by Nina Laramore

Public works was front and center at the San Juan County Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 16 on Lopez as it unanimously approved a franchise agreement request that allows Lopez Island-based Utility Management Group Ltd (UMG), a privately owned drinking water systems management company specializing in small communities, the use of the public right-of-way for a water system on Lopez. The council also heard updates on the Fisherman Bay Road and Weeks Road pathway.

An update from council member Rich Peterson on the work of the committee reviewing the cell phone ordinance was given and the council heard budget proposals from the San Juan County Treasurer and Assessor offices.

The franchise agreement was for a desalinization system intake on the Hunter Bay public dock, a diameter water main, a electrical conduit and a brine/sea-water pipe for the purpose of building a desalinization plant. Before the commissioners voted on the franchise agreement they questioned John Shannon, Director of Public Works, and Karen Vedder of the public prosecutors office about the water franchise issue on Lopez Island while looking ahead to an upcoming franchise proposal on Orcas Island (when Vedder will not be present to take their legal questions).

“For both franchise applications, other permits will be needed. If you choose to grant the water franchise, nothing will happen until the rest of the permits have been granted and if the other permits are not granted, then the water franchise will not take place. It is a fairly narrow issue that you are being asked to decide upon today,” Vedder told the council.

Commissioners questioned the public interest in the franchise and the ability of UMG to cover costs. Commissioner Kevin Ranker expressed his concern that the county have a comprehensive ordinance that dealt with desalinization.

UMG will be doing the construction for the project that they estimate will take two years to clear the permitting process and cost between $600,000 and $700,000.

Commissioner Bob Myhr said, “This franchise agreement covers a fairly highly populated area with a number of full time residents and a slew of summer residents. Conveying water across a county road makes sense for the area.”

Cell Phone Towers

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Cynthia Dilling, a Lopez Island resident, addressed the commissioners about the ad hoc task force looking into ways to improve cell phone coverage within the county.

Dilling, a proponent of the current ordinance, which she said placed local control on the placement of cell phone towers, said that there were three reasons to care about the subject: decrease in property values where cell phone towers are placed; health concerns; and safety standards.

Commissioner Rich Peterson gave a review of the cell phone task force project, stating that they had met twice and had two more meetings planned.

“The committee has addressed lots of questions, including health, and looked at the existing ordinance with regards to how we can increase cell and WiFi coverage in the area. The current ordinance is restrictive. Our decision was that instead of changing the existing ordinance, we would look at other county ordinances with a view to creating a new ordinance for the county. The committee has representation from all the main islands on it. Largely, they have a background in the industry. We are only trying to shape an ordinance that will give us the potential for better coverage.”

Commissioner Howard Rosenfeld replied, “Maybe the standard for committee members needs to be, ‘would you like to have a cell phone tower placed next to your house?’” He urged the public to send their comments to the council.

2009 County Budget

Charles Zalmanek of the Accessors’ Office reviewed his office’s 2009 budget request with the commissioners. He noted that “State Legislation mandating annual reevaluations did not pass in the last session. However, another bill will be considered next session that will require all Washington State Assessors’ Offices to re-value all property on an annual basis. Properties will be appraised every year based on sales in the area, with a physical inspection happening on a three- to five-year basis.

Jan Sears, the San Juan County Treasurer, gave a budget report for her office. “The County Treasurer monitors the collection of taxes on real and personal taxes. By law, real property is subject to foreclosure when the taxes become three years delinquent. Personal Property is subject to seizure after one year. Tax collection is on track. Excise tax is down considerably. We have seen a steady drop over the past three years. Tax collections and interest rates have dropped.”

Noting that the revenue budget was an estimate, she said, “We hope taxpayers will continue to pay their taxes and that visitors will continue to come to the islands. The revenue projection for 2009 has been decreased by about $200,000.”

Fisherman Bay Road

Two members of the public expressed a concern about the pathway to be constructed on Weeks Road as part of the Fisherman Bay Road Project on Lopez Island. They said that the pathway would be better on the same side of the street as the senior housing and where it would not necessitate the removal of trees around the post office.

In an effort to manage stormwater and provide more space for pedestrians, San Juan County Public Works is installing a five-foot wide path on Fisherman Bay Road. The path will extend from the east side of Milagra Lane to Sunset Lane and then cross over to the west side up to the fire station property. From there, it will cross back over to the other side to reach the Lopez Library.

“The path will be constructed from pervious concrete, and the material looks somewhat like a rice krispie and will allow the stormwater to percolate through it,” said Shannon Wilbur, of San Juan County Public Works. “With this material, it allows us to install a roadside path without having to acquire additional property for stormwater treatment and detention,” she continued.

John Van Lund, County Engineer, said in his update, “We are willing to look at the other side of the road. We will have to go back and look at the right-of-way.

“I think there are some powerful arguments for it being on the other side. We can look at putting the path over there. We will not be able to build it this year if we need to get a right-of-way.”

Myhr said that he felt the pathway should go forward this year but perhaps the path could divert around trees to keep from cutting down trees around the post office.

In updating the Fisherman Bay Road Project, Van Lund said that the county was currently out to bid for the project and that the bids would be opened on Oct. 21. “We have negotiated right-of-way on 23 of the properties. We are still negotiating with two property owners, who seem to be holding out. We will reach an agreement with these last two because we will persevere.”

He said the project was estimated to cost between $1.3 and $2.3 million and that federal and state grants were supplementing county funds. He noted that the speed limit would drop to 25 miles per hour on Fisherman Bay Road as part of the project.

Commissioner Alan Lichter reminded the public that there now is a Veterans Advisory Board for the first time in the county to provide assistance to indigent veterans and their families in emergency situations.

Islands’ Weekly Reporter Colleen Armstrong contributed to this article.