Island CIsland County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Mar. 21, 2025.
Happy Spring, everyone! Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 12th week of 2025.
- Regular Session. The agenda and recording for the Tuesday March 18 Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
- This may have been the shortest Regular Session of my tenure as County Commissioner, lasting just over 5 minutes.
- There were no public comments, no regular agenda items, or public hearings.
- The next regular session will occur at 10 am on Tuesday, March 25,, The agenda for that meeting is here. There are no regular agenda items scheduled, so this too should be a pretty short meeting.
- Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
- April 8: 2024 Budget Amendment
- Work Session. The agenda for the Wednesday, March 19, 2025 work session is here; the recording is here.
- The scheduled Broadband update was pulled to a future meeting.
- Economic Development Council (EDC) President George Henny and Executive Director Kristina Hines gave a presentation on the EDC, and then Cody Bakken of our Budget/Risk department joined them to talk about the upcoming review of our CEDS. Mark 0:11:35 in the recording; the presentation begins on page 28 of the agenda. The current CEDS is also included in the agenda, beginning on page 48.
- We are opening the 2025 application period for Rural County Economic Development (RCED) grant funds. Applications will be accepted from March 24 – April 30. Discussion begins at mark 0:58:22 in the recording; documents can be found beginning on page 149 in the agenda.
- As part of the Climate Commitment Act funding, the Department of Commerce awarded grants to Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to support participation in local land use comprehensive planning for 2025 jurisdictions. Long Range Planning brought the Board the recommendations from the four community groups who participated. The Planning Department intends to take all recommendations in consideration as we draft the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update. The overview presentation begins on page 247 with discussion beginning at mark 1:21:24 in the recording. The recommendations from the American Legion of Camano begin on page 235 of the agenda with discussion beginning at mark 1:23:56; the recommendations from the Agricultural Resource Committee of Island County (ARCIC) begin on page 161 with discussion at mark 1:29:06; the recommendations from Island Roots Housing begin on page 180 with discussion at mark 1:46:08; and those from Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) begin on page 218 with discussion at mark 1:56:22.
- During a usually mundane conversation with Public Works about a culvert replacement, we questioned why the cost has increased so much and ended up talking about the high cost of the State’s new vision that practically every drainage ditch and culvert is now identified as a fish passage. Discussion begins at mark 2:31:52 in the recording.
- The next Work Session will occur on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. The agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday, March 29 here.
- The Board of Health (BoH) met on Tuesday, March 18th at 1 pm. Agenda here; video recording here.
- We started with an update on Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS) from Jamie Bodden, Managing Director of the Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials (WSALPHO).
- During discussion on a letter the BoH is sending to the 10th District Legislative Panel advocating for FPHS funding we went over an enlightening summary of the services provided through this funding, including Hepatitis C Prevention and Intervention, Outbreak Prevention and Response, Water Resources Outreach, Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment, and Senior Falls Prevention, mark 0:15:22 in the recording. You can find the letter and this summary, including links to additional information, beginning on page 5 of the BoH agenda above.
- We received a very sobering presentation on behavioral health regional funding and priorities, from JanRose Ottaway Martin of North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization (BHASO). Mark 0:54:35 in the recording.
- Dr. Howard Leibrand, our Public Health Officer, spoke about the critical need for measles inoculation to prevent outbreaks. I spoke about my own miserable experience with measles as a small child. Mark 1:43:08 in the recording.
- Next Wednesday, March 26, the Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) will meet, COG at 9 am and IRTPO at 10. Both meetings will occur in the Commissioners’ Board Room in Coupeville and share the same Zoom link.
- COG agenda. We will hear presentations from both the EDC and Embrace Whidbey and Camano Islands (the Tourism board).
- IRTPO agenda. We will vote on the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.
- On April 22nd, there will be a county-wide special election on the ballot: ICOM-911 is asking for two tenths of one percent (.02) sales tax to fund critical upgrades to its emergency communications infrastructure. The current system is over 40 years old and requires upgrades/replacement to better assist emergency responders and citizens. In 2024, ICOM took over 93,000 calls from Island County residents—so this is certainly a service we rely on heavily. For more information, see this link.
- Next Thursday, March 27 at 10 am, ICOM 911 Executive Director Sofia Kohfield will be at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland to talk about the needs ICOM 911 hopes to resolve with this new tax. I will be there too. Hope you can join us.
- Tomorrow, March 22nd, the Langley Library will reopen! I will be there for the ribbon cutting ceremony at 11 am. You’ll want to be there too, to tour the library, to upgrade your library card to a special “commemorative” one, and to engage in various activities and fun throughout the day.
- Next Saturday, March 29th, The Clinton Community Council will be hosting another cleanup at Dan Porter Park. Join the Council from 10 am to 12 noon to work with the Island County Parks Department to clear paths and clean the park. Bring your gloves and small gardening tools if you have them. They’ll bring extra tools and have refreshments for volunteers.
- Update from Washington State Ferries: they have worked hard to keep three shipyards, all pre-qualified, engaged in the bidding process to build the new ferries. This will ensure both building the best boats and competition to ensure the best use of taxpayer dollars. The opening of bids from the three yards had been planned for Monday, April 7, however this week the three companies individually asked for a month’s extension in submitting their bids. To keep all three yards engaged, WSF has agreed to extend the bid opening until May 12. The delay is not based on the boats being hybrid/electric, but rather the importance of shipyards having the time necessary to review over 800 pages of technical documents informing their bids. Whidbey’s own Nichols Bros is one of the bidders.
- 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 our Chief of Staff position is now live. This posting will be up until April 9.
- The Department of the Navy has prepared Draft Amended Analysis to the 2018 Final Environmental Impact Statement and 2019 Record of Decision for EA-18G Growler Airfield Operations at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Complex, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the orders of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The analysis is available online for public review at the project website located at nepa.navy.mil/growler. The Navy will accept comments on the Draft Amended Analysis during a 45-day public comment period beginning on Friday, March 14, 2025, and ending on Monday, April 28, 2025. The Navy will hold two in-person and one virtual public meeting on the analysis.
- Tuesday, April 1, 4 – 6 pm; Oak Harbor Elks Lodge
- Wednesday, April 2, 4 – 6 pm; Nordic Hall, Coupeville
- Virtual meeting Thursday, April 3, 7 – 8 pm; broadcast on the project website. The Navy will answer questions submitted in advance to growler_amended_analysis@us.navy.mil. After this initial broadcast, a recording of the virtual meeting will be posted to the project website.
- South Whidbey Fire & EMS is holding a Preparedness Conference Call to Action on 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. I am really excited about this! You can register here.
- Yesterday I attended the monthly meeting of Washington State’s Wildland Fire Advisory Committee. I was heartened to hear that throughout the State, communities and their fire response/emergency agencies are focusing on community risk reduction. About time!
- 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 meets at 6 pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month in the Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville.
- The Department of Ecology is taking public comment on the County’s draft Shoreline Management Program (SMP). Public Comment Period: March 1 to March 31, 2025 5:00 p.m. The draft SMP can be found here. Email your comments to: Stephanie.barney@ecy.wa.gov.
- The Island County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) has released its 2024 Annual Report.
- The County’s drinking water team has updated the resources on its webpage: Drinking Water | Island County, WA.
- Island County Public Health has a new Facebook page. Looks like they post something pretty much every day.
- I will be at WiFire Community Space in Freeland on Monday, March 24, at 3 pm for my regular weekly open discussion with citizens on County issues of interest. We always welcome new voices.
- I will NOT be attending any community meetings (Coupeville, Freeland, or Clinton) the following Monday, March 31, due to a family priority (my grandson is coming for a visit!)
Melanie
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The earth laughs in flowers.”
