MELANIE BACON: A Message from Commissioner Bacon (Apr. 7, 2023)

Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Apr. 7, 2023.

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 14^thweek of 2023.

• Regular Session. You can find the agenda for this week’s Tuesday’s meeting here.
  • Public Comment this week focused on animal welfare and fireworks.
  • The Commissioners had a lot to say this week on the fireworks topic, both during our responses to the public comments (mark 00:08:16 in the video), and later during our regular Commissioners Comments time (mark 00:38:35).
  • We approved one resolution this week:
    • C-26-23 (regular agenda): Proclaiming April 2023 National County Governments Month
  • The agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting is here.

• Upcoming Public Hearings
  • April 18th, at 10:00 a.m.: Franchise Renewal PW2022-0059 – Parkland Water Association Division, Water Distribution System; Plat of Parklane Division #1 & #2; Camano Island
  • May 2nd, at 10:00 a.m..: Franchise Consolidation PW2019-0117 – Cascadia Water, LLC; Water Distribution System; Whidbey Island; Various Sections, Townships, and Ranges
• Work Session: The agenda and audio recording for the April 5^th work session can be found here.
  • Megan Frazier of Superior Court and Juvenile Detention was first on our agenda, and she provided us a great update on our juvenile detention facility.
  • Beginning at mark 00:33:29 in the audio recording and pages 138-139 of the agenda, the Planning Department gave us an update on the status of their 2023 docket and work plan. At mark 00:50:19 in the audio Commissioner Johnson started us on an interesting conversation about the importance of including community values in our comp plan revision.
  • Public Health brought us a presentation on their 3-year strategic plan on Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, which you can see beginning on page 142 of the agenda and hear at mark 01:17:14 in the recording. I was very impressed with the presentation.
  • Our Washington, DC grant contractors, Merchant McIntyre, gave us an update on federal grant opportunities, mark 02:03:05 in the recording. You can see details of these opportunities beginning on page 157 of the agenda.
  • The agenda for next week’s work session is here.
• Public Works Open House for Proposed Freeland Intersection and Pedestrian Improvements—CHANGE OF LOCATION. Big thanks to the Freeland Water and Sewer District which offered to let Public Works use their building at 1667 Roberta Avenue for the meeting after I expressed concerns over whether the library offered enough space, given the public attention on this topic. So if you would like to see what’s proposed for roundabouts and sidewalks in Freeland, and ask questions of Public Works Staff, the Open House will be held on Tuesday, April 18th from 5 – 7 p.m. at 1667 Roberta Avenue, Freeland.
• At today’s Island Transit Executive Board meeting, the Board heard about expansion to Sunday service, and also voted to purchase nine all-electric ADA compliant transit vans. Delivery on these vans is expected next year. Here is a nice video on Island Transit Going Green.
• Last Friday I joined a group from the Langley area on a tour of the administration areas of the Tulalip reservation. Tulalip Council Member Melvin Sheldon, Jr. led the tour, and one of the things he said was that when the Tulalip Resort was built the city of Marysville did not have capacity in their sewer system for such a large new business, so the tribe built their own filtration system based on a European design. He was kind enough to offer me a tour of this system in the future. The Board of County Commissioners has asked the legislature to fund a sewer alternatives study for us; this request appears in the House budget but not yet in the Senate’s. We continue to work on it. Once we have the funds for the study, I plan to take Council Member Sheldon up on his offer for a tour of their plant.
• This week’s wildfire safety reminder: Prepare for Wildfire part 5:Know Your Evacuation Zone
  • You may have to evacuate quickly due to a wildfire. Learn your evacuation routes, practice with household, pets and identify where you will go.
  • Sign up for local alerts through Island County Department of Emergency Management, and then plan to follow evacuation instructions from local authorities. They will provide the latest recommendations based on the threat to your community and appropriate safety measures.
• Monday Tea with Melanie happens most Mondays at 3:00 p.m. at the WiFire Community Space, 1651 E. Main Street, Freeland. Tea is on me.

Melanie

April is National County Governments Month

“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.”

~Thomas Jefferson