Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Mar. 25, 2022.
Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 12th week of 2022.
- This week the Board of Island County Commissioners voted to adopt amended resolution C-90-21 to impose an additional sales and use tax of one-tenth of one-percent (an additional 10 cents tax on $100 spent on taxable items) for housing and related services as authorized by RCW 82.14.530. The amendments we added to the resolution were as follows:
- Whereas, the Board of Island County Commissioners states that the first and primary purpose of these funds is for the creation and construction of new units of affordable housing that will remain in the affordable housing inventory in perpetuity; and only after new units are created, can the funds be used for related supporting housing for those new units services; and
- Whereas, the Board of Island County Commissioners recommends the suspension of this tax after 10 years if no new housing units have been created, or at any moment where the fund balance exceeds 10 million dollars, or when the percentage of rent burdened households falls below 10%.
This was a continuation of a public hearing we started in January. That meeting was continued to this week to give our Human Services department an opportunity to develop a framework for the administration of these funds prior to the vote on the resolution.
- The Washington State Transportation Commission is looking for people who are ferry riders or interested in ferry issues who might want to participate in the Ferry Riders’ Opinion Group (FROG). If you are interested in participating, click on this link to fill out a short form: https://pacificmarketresearch.opinioninsight.com/portal/community_1_1_1.php
- A message from Island County Treasurer Wanda Grone: “Due to staffing shortages, the Coupeville Treasurer’s Office open hours are changing to 9:00 – 4:00 Monday – Friday effective April 1, 2022 until further notice. All departments with deposits to be made will need to abide by our regular cutoff of 3:00 daily. Deposits brought between 3 – 4:00 will be locked and processed the following day. Our office will be closed at 4:00 daily. Nothing will be accepted after 4:00. This change is due to unfilled open positions and training new employees to perform their duties. The change will allow Treasury employees to fulfill their mandated duties according to statutory deadlines.”
- Upcoming Public Hearings. All of these meetings will be open to the public at our regular 10 am Tuesday Board meeting, both in person and virtually, at https://meet.starleaf.com/4919878603/app
- April 5th: Petition to vacate and dedicate a portion of county road right-of-way known as Miller Road.
- April 12th: Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) application from Whidbey Golf Club to classify 140 of 147.41 acres into the PBRS system.
- April 19th: Public Hearing on a revision of the Planning Code, regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
- I will be out of the office next week, March 26th – April 2nd, and will NOT be writing a newsletter. So, expect the next update from me on April 8th.
~Melanie
“It’s a spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want to — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”
–Mark Twain
