JANET ST. CLAIR: A Message from Commissioner St. Clair (Jun. 29, 2022)

Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair (D-Camano Island) sent the following newsletter on Wed., Jun. 28, 2022.

The Board of Island County Commissioners has been busy with ongoing business and emerging issues across the County.  I want to give an update on a few of those items.

Camano Island is facing a possible threat to our major transportation corridor on the island. In early June, the Everett Herald ran an article on the potential failure of the Stanwood Dike that could flood the City of Stanwood and Hwy 532. If this dike fails, Stanwood goes underwater | HeraldNet.com  I immediately reached out to Jason Griffith, the fisheries lead negotiating the solution to assess our situation. He has made significant progress in finding a path forward and believes we will be ready for permitting soon. I also met with Stanwood Mayor Sid Roberts and City Manager Shawn Smith to collaborate and encourage Stanwood to engage with our Regional Transportation Planning Organization and WSDOT to address this threat. We will continue to monitor and support efforts to solve this problem.

Public Works recently was forced to close our transfer stations for the weekend due to supply chain and workforce challenges by our provider of containers. As we had been forced to do a closure earlier, we had been monitoring this situation closely.  Our Solid Waste division had been told to expect a full delivery of containers that were not delivered. For the safety of the public and our workers, we were forced to close for one weekend. Republic Services will be at our work session on July 6^thto discuss with the Board how to improve both communication and service delivery. To listen to this meeting, clickherefor information. The agenda for that work session will be posted by end of week.

Freeland has been very engaged on an important discussion to expand housing availability for those in need of permanent supportive and transitional housing. Since 2021, the Board has been exploring a partnership with LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute) on this project with several public discussions with staff and LIHI in our work sessions. Commissioner Bacon has held multiple public meetings to address concerns and fears by local businesses and Freeland residents on this project. Some of these concerns involve potential for increased crime with new residents. Sheriff Felici addressed those concerns at our most recent Board meeting. In an effort to also hear and respond to those concerns, I have looked for research on this question both in urban, rural, and suburban settings. Studies do not indicate rising crime associated with low income housing. In fact, in some communities the crime rates decreased with housing availability. That said, I hear and recognize concerns about the populations to be served so there is shared understanding with the public, the housing provider, and the Board.  Clearly there is some confusion and concern. I will ask for additional clarification before I take further votes. As with any project, it must meet all state and local code requirements to move forward including water and septic availability.

Finally, we are all preparing to celebrate the 4^thof July.  Many are looking forward to fireworks, whether in the public displays offered or with personal use. Fireworks are legal in Island County unless a specific burn ban is issued by the Sheriff/Fire Marshall based on conditions. There is no current burn ban in place. Sheriff Felici worked with our local fire chiefs, especially retired Chief Rusty Palmer to implement an evidence-based tool to assess wildfire risk and to make scientifically based decisions on our burn bans. That practice will continue. I hope to codify that protocol this year. For now, please be safe and follow the good advice offered here. 

I will be doing a Town Hall, either virtual or hybrid, on July 14^thfrom 3:30 pm – 5 pm hosting our Conservation District. They will share the program Firewise which helps local communities prepare against fire risk. Email me at j.stclair@islandcountywa.gov for information to join. As Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can help prevent wildfires.”

Take care and be safe,

Janet