and state-wide meetings.
We are grateful for your donations this year, as your support makes all of this possible and allows us to continue our mission of “Working together toward local sustainability and resilience – integrating ecology, economy and community through action and education.”
Sincerely,
Local 20/20
www.l2020.org
Keep up the great work!
Thanks!