ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon [June 21, 2024]

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., June 21, 2024.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 26^th week of 2024.

BURN BAN NOTICE: A TYPE 1 BURN BAN IS IN EFFECT AS OF MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2024. NO OUTDOOR BURNING OF NATURAL DEBRIS – EVEN WITH A PERMIT. For more information, see the Sheriff’s Office page on the County website.

• Regular Session.  The agenda and video recording for the Tuesday June 18^th Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
  • We heard public comments from two individuals asking the Board to review our zoning codes to allow for tiny home villages in unincorporated Island County.
  • There were no regular items or public hearings this week.
  • During Commissioners Comments, Commissioner Johnson spoke about County Commissioner responsibilities regarding the Island Transit Board, (mark 00:07:24 in the recording): “All three County Commissioners are on the [Transit] Board, we’re on the Board as County Commissioners. It’s a part of our job and responsibility to ensure that that entity functions appropriately…if you’re elected to this job then you have a responsibility to serve the boards that you are appointed to. So I wanted to make that clear about this Board’s involvement in that organization, since it’s been mentioned by all three of us that it’s time that we have dedicated to the organization. It’s dedicated because it’s part of our job.”
  • The agenda for the June 25^th regular meeting is here. On that agenda: a public hearing on the CIP.

• Upcoming BOCC Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • June 25: Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Amendment
  • July 9: Polnell Shores Franchise
  • July 9:  PBRS Freedom Park
  • July 16:  Port of Coupeville
  • July 16:  WAVE Broadband
  • July 23 (pending BOCC approval of date):  Crescent Acres Franchise
  • Sept 17 (pending BOCC approval of date):  Budget Amendment
• Work Session. There was no work session this week. The next work session of the Board of Island County Commissioners will be held on Wednesday, July 10^th. The agenda for that work session will be available by Friday, July 5^th here. Since it will have been 3 weeks since the last work session, I would expect July 10^th to be a long one.
• The Board of Health met on Tuesday afternoon. The agenda is here; the recording is here.
  • We received a presentation on the Healthy Youth Survey data and Community Health Assessment, mark 0:06:33 in the recording. The presentation can be found beginning on page 6 of the agenda. Most concerning for me was the data that showed around 20% of our students do not feel safe at school. But on the plus side, our youth are less likely to feel sad or hopeless than they were during the pandemic.
  • We also had a really interesting panel discussion with the Assistant School Superintendent from Oak Harbor and the Coupeville School Superintendents, beginning at mark  0:43:45 in the recording. I encourage anyone interested in hearing from these School Superintendents talking about mental and behavioral health to listen to this conversation. Here are my notes listing some of the topics these superintendent addressed: impact of social media and pandemic on students; anxiety; sexual behavior; fentanyl use; social, emotional, and behavioral issues in lower grades; staff attendance issues; student loneliness and how technology exacerbates it; the Surgeon General’s warning on social media’ impact on youth; the importance of parent training; video games and predators; appropriate smartphone age; sleep cycle; bullying and safety; school funding. Obviously, a very valuable meeting.
  • Public Health and the Department of Emergency Management gave a presentation on Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke Readiness, beginning at mark 1:22:34; the presentation begins on page 46 of the agenda.

• The Council of Governments (COG)  and the Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) will meet next Wednesday, June 26, beginning at 9 am. This is the Zoom link for both meetings. Meeting ID: 974 7384 4138 Passcode: 756258. On the agenda for the COG: Kitsap Transit Fast Ferry Service and Electrification.
• Island Transit. The Island Transit Board held a special session today. On that agenda:
  • The Board approved the purchase of six Rideshare vans.
  • The Board  voted to transition to a new Mobile Radio system that will provide better coverage for our vehicles.
  • I discussed the process we’re going through to recruit a new Executive Director. Yesterday we sent out a Request for Proposals for search firms, with a proposal deadline of July 10.
• 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 Planning Commission meets at 6 pm on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of each month; the agendas are published at least a week in advance. The next meeting of the Planning Commission will be held Wednesday, July 17^th, at 6 pm.
• I encourage you to join and participate in the Comprehensive Plan Update public engagement website: https://www.islandcounty2045.com/.

Clinton Sub Area Plan Outreach

• June 29, 10-4, Clinton Summer Market at the Clinton Community Hall – we will be hosting an information booth to promote our July workshop
• July 24, 4:30-6 pm, Clinton Sub Area Plan Workshop at the Clinton Community Hall – this will be the first workshop we’re holding to do some visioning with the community to inform the plan

Summer Festivals

• July 25 & 26, all day, Whidbey Island Fair – we are tabling with Health to share comp plan information
• July 13 & 14, all day, Hydro’s for Hero’s – we are tabling with Oak Harbor staff to share comp plan information
• Sept. 7, time TBD, NASWI Base Open House
• Senator Patty Murray sent out an email on Thursday about a new law that will benefit children this summer: the (now permanent) Summer EBT program. Families whose kids qualify for free or reduced-price school meals will receive a pre-loaded nutrition benefits card worth about $120 per child in “SUN Bucks.” SUN Bucks can be used to buy groceries over the summer—like fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, and snacks. Families already enrolled in benefits like SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR will automatically be enrolled in the Summer EBT program. If you’re not automatically enrolled, and you meet the eligibility requirements, you can apply by calling the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 1-833-543-3230 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (PST) Monday – Friday.  
• This week contractors began installing solar panels on the roof of the County’s Administration building! I am really excited about this—I began pushing for solar panels to be installed on our buildings before I was elected, and continued to push over the years since. But first Facilities had to put together a plan, and get buy-in from the Board, and we had to talk about it at work sessions, and we had to budget for it and put it on a Capital Improvement Plan, and we had to apply for grants, and then get contracts, and so on and so forth. I mention all of this because the installation of solar panels this week, more than 3 years since the Board began having conversations with Facilities about it, illustrates two things about government: (1) goals can be achieved, and (2) even when everyone is in support, accomplishing the goal can still take a long time.
• You can find all of my newsletters since January 2023 here.
• The Clinton Community Council will hold their monthly meeting next Monday, June 24^th, beginning at 6 pm. On Tuesday, June 25^th, at 6:30 pm, the Clinton Community Council will sponsor a candidate forum with the four candidates for District 1 County Commissioner. Both events will be held in the Clinton Community Hall.
• I will be available to meet with interested community members next Monday, June 24^th at 5 pm, at the Clinton Community Hall, just before the Clinton Community Council monthly meeting.

Melanie

“There’s a certain time of day after sunset when people naturally seem to feel the urge to gather by a fire or a stove or a hibachi or another common source of heat and food, and hunker down together to eat and drink. Call it the blue hour.”

~ Kate Christensen

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