JANET ST. CLAIR: A Message from Commissioner St. Clair

Island County Commissioner Janet St. Clair (D-Camano Island) sent the following newsletter on Thu., Sep. 29, 2022.

Hello All,

Wanted to send out an update on recent issues and opportunities in District 3. First, a couple of updates from our partners. I shared with you the WSDOT Survey. Some noted that the system had some glitches, largely due to the large volume of responses. (Yay!)  You can still submit your input or drop by the Stanwood Farmer’s Market this Friday, Sept 30 to learn more and get a paper copy. I’ll be there on Friday afternoon or you can respond below.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in partnership with the City of Stanwood, Island County, Snohomish County, Island Transit, Community Transit, and Island Regional Transportation Organization (IRTPO), is conducting an existing conditions analysis of the State Route 532 corridor between Terry’s Corner and Interstate 5.  State Route 532 is the primary east-west corridor to Interstate 5 for the city of Stanwood, Camano Island and unincorporated areas of Snohomish County. A technical baseline analysis of SR 532 is intended to provide further evaluation of the highway to determine if the corridor meets regional transportation performance objectives before the implementation of any strategy.  The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please take the time to tell us about your experience along this corridor. Your feedback helps us address your concerns and preferences. For more information about this project, please visit the SR 532 Baseline Study project page. Click here to take the survey. 

Also, Camano Island Fire & Rescue has commissioned an independent research firm, NineteenEleven Consulting, to conduct a survey of registered voters about the August 2022 Island County primary election.  The survey will be open for three weeks – from Monday, Sept. 19, through Monday, Oct. 10. Participants can access the survey online at https://s.surveyplanet.com/rie3g8k6.

Phone and paper options are available for those who are unable to take the survey online which can be picked up at the Camano Fire Administrative Office at 811 N. Sunrise Blvd. and the Camano Center at 606 Arrowhead Road. Return paper surveys to the same locations prior to Oct. 10.  To participate by phone, call 360-387-0222 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

The resulting survey data will help Camano Fire better understand the needs and perceptions of the community to inform their future decisions about levies..

County business – It has been a busy summer as we work to complete our updates to the Public Benefits Rating System to provide incentives for protection of drainage areas and to incentivize forest retention and stewardship, both of which can help address flood risks and aquifer recharge on our Islands.  We are close to completion on the Shoreline Management Plan, Transportation Improvement Plan and Capital Improvement Plan. All available online at islandcountywa.gov.  We recently passed a Climate Resolution so we can build climate resiliency in Island County and pursue strategies to mitigate climate change locally, knowing our efforts can make a difference.  Finally, as we move into fall, we are preparing our 2022 workplan reviews and 2023 workplan goals.  These will align with our budget for 2023.  That process will begin next week.  For information on any of these items, please let me know. On a public health note, Governor Inslee is poised to rescind the emergency declaration for the COVID 19 pandemic by October 31^st. The Island County Board of Health discussed this transition from a pandemic to an endemic, as we continue to manage this illness and work to bring resources to fight the virus. The bivalent vaccine is now available and highly recommended. For more information, check out our HealthMatters news: Newsletter Vol 2, No. 18.pdf (islandcountywa.gov) which covers COVID and other public health issues. 

Meanwhile some other announcements about upcoming Town Halls. I’ve been deeply involved in state policy and funding for broadband and internet access and affordability. Save the Date for a Town Hall focused on internet and broadband on October 6. More info to come. We will have a winter and emergency preparedness Town Hall in November. I will also be attending the Camano Preparedness Group presentation on the Stanwood Dike with other guests who will discuss the strategies to address this threat. My final Town Hall for this year will be in December, topic still TBD.

Enjoy these beautiful fall days. 

Janet