ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon [Oct. 11, 2024]

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Oct. 11, 2024.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 42^nd week of 2024.

• Regular Session.  The agenda and video recording for the Tuesday October 8^th Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
  • We heard public comment from one individual regarding the proposal to introduce curbside recycling in unincorporated Whidbey Island (see work session, below, for more on this topic).
  • We celebrated new employees and employees reaching service anniversaries—including Todd Davis in Solid Waste, who has now been with the County for 30 years! Congratulations, Todd, and thank you for your years of dedicated service to Island County employees.
  • Just before the Regular Session of the Board, we held two Special Meetings we hold every year as members of the Coupeville and Camano Island Libraries’ Capital Facility Area Governing Bodies. The purpose of these meetings was to review the current debt service status of the library bonds that were enacted to build the Camano and Coupeville libraries. This week we were able to celebrate the dissolution of the Camano Island Capital Facility Area because the 10-year bonds for the Camano Island library will be complete as of this December. It’s always nice to be able to celebrate the end of a tax. The debt service requirement for the Coupeville Library bond will not be completed until 2028.
  • We approved two resolutions on the Consent Agenda: (1) C-48-23, adopting Island County’s annual road construction program for 2025; and (2) C-49-24, the Rhododendron Road to Patmore Road Trail (Phase 3) project.
  • We approved a resolution proclaiming October National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
  • The next Regular Session will occur on Tuesday, October 15. Here is the agenda and links to documents.  There are no items on the regular agenda (the public hearing shown will be moved to a later date).
• Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • October 22: Finalize the 2025 Work Plan and Docket to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA) for the Comprehensive Plan update process.
  • December 2 (pending Board approval of date): Finalize Budget
• Budget Workshops. We held our last Budget workshop on Tuesday, and expect to hold a public hearing on it for approval on December 2.  Because 2024 has been a fairly lean sales tax year, the Board had to make some difficult decisions in order to be able to provide our employees with increases in 2025. The proposed 2025 Budget includes a wage increase for non-represented employees of 3%.
• Work Session. This is the agenda for the October 9^th work session; this is the audio recording. FYI: The audio recording sound doesn’t kick in until 16 seconds in.
• NOTE: There is something wonky with both my work and personal computer’s media player programs, where I download the recordings and run through them so I can give you accurate times for conversations on particular topics. Therefore this week I am just giving you my notes regarding times, which are basically: I looked at the clock when we started the conversation and jotted down the time—so I may be off by a couple of minutes. I’ll talk with IT to find out what’s going on with Media Player. Sorry for the inconvenience.
  • We had a discussion about reinstating Diking District No. 3 and appointing members to that Board. Mark 0:03:38 in the recording (this one is accurate).
  • The Board had asked Public Works to bring us a discussion about the Board’s authority with regard to franchise agreements that allow utilities to use County right-of-way, and we had that conversation on Wednesday, beginning at around mark 0:19:00 in the recording. The issue for the County: can we use these franchises to require these utilities to perform essential maintenance on their systems? This will come back to the Board for further discussion.
  • We held a conversation that many citizens have wanted for a long time: bringing curbside recycling to all of Whidbey Island. The discussion begins at around mark 0:56:00; the proposal and presentation can be found beginning at page 41 in the agenda. It looks like we will start with minimal recycling services, meaning no glass and no organics.
  • We talked with the Prosecuting Attorney about the challenges in hiring a Chief Civil Prosecuting Attorney. Around Mark 1:25:00 in the recording.
  • Long Range Planning brought us two issues. At around mark 1:55:00 in the recording we held an important discussion about the Capital Facilities Element requirements in the Comprehensive Plan. We heard things we had not been aware of before. This element will be a heavy lift. Memo and presentation begin on page 50 of the agenda. The Planning Commission will be discussing this element at their meeting next week; see below.
  • The second Long Range Planning item was a recap of the Oak Harbor UGA discussion. Around mark 2:30:00 in the recording.
  • The agenda for the October 16^th work session is here. On that agenda: three discussions related to the jail replacement project; the Treasurer’s report; the Youth Cannabis and Tobacco Prevention Program; and development of the Island Region Coordinated Water Systems Plan Study.
• Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update: This is a link to the Planning Commission page. You can find details on their meetings and minutes, including Zoom info, here. The agendas are published at least a week in advance. The next Planning Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 16^th; the agenda is here. On that agenda: Requirements for the Capital Facilities Element of the comprehensive plan, and Overview of Urban Growth Areas and the role they play in meeting the requirements of the Growth Management Act.
  • Island County will host three stakeholder workshops to discuss the Climate Resiliency Sub Element for the Comprehensive Plan. Stakeholders from a variety of organizations and industries have been invited to participate in the workshops, including environmental groups, builders, tribes, social services, NAS Whidbey, and economic development. The public is invited to listen in and observe the workshops; there will be a chance for the public to provide written comments to inform the process.  The workshops will be held in-person at the Coupeville Rec Hall, 901 NW Alexander St, Coupeville, WA 98239. For information, email to compplan@islandcountywa.gov.  Sea-level Rise: 1-3 PM on Oct. 21; Groundwater: 1-3:30 PM on Oct. 29; Heat: 10 AM to 12:30 PM on Nov. 1
• Online ordering for the Whidbey Island Conservation District’s annual plant sale begins November 1.
• Island County’s Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held on Saturday, October 19 at the North Whidbey Middle School, 67 NE Izett St., Oak Harbor from 10 AM to 2 PM. 

I am available in Coupeville and Freeland on Mondays to meet with citizens interested in discussing County issues: at Cedar & Salt in Coupeville, 1:30 – 2:30, and at the Wi Fire Community Space in Freeland, 3 – 4.  

Melanie

One of my newsletter subscribers reminded me that October is Blindness Awareness Month.  Blindness Awareness Month highlights the importance of receiving regular eye check-ups.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

~Helen Keller

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