ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon [Aug. 23, 2024]

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Aug. 23, 2024.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 35^th week of 2024

• Regular Session.  The agenda and video recording for the Tuesday August 20 Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
  • We heard public comment from two individuals: one spoke on seawalls and a housing cleanup in Clinton; the other spoke on supporting the Navy.
  • There will be a road closure on Camano Island from September 3 – 23, for the Chapman Creek fish passage culvert replacement project. Mark 00:08:08 in the recording.
  • We held public hearings to approve two sewer franchises: Jeremy Prim & Michelle Dirske franchise, mark 00:12:51 in the recording; Michael & Anne Taft franchise, mark 00:16:00 in the recording.
  • The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 27. This is the agenda and links to documents. On that agenda: the Marshall Drainage District public hearing listed below.
• Upcoming BOCC Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • August 27: Marshall Drainage District
  • Sept 10: Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
  • Sept 10: Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
  • Sept 17:  Glenwood Beach water franchise
  • Sept 24 (pending BOCC approval of date):  Ziply
• Budget Workshops. We held three budget meetings this week. Next week we will go over the requests for new items (the supplemental budget). You can find the most current version of the schedule of upcoming budget meetings here . Zoom info for the Thursday, August 29^th 9:00 A.M. Budget Workshop: Link. Meeting ID: 933 4111 5102 Passcode: 926296
• Work Session. The agenda for the August 21^st work session is here; the recording is here.
  • The County will be working in partnership with the city of Langley on the Edgecliff Drive Outfall Project. Construction is anticipated to begin next year. Mark 0:06:57 in the audio recording.
  • The Board discussed the draft update to Ebey’s Design Guidelines. Mark 0:30:56 in the recording, presentation is here.
  • Next Wednesday is a 4^th Wednesday of the month, so there will be no work session. The next work session will be held on September 4; the agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday, August 30, here.
• Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO), Wednesday, August 28, beginning at 9 am.
  • Agenda and zoom link for the COG is here; the zoom link for this meet will also be the zoom link for the IRTPO meeting which will immediately follow the COG. On the COG agenda: a debrief of tomorrow’s Wildfire Conference, and a discussion of community emergency planning.
• On Tuesday I attended an event at WhidbeyHealth to celebrate cancer survivorship, “Hope Grows Here”. WhidbeyHealth is excited to announce the addition of WhidbeyHealth’s new, full-time staff oncologist and their new, full-time oncology certified nurse practitioner.
• 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.
• I’m looking forward to attending the Wildfire on Whidbey: Thinking About The Unthinkable conference tomorrow, August 24, at WICA. This conference is presented by Whidbey Climate Action and WICA.
• The Clinton Community Council will hold its monthly meeting on Monday, August 26^th, at 6 pm at Clinton Community Hall. On this month’s agenda: County Planner Emily Neff will provide an update on the Clinton sub-area element in the Comprehensive Plan.
• Next Wednesday, August 28, from 1 – 3, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) will consider the 2025 LTAC applications. The LTAC received over 30 applications, and are planning to recommend disbursement of $805,000 to applicants. Last year’s presentations were really interesting; attend if you’re curious about what kinds of events different Island County non-profits and agencies are planning to put on next year. Link Meeting ID: 912 5089 9685, Passcode: 989833
• Washington State University will hold a Forestry Planning Series at Bayview Corner beginning in September.  This class is geared toward stewardship of our trees and forested land, including appropriate thinning. Often, when most people hear “forest,” they assume this refers to large acreage.  But a forest can be any number trees you might have, whether it is one, 25, or 200.  They are all important.  So this training is suitable for owners of all sizes of forests. More information here.
• The Puget Sound Energy Foundation (PSEF) is proud to announce charitable contributions of nearly $15,000 in support to Island County recipients from the PSE Foundation this year as part of the 2024 Competitive Community Grant Program. This year’s grants focus on some of the most pressing needs in our region: food security, shelter support, and childcare assistance. The 2024 nonprofit recipients demonstrate exceptional dedication and innovation to serving our community. PSEF funding will provide essential resources to increase their ability to support local initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life and stability for individuals and families in need. These agencies are recipients of 2024 PSE grants:
  • Ryan’s House for Youth
  • Senior Services of Island County
  • Spin Cafe
• Island Transit is recruiting for their Executive Director position.
• I am available every Monday to meet with citizens in Coupeville and Freeland, and also once a month in Clinton. Monday, August 26^th: Cedar & Salt in Coupeville, 1:30 – 2:30; Wi Fire Community Space in Freeland, 3 – 4; Clinton Community Hall 5 – 6. In September I will begin holding occasional Listening Sessions with Veterans at the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center. The first one is scheduled for Friday, September 20 at 2 pm.  

       Melanie

Monday, August 26^th is Women’s Equality Day, a day that commemorates the adoption of the nineteenth amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920, prohibiting states from depriving citizens of the United States of the right to vote based on gender.

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

~ Shirley Chisholm