ISLAND COUNTY: Recent BOCC meetings on homelessness in Island County (JILL JOHNSON)

Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson (R-Oak Harbor) sent the following email to constituents on Fri., Sep. 29, 2023.

Hello,

On Wednesday, September 20 the Board of Island County Commissioners, and the Island County Sheriff, as well as department heads from public works (roads), public health, and human services held the second of two meetings focused on homeless encampments in unincorporated Island County. You can listen to the conversation here. The discussion begins at approximately the 8 minute mark.

You may recall the first meeting, on August 9, was with the Island County Prosecutor and Sheriff to discuss recent court rulings and the impact those decisions have on enforcement of homeless encampments on public property. You can listen to the conversation here. The discussion takes place for approximately the first hour of the recording.

This most recent meeting was a discussion about possible policy solutions that might help in mitigating against the impact of encampments both in intensity and duration. No resolutions were reached in the meeting, but for those who are interested, the conversation speaks to the complexity of the issue as well as the important role local law enforcement and prosecutors play in the solution.

Your questions or comments can be emailed to: jill.johnson@islandcountywa.gov 

Thank you for your continued interest in this ongoing conversation.