ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon (MELANIE BACON/Oct. 27, 2023)

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Mon., Oct. 27, 2023.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 43^rd week of 2023.

With the National Weather Service forecasting freezing temperatures from today through tomorrow morning, I encourage you to check out pages 5-7 of this Public Health newsletter for articles and tips for what to do before and during cold weather. Pages 1-4 of the newsletter are about reducing your risk of falls—which I think is particularly pertinent because last December in weather just like this I hurried too fast down a hill, slipped in the icy grass, and broke my ankle.

• Regular Session.  The agenda and recording for the October 24^th regular session can be found here.
  • The first item on our agenda was public comment. Public comment was heard on the impact of high tides on beachfront homes and a request for a code change, stormwater management issues on North Bluff Road, the time it takes to get things done at the County, LIHI, a desire to localize the fire marshal responsibilities, and Maxwelton Valley flooding.
  • Resolution approved on the consent agenda: C-67-23, Initiating a County Drainage Project designated as Chapman Creek Fish Passage Culvert Replacement.
  • Two resolutions approved on the regular agenda, after public hearings: C-62-23, Expanding the Boundaries of the O-Zi-Ya Community Club Water System and incorporating the Service Area Boundaries into the Coordinated Water System Plan; and C-58-23, Approving Apportionment of Benefits for Diking District No. 4.
  • There will be no regular meeting next Tuesday because it will be a fifth Tuesday of the month. The agenda for the November 7^th meeting will be posted on November 3^rd, here.

• There was no work session this week. The next work session for the Board of Island County Commissioners will occur on November 1. On that agenda: requests to extend four Rural County Economic Development (RCED) grants; Selection of Congressionally directed Spending Request for 2024; Planning Department updates on the GMA Changes, Countywide Planning Policies, and the OFM Population Projections for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update; the King Tides discussion (scheduled for 1 pm); the 2024 Annual Construction Plan (Road Fund), and a continuation of the discussion around how to fund the improvements needed in the Marshall Drainage District.
• On Wednesday, October 25^th, the Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) held their monthly meetings. The Island Local Integrating Organization (ILIO) was also scheduled to meet, but that meeting has been rescheduled now for November 29.
  • COG: Agenda; recording.
  • IRTPO: Recording not yet posted; it will be posted here. On the agenda: UPWP Annual Report Action, Title VI Policy, and the RTIP.
• Upcoming Public Hearings:
  • November 7 regular session (10 am): The 2024 Long Range Planning Work Plan and Docket
• Island County’s Youth Cannabis and Commercial Tobacco program aims to reduce and prevent substance use among youth while also promoting positive community norms and social connections as protective factors for youth. In order to have an effective program, we need to make sure we are focused on the right issues and solutions. What do you think kids are facing in the South Whidbey Community?  Tell us in this short survey.
• We really get into Halloween around here! Below are some local events for you, your kids and your grandkids to enjoy over the next few days.
  • Sponsored by the Sno-Isle libraries:  Not-So-Spooky Stories and Crafts event TODAY (Friday) from 6:30-8 at the Clinton Community Hall. This is a companion event for their adult program Spooky Storytime for Adults –TONIGHT (Friday), 7-8:30, at the Freeland Library.
  • South Whidbey Fire EMS: Trunk-or-Treat Saturday October 28^th 5 – 8, at the Bayview Firehouse.
  • Trunk-or-Treat at the Thirsty Crab Brewery sponsored by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, October 31^st, 4 – 7.
  • Trunk-or-Treat sponsored by the Freeland Chamber of Commerce, Oct 31^st 3:30 – 6:30, at the Harbor & Main intersection.
  • Spooktacular Langley, Oct 31^st 2:30 – 5 pm, downtown. Trunk-or-Treat sponsored by the Langley Main Street Merchants Association at the Langley United Methodist Church at 3^rd & Anthes (and if you’re in downtown Langley on 2^nd Street on Halloween at around 3:30 or 4:10 and you see a bunch of zombies suddenly break into dance—keep an eye out for a zombie county commissioner cavorting along in the mob of the undead).
  • Greenbank Farm Trunk or Treat, Saturday October 28^th from noon to 3.
  • Island County Historical Museum Trick or Treat, October 29; registration required, 360-678-3310.
  • Oak Harbor Downtown Trick-or-Treat is free to the public and will be held rain or shine on October 31st from 5:30pm-6:30pm.
  • Numerous churches in our area are also sponsoring Trunk-or-Treats as a safe alternative to kids walking through neighborhoods knocking on strangers’ doors
  • In addition, the Town of Coupeville is going all-out for Halloween. See their Practically Magic Halloweekend here and the Haunting of Coupeville, here.
• The Clinton Community Council will meet on Monday, October 30^th at 6 pm at the Clinton Community Hall. On the agenda: South Whidbey Parks & Rec will give a presentation on the proposed aquatic rec center.
• Island County’s Department of Emergency Management will conduct a free 3-day 20-hour CERT basic training on Whidbey Island from November 3 – 5: Coupeville BOCC Hearing Room (Fri & Sat) and Oak Harbor Fire Station (Sun). Times: Fri 5-8; Sat and Sun 9-5.
  • Register by emailing dem@islandcountywa.gov for a registration packet.
• This year’s Ebey’s Forever Conference will take place November 3^rd & 4^th in Coupeville. Tickets for the conference, the conference sessions, and the community potluck can be found both at ebeysreserve.com and at the ticket page here.
• The Whidbey Veterans Resource Center and the Rotary Club of Whidbey Westside are sponsoring a Veterans Benefits Forum on Saturday, November 4 at the South Whidbey Community Center – Gym, 723 Camano Ave, Langley. Session 1: 10:30 – noon; Session 2: 1 – 3 pm. Whidbey Island Veterans, Families and Community are invited to get information, learn about their eligibility, and get assistance in applying for benefits with VA Benefits & Healthcare reps and other local services.
• The Washington Homeowner Assistance Fund (WA HAF) is a program that provides individual support (up to $60,000 per household) to qualified WA homeowners who are delinquent on their mortgage payments or property taxes due to pandemic hardship. If you are interested in more information on this, Island County Treasurer Tony Lam is happy to talk with you about it. Or, you can call HAF’s hotline at 1-877-894-4663 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.     
• You can find all of my newsletter for 2023 here.
• Most Mondays I hold Monday Tea with Melanie at 3:00 pm at the WiFire Community Space, 1651 E. Main Street, Freeland, an opportunity for citizens to speak with me and with each other about issues of interest to them, and I am also available once a month in Clinton, just before the Clinton Community Council meeting. But as we get closer to the holidays and various out-of-town events, there will be Mondays when I won’t be available. Below are my Mondays through the end of the year, as of now:
  • Monday October 30, 3 pm WiFire –Yes
  • Monday October 30, 5 pm Clinton Community Hall –Yes
  • Monday November 6, 3 pm WiFire –Yes
  • Monday November 13 – NO
  • Monday November 20 – 3 pm WiFire –Probably
  • Monday November 27 – 3 pm WiFire –Probably
  • Monday November 27 – 5 pm Clinton Community Hall –Probably
  • Monday December 4, 3 pm WiFire –Yes
  • Monday December 11 – NO
  • Monday December 18, 3 pm WiFire –Yes
  • Monday December 25 – NO
  • Monday January 1 – NO

Melanie

“Darkness falls across the land. The midnight hour is close at hand.”

~ from Michael Jackson’s Thriller, written by Rod Temperton