ISLAND COUNTY: A Message from Commissioner Bacon [Sep. 26, 2025]

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Sep. 26, 2025.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 39^th week of 2025. There is no regular session next week, but I expect to publish a short newsletter next Friday (but not the week after).

• Regular Session.  The agenda and recording for the Tuesday, September 23^rd  Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here.
  • There was no public comment this week.
  • We passed a resolution proclaiming October 2025 National Disability Employment Awareness Month. We applaud the 75 businesses in Island County that utilize and benefit from the value and talent of our citizens who experience intellectual developmental disabilities.
  • We spoke with Long Range Planning to get a comprehensive plan update regarding Oak Harbor and the GMA. This started with my providing background on what has happened on this so far, and why we have postponed taking action. Mark 00:6:47 in the recording. We spoke about the consequences from the State if we fail to complete our Comp Plan this year, and also talked about any potential impact on the moratorium (we will work to minimize impacts, but may not be able to lift the moratorium before the scheduled date in April 2026).
  • There will be no regular session next Tuesday, September 30 (5^th Tuesday of the month). There will also be no regular session on Tuesday, October 7, or work session on Wednesday, October 8, because the Commissioners will be at the Board of Health training. The next regular session will be held on Tuesday, October 14, and the agenda will be posted by Friday, October 10^th, here.

• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • October 21:          Planning Permit Fee Schedule
  • December 1:        2026 Budget
• Work Session. 
  • The next work session will be held on Wednesday, October 1st. The agenda. On that agenda: contracts for Superior Court, the Board, Public Health, and Solid Waste; and a review of the Investment Grade Audit (IGA) for upgrading and replacing the failing infrastructure at the Law & Justice Building and the Juvenile Detention Center: this is an expensive project, and the associated report can be found beginning on page 84 of the agenda.
• Budget. Our next Budget meeting will be held on October 14.
• The Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) met this week.
  • COG: Commissioner Johnson walked the COG through the Jail Needs Assessment. You can find that report in our August 5^th work session agenda, beginning on page 3. You can listen to the COG discussion here. The COG will have further discussion on this topic next year. One important note for you to think about: our jail would be overfull today if the Sheriff put everyone with misdemeanor warrants in jail. But because we don’t have the space for them, we don’t pick them all up. We really do need a new jail.
  • IRTPO: The IRTPO heard presentations on projects for 2026 Surface Transportation Block Grants (STBG). You can find the documentation for those projects 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.
  • This is the agenda for next Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting. On that agenda: Draft 2026 Work Plan and Docket for Planning and Community Development; Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) forestry policies follow up.
• Island Transit. Island Transit will hold its monthly Executive Board meeting next Friday October 3^rd at 9:30 am. Agenda. On that agenda: draft #1 of 2026 annual budget; authorization to purchase 12 35’ hybrid diesel-electric buses originally awarded through the federal 5339(b) FY24 Bus & Bus Facilities grant program for twelve 35’ hydrogen buses; update on Community Advisory Committee.
• The LIHI Community Meeting on the Harbor Inn housing project in Freeland: the meeting last night went quite well. The citizens of Freeland have had a couple of years to live with the shelter housing in their community and have not seen a negative outcome. The audience clapped at the end, which I took as a good sign. I was also very pleased to learn that a group of South Whidbey churches meet every month to talk about the shelter and plan ways to help residents with food, rides, and other assistance. LIHI wants to hear from the community on this project, and have made this very short survey available.
• With funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the City of Langley is launching Energize Langley, a study of resilient microgrids which are clean, localized electric power systems made up of solar panels and battery storage, that help residents stay safe, warm, and connected in the event of an emergency or power outage. As part of the study, the City will host a series of workshops to educate community members on microgrids and gather ideas and input from the community about their priorities for how limited power might be best used during an outage or emergency. The first workshop will be next Wednesday, October 1^st, from 6 – 7:30 pm at the South Whidbey Community Center, 723 Camano Ave. Room 116. Or you can register to attend by zoom on the City’s website.
• The Clinton Community Council will meet next Monday, September 29^th. Representative Clyde Shavers is the guest speaker. 6 pm, Clinton Community Hall. You can find the agenda and Zoom link here.
• I will be available to speak with interested citizens next Monday, September 29^th, at 3 pm at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland and at 5 pm at the Clinton Community Hall. As mentioned here last week, I will NOT be holding my usual meeting with citizens on October 6, October 27, November 3, November 17, December 22 or December 29.

Melanie

Tomorrow is World Tourism Day.

“After a stranger asked where I’m from, I told him I’m from Florida, and he said he has been there once and he’d stayed a week. I replied, “Yes, I remember. We all waited for you to come back, and we wondered where you had gone. We cried out for you, but you never answered.” Then I offered him a swig of duck soup, because I had a thermos full and we were now practically brothers.”

~ Jarod Kintz