Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Apr. 8, 2022.
Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 14th week of 2022.
- Monday April 11th is a County holiday. All offices except Superior and District Courts will be closed.
- The Health Care Authority awarded funding to the Island County Jail to create a position to provide counseling to inmates within the jail. This is the just the latest initiative undertaken in partnership by our Sheriff and our Human Services Department, recognizing that much of the criminal behavior that people exhibit is due to addiction or behavioral health problems, and simply locking folks up is not always the best answer. Kudos to leadership in both departments for their work together to reduce recidivism by identifying and treating the core issues behind criminal behavior.
- On Wednesday, Dr. Timothy Lawrence of WSU’s Extension Services announced his upcoming retirement to the Board of County Commissioners. Tim has been a great local leader, and an amazing champion of such beloved WSU programs in Island County as the Master Gardeners, 4-H, Waste Wise, Shore Stewards, and many, many more. We at the county deeply value our partnership with WSU, and are grateful to Tim for his foresight, determination, and leadership. We will miss you, Tim. Enjoy the next part of your life’s journey!
- Next week we will be signing our collective bargaining agreements with the Teamsters and the Corrections Guild. We are grateful to our management representatives and our union partners for their work on these two tough agreements. I know we will all be happy to finally have them enacted.
- We continue to seek representatives for County advisory committees. One that I remain particularly concerned about right now is the Ferry Advisory Committee. If you are interested in serving on either the Clinton-Mukilteo committee or the Coupeville-Port Townsend committee, contact my office for further information.
- At Wednesday’s work session, Public Health presented a two-year report on Surface Water Quality in Island County. Really important work. To read the report, go here, beginning on page 191: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Commissioners/worksessions/2022/04062022%20Agenda%20Updated.pdf. To hear the presentation, go here, starting at mark 1:45: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Commissioners/worksessions/2022/04062022WS%20Audio%20%202.mp3. To see the presentation slides, click on “Other” on the April 6th meeting here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Commissioners/Pages/WorkSessions.aspx.
- The Tourism Board for Whidbey and Camano Islands is working on several initiatives this year to educate residents and visitors on our amazing trails. They’re trying to encourage people to transition away from our over-visited sites to enjoy some of our lesser-known trails. Here is a great resource for trail information: https://whidbeycamanoislands.com/trails.
- Washington State Ferries is partnering with the Seattle Maritime Academy to recruit employees and fast track training. If you or someone you know might be interested in a maritime career, they are holding a Seattle Maritime Academy tour and mariner interview opportunities on Monday, April 11th at 10:30 am at Seattle Maritime Academy, 4455 Shilshole Ave. NW, Seattle. If you plan on attending, contact Ian Sterling at sterian@wsdot.wa.gov. Parking is available onsite.
- Upcoming Public Hearings. All these meetings will be open to the public at our regular 10:00 am Tuesday Board meeting, both in person and virtually at https://meet.starleaf.com/4919878603/app
- April 12th: Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) application from Whidbey Golf Club to classify 140 of 147.41 acres into the PBRS system.
- April 19th: Public Hearing on a revision of the Planning Code, regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
- April 26th: Public Hearing to amend the 2021 Island County Budget to fund unforeseen expenditures and recognize unanticipated revenue related to COVID-19.
- We had a small surge in COVID cases this last week and saw another unfortunate COVID death in our community. I confess I have not worn a mask since March 11th other than on planes, buses and in airports. But I’m starting to think I should probably start wearing them again voluntarily when I’m in a large group of people. This week’s COVID response newsletter can be found here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Health/COVID%20Manager%20Report%20Library/BOCC%20Brief%204-8-2022.pdf.
- This is a holy time for many religious traditions. I wish all of you who observe such traditions blessed celebrations with your families and friends.
- And for all of us, hey, it’s Spring! Let’s enjoy the flowers!
Thanks,
Melanie
“Spring is far more than just a changing of seasons; it’s a rebirth of the spirit.”
— Toni Sorenson
