Island CIsland County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Apr. 4, 2025.
Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 14th week of 2025.
- Regular Session. The agenda and recording for the Tuesday April 1st Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
- We began the meeting hearing comments from four individuals from the Whispering Firs community, unhappy about an expansion of development in their neighborhood. Commissioner Johnson and I both responded to these comments during Commissioners Comments, beginning at mark 00:28:57 in the recording.
- At the first meeting each April, we are required by code to select the County’s official legal newspaper for the next year. We selected the Whidbey News-Times (South Whidbey Record).
- We approved a drone policy for Public Works, on a two-to-one vote (Commissioner Johnson opposed). As I said during the discussion, the primary purpose for this policy is to enable Public Works to check the safety of bluffs experiencing erosion (secondary purpose: available for emergencies). At Commissioner Johnson’s suggestion, the Board added language to mandate that any funds used to purchase drone equipment will be local funds, not state or federal funds, to strengthen our ability to tell our federal and state partners that they cannot control the use of those tools should they wish to do so. Discussion begins at mark 00:14:37 in the recording.
- The next regular session will occur at 10 am on Tuesday, April 8. The agenda for that meeting is here. On that agenda: the Budget Amendment public hearing shown below.
- Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
- April 8: 2024 Budget Amendment
- May 16: 2025 Budget Amendment
- Work Session. The next work session will be held Wednesday, April 9th at 9 am. The agenda for that meeting. On that agenda: an update from Citizens Against Domestic & Sexual Abuse (CADA) on their programs and a discussion of possible areas to partner with the County; a contract to provide funds to the Housing Authority of Island County for the purchase and repair of an existing 6-unit multi-family property to operate as affordable housing for households at or below 60% of AMI; guidelines for Department Heads regarding employees working remotely; a software purchase request from the Assessor; an amendment to the 2025 Adopted Budget; a broadband update; and Long Range Planning will present on proposed housing solutions to meet our housing allocations as part of our 2025 Comprehensive Plan periodic update.
- April is Whidbey Earth and Ocean Month. To stay abreast of the many events, go here.
- Registration is now open for the 2025 Chum Run, a fundraiser for the Healthy Island Youth Initiative scholarship. The 5K Chum Run will be held on Saturday, May 3rd at Fort Casey State Park, and includes a run for adults and another for kids.
- In 2026, the United States will mark our Semiquincentennial: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone. America’s Field Trip is a contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?” Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. For more information, go here: America’s Field Trip – America250.
- The job posting for the Island County Chief of Staff position is live. This posting will be up until April 9.
- South Whidbey Fire & EMS is holding a Preparedness Conference Call to Action on Earth Day, Saturday, April 19 from 9 – 4 pm at South Whidbey High School. This is a free conference, for people who want to learn what they and their neighborhoods can do to prepare for emergencies. You can register here.
- 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 agendas are published at least a week in advance. The Planning Commission usually meets at 6 pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month in the Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville.
- On Monday, April 7th I will hold a joint community gathering with Jesse Levesque, Executive Director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association (CHWA), at Cedar & Salt in Coupeville from 1 – 2 pm. Please join us to talk about CHWA, its mission and activities. After that, from 3 – 4, I will be at the Wi Fire Community Space in Freeland to meet with interested citizens.
Melanie
This week we selected the Whidbey News-Times (South Whidbey Record) as the County’s official legal newspaper for another year. Interestingly, today is “National Hug A Newsperson Day” (yes, apparently that’s a thing)—it’s a day to show gratitude to journalists for their work in keeping the public informed. I note the stellar reporting Whidbey Island residents have with these papers, which regularly win multiple awards for journalism: for example, in 2024, they received 23 awards, including the top individual honors, in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Washington Better Newspaper Contest involving more than 1,500 entries from 50 newspapers—and every year they are similarly recognized by that organization. Thank you, Jessie Stensland and staff, for your great work keeping our public informed.
