Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon (D-Langley) sent the following newsletter on Fri., Jul. 8, 2022.
I hope you’re enjoying your summer! Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 27th week of 2022.
- On Monday, I twirled my baton in the 105thMaxwelton Independence Day Parade. Huge fun. I hope to do it again next year.
- The Board did not pass any resolutions, proclamations, or hold any public hearings this week. The regular Tuesday meeting was pretty short. If you want to watch it, the recording is here.
Work Session
- Agenda
- Audio
- Our Government Relations Consultants from Gordon Thomas Honeywell met with the Board to begin our discussions about our county’s 2023 priorities for the State Legislature. That conversation begins at mark 00:00:10 in the above audio.
- Public Works Assistant Director Fred Snoderly brought a representative from Republic, our Solid Waste disposal contractor, to discuss the recent unplanned closures of our facilities. You can hear that discussion beginning at mark 01:10:10 in the audio.
- On Sunday July 3rd, I made unannounced visits to three Seattle-area facilities owned and operated by the Low-Income Housing Institute (LIHI). Two of those facilities are comparable to the type of service being proposed for the Harbor Inn in Freeland (supporting and transitional housing); the third is an overnight shelter in the Queen Anne neighborhood that I kept hearing about in my meetings with concerned citizens. I discussed those visits and showed photographs I took of the properties at Wednesday’s work session; you can see the presentation with pictures I took if you click on the “Other” button in the July 6thwork session here; you can hear me talk about the facilities and my conversations with three staff members and a resident beginning at mark 02:35:33 in the audio.
- Immediately after I talked about these facilities, the Board met with Human Services, Planning, and Public Health to discuss the proposed contract with LIHI for the purchase of the Harbor Inn in Freeland. This conversation begins at mark 02:49:37. The Board made two minor changes to the contract, which you can hear about in the audio. The contract that the Board will vote on at next Tuesday’s Board of Island County Commissioners meeting can be found here.
COVID
- Our weekly COVID response report can be found here.
- Also, this week I was interviewed by the State’s After-Action Response Task Force on our county’s response to the pandemic. Our Public Health Director Keith Higman and COVID Response Manager Don Mason were kind enough to join me, and I think with their input we were able to give a comprehensive picture of the challenges we faced on the county level in providing the necessary public health services. As we spoke, I remembered how time and time again over the last two years the county has stepped up to every challenge with professionalism, creativity, and forethought. I am very proud of our response and the response of all our partners in Island County.
Upcoming Public Hearings:
- On July 12, 2022, there will be two Public Hearings held in association with Ships Haven Drive: one to vacate a portion of the county road right-of-way and the other to open an unopened county right-of-way.
- On July 26, 2022, there will be a Public Hearing to update our fees and charges for public records to include fees. to redact body worn camera video.
- You can find the agenda for next Tuesday’s regular Board meeting, including how to attend virtually, here.
- You can find the agenda for next Wednesday’s work session, including how to attend by phone, here
I’m out of town now but hope to be back in time for my Monday Tea with Melanie next week on July 11th, at 3:00 p.m. at Crabby Coffee in Freeland in the WiFire Community Space, 1651 E Main St, Freeland. I have heard there will be people there who want to talk with me about two very different issues: the LIHI motel project, and fireworks. Tea is on me.
Thanks,
Melanie
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”
—John Lubbock
