Submitted by the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed participation in government.

County Council, Feb. 10

During public access, Lovell Pratt of the Friends of the San Juans asked the Council to support HB 1652 and SB 5519, two bills in the state legislature to require ocean-going ships to use low-sulfur fuels, which are readily available. Ships using scrubbers keep the sulfur out of the air but dump it in the water.

The Council canceled a public hearing on vacation rental permits in Eastsound set for Feb. 11 to allow the ordinance to be amended and will reschedule a hearing in March.

OPALCO leadership gave a presentation on the state and County’s electricity situation and challenges. Demand for electricity is growing rapidly. With national, state and local policies and mandates to replace fossil fuels with renewables, fuel-based generation is being removed faster than renewable generation is being installed. This is mainly due to severe permitting limits and delays stalling renewable energy projects. If not resolved, the County and state face power shortages and much higher prices soon. OPALCO proposed that the County consider making OPALCO an essential public facility, which will provide more planning security. They asked the County to consider allowing renewable energy projects on land designated rural-farm forests, where they are currently prohibited, rendering many suitable sites unavailable. Many farmers believe that combining renewable energy projects with continued agriculture activity can support farm viability. The County is looking at potentially making a portion of a public works property on Decatur available for community solar to help maintain a grant for low-income energy users.

The District Court provided an update on a pilot program to better connect people intersecting with the legal system to social services. Actions they are taking include “warm handovers” where people are directly introduced to service providers, an information system that helps provide targeted and updated information for referrals, information releases to support communications among courts and service providers, and training.

The Council approved putting a ballot proposition on the April 22 special election to create a parks district on Lopez Island, and appoint commissioners empowered to set a levy. They approved funds for the cost of the ballot proposition.

The Council discussed and agreed to procedures for regular contact with the county lobbyist in Olympia, and coordinating Council action on legislative advocacy.

SJC Council, Feb. 11

During public access, a citizen spoke in favor of the Land Bank lease of Beaverton Valley Marsh property to the Grange. Two citizens were frustrated by the building code and permitting process for owner/builders, saying DCD staff referred them to the website, which was not user-friendly, and code was often unclear. They urged the Council to get public input on fixing the code and permitting. Friends of the San Juans described their work with the Madrona Institute and FRCs to help underserved groups take part in the comprehensive plan update. They will keep the Council informed.

The Council approved two Land Bank leases: one of a Frazer Homestead site for agricultural purposes and one of property at the Beaverton Valley Marsh site to the San Juan Island Grange for community agriculture. The Council set a March 18 public hearing to sell two parcels of the Frazer Homestead property, the site of the original Lyman Cutler farm, to the National Park Service. The site was where the Pig War shooting occurred. They set a March 11 public hearing for a resolution to sell a conservation easement to the Preservation Trust on the Northshore Preserve property on Orcas. They set a March 18 public hearing to amend the dates in the County code to reflect the Land Bank levy renewal and to add “Conservation” before Land Bank.

The Council set a March 18 public hearing to consider an ordinance on vacation rental permits in Eastsound and Lopez Village with a process to allow a year for existing vacation rentals to come into compliance. The budget analyst reviewed the final 2024 budget results. 2024 revenues were $82 million at 96% of budget projections, while expenses were $78.6 million or 78.6% of budget projections, leaving $3.4 million in additional ending cash versus the budget. In the current expense account revenues were $26.1 million or 104% of the budgeted amount while expenses were $26.3 million leaving ending cash only $130k lower versus the budgeted projection of a $2.3 million deficit. Higher than budgeted revenues were due mainly to higher interest income while the Real Estate Excise Tax came in at only 78% of projections. The final 2024 numbers and 2025 beginning cash will be formally submitted by the beginning of March.

The Council agreed to sign a letter in support of legislation to ban high sulfur in oceangoing ships. Justin Paulsen and Fuller were in Olympia on Feb. 6, joining citizens from around the Sound advocating for Washington state ferries. They hope to lobby for public school funding in April. Progress is being made on the interlocal agreement with the Lopez Solid Waste District. Interviews are underway for a new HR manager and a deputy county manager. Search for a DCD manager is ongoing.