ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon [Oct. 3, 2025]

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Oct. 3, 2025.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 40^th week of 2025. I will be at the Board of Health training next week, so I will not be publishing this newsletter next Friday.

The South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District has an operational levy on the ballot this November. I’ve been receiving both kudos and curses about it from citizens, so I want you to know: the independently elected Board of Commissioners for the South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District is NOT the Board of Island County Commissioners. The Board I serve on has nothing whatsoever to do with this levy (which, fyi, I will vote in favor of as a citizen of South Whidbey). For information on this levy, see here; also, they are holding a public meeting on this proposed levy on Tuesday, October 7^th at 6 pm at the Elementary South Campus Gymnasium, 5476 Maxwelton Road.

• Regular Session.  There was no regular session on Tuesday (5^th Tuesday of the month), and there will also be no regular session on Tuesday, October 7, or work session on Wednesday, October 8, because all three Commissioners will be at the Board of Health training. The next regular session will be held on Tuesday, October 14 and the agenda will be posted by Friday, October 10^th, here.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • Tuesday, October 21:        Planning Permit Fee Schedule
  • Monday, December 1:       2026 Budget
  • Tuesday, December 2:      Planning and Community Development
                                              Docket and Work Plan
  • Tuesday, December 9:      2 Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS)           
                                              Applications
• Work Session. This is the agenda for the Wednesday, October 1 work session. This is the recording; Law and Justice upgrade presentation. Reminder: if you want to scroll through the recording to get to the places I’ve marked, you will need to download the recording to your computer (left-click “download” on the three dots on the recording bar)
  • Long Range Planning brought back two Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) applications for further review. We will hold public hearings on both of these applications on December 2. Discussion begins at mark 0:28:58 in the recording; the application documents can be found beginning on page 135 in the agenda above.
  • We heard a presentation on the need and cost to enact energy improvements to our Law and Justice Building in Coupeville (new HVAC, new roof, new lights, new windows, etc). We have known this was coming and are budgeting for some of these improvements through our general fund but will not have enough money for the entire project without receiving grant funds. The discussion begins at mark 0:47:10 in the recording; the audit report begins on page 84 of the agenda; and the presentation itself can be found in the link above.
  • The next work session will be held Wednesday, October 15^th. The agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday, October 10^th, here.
• Budget. Our next 2026 County Budget meeting will be held on Tuesday afternoon, October 14, at 1:00 pm.
• Island Transit held its monthly Executive Board meeting this morning. Agenda.
  • We reviewed the first draft of the 2026 annual budget for Island Transit;
  • We voted to authorize the purchase of twelve 35’ hybrid diesel-electric buses (the grant was originally awarded for twelve 35’ hydrogen buses, but since hydrogen bus technology remains weak the grantors have allowed us to shift to a hybrid bus model instead); and
  • We heard an update on our process to create a Community Advisory Committee.
• Island Senior Resources is sponsoring a number of fun and informative events in October and November, including a Charity Golf Tournament and Benefit Dinner hosted by the Useless Bay Gold and Country Club on October 8 – 9; a Pancake Breakfast to benefit Meals on Wheels on October 25^th; and a free showing of the hit movie Thelma at the Clyde on November 9^th, followed by a discussion on elder abuse and fraud.  For more information on these and other events, see here.
• Island County’s Parent to Parent program offers support, connections to resources, system navigation, and opportunities such as events and training for families with children or adults with special needs, delays, disabilities, and/or complex medical needs. To find resources, see a list of upcoming events, or access their latest newsletter, go here.
• Public Health Update:
  • Federal Shutdown: For WIC, state funds are expected to last until October 16, after which benefits may be temporarily paused. The County has notified healthcare providers and food banks of a potential increase in demand for food assistance.
  • Public Health met with a group of builders regarding permit timelines and code interpretation. To address concerns about interpretations of bedroom/square footage standards, the County is developing a formal written policy. A draft will be shared with builders for feedback before being presented to the Board in late 2025 or early 2026.
  • The Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB) is considering a new policy review process to provide timely, community-informed recommendations to the Board of Health. Community Health Planning Open Houses are scheduled for November 5 (Camano Library) and November 6 (Coupeville Library) from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
  • 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccines are now available locally. We are directing residents to pharmacies and providers and advising them to confirm availability and insurance coverage in advance. Find local vaccine availability and information here.   
• Our local Chambers of Commerce all either publish newsletters or list local events on their websites to keep people in the loop about the happenings on our beautiful islands. For example, in this week’s Langley Chamber newsletter, I learned that artists are needed for Goosefoot’s Art Under $100 Holiday Show, and on the Oak Harbor Chamber’s page, I learned about tomorrow’s Dia De Fiesta. I encourage everyone to sign up to receive newsletter updates if they’re available.
  • Langley Chamber: https://visitlangley.com/
  • Freeland Chamber: https://freelandchamber.org/
  • Clinton Chamber: https://www.discoverclintonwa.com/
  • Coupeville Chamber: https://coupevillechamber.com/contact-us/
  • Oak Harbor Chamber: https://www.oakharborchamber.com/
  • Camano Island Chamber: https://www.camanoisland.org/
• Planning Commission and Comprehensive Plan Update: This link leads 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 Planning Commission usually meets at 6 pm on the first and third Wednesdays of each month in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room in Coupeville.
• My next meeting with citizens will be on Monday, October 13^th at 3 pm at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland. I will NOT be holding my usual meeting with citizens on October 6, October 27, November 3, November 17, December 22, or December 29.

Melanie

“Public health depends on winning over hearts and minds. It’s not enough to just have a good policy; you have to convince people to actually follow it.”

~ Leana S. Wen