Submitted by the League of Women Voters Observer Corps
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.
County Council regular meeting of Sept. 8
The Marine Resources Committee will comment on the OPALCO Tidal Energy Project application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee. The project is early in the feasibility study stage, so project information is limited. The County will seek to balance energy supply and security needs with protecting the marine environment, especially for salmon and cetaceans, and about noise. Similar projects in Scotland should provide useful data. Going forward, they will ask OPALCO to engage with the Environmental Stewardship Department and the MRC, then the Council.
The Environmental Stewardship Department updated the Council on the need to expand the San Juan Solid Waste Transfer Station, which is tier one infrastructure in the Comp Plan. In future years, the station will be unable to manage the amount of waste generated on San Juan. This is an issue for the town of Friday Harbor, too. They plan to expand the station on a neighboring County-owned property on Sutton Road at an estimated cost of $7 million. Funding options include taking a loan or issuing a bond.
The Environmental Stewardship Department updated the Council Sea Level Rise Backshores Road Project. Sea-level rise is projected to put 935 structures at increased risk of flooding, threaten septic systems and require relocation or reinforcing 10 miles of road. It will be the responsibility of individual property owners to manage the risks for their properties, while the County will be responsible for managing risks to public facilities, with a focus on roads. Right now, they are scoring them on their risk to set priorities in capital planning. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s help in addressing these needs is going away. They are ready to proceed with the next steps of public engagement and getting tribal feedback, and anticipate some difficult conversations.
County management reviewed various bills of interest to the County, potentially moving forward in the state Legislature’s upcoming session. The Council will be working on setting legislative priorities in its next meeting with the County lobbyist. A mosquito fleet, affordable housing and energy regulation are among areas of interest.
SJI Fire District regular meeting of Sept. 9
Commissioner Alexa Rust has resigned her position effective Sept. 30. Mike Coryell will replace her beginning Oct. 1.
Commissioner Warren Appleton brought up a recent 911 call from Roche Harbor, which was directed to Canada, then re-directed to the mainland before local help was called. He proposed posting the local emergency number around Roche Harbor as a backup for future emergencies. In response to recent doxing in the community, the commissioners adopted a robust public records policy in Resolution 25-04 to ensure access to records containing information about the conduct of government, while protecting individuals’ privacy.
Commissioners Dwight Colley and Appleton will attend the Washington Fire Commissioner’s Association Conference on Oct. 22-25 at Tulalip Casino. Chief Noel Monin walked the commissioners through a preliminary 2026 budget using estimates of $4.7 million based on preliminary levy information. The total budget is estimated at $5,540,087.
Brainstorming wildfire prevention strategies includes community picnics for public education, home inspections, driveway inspections and possible purchase of a chipper unit. The chief and commissioners discussed a new logo and rebranding in the future to allow the Fire Fighters Association to use the existing logo on merchandise sold to the public.
Station 35 received new paint thanks to volunteers. Some staff are working the Crown Creek Fire, and others are being moved around to cover shifts. Hiring announcements for multiple positions are posted. The District is accepting design proposals for the Stuart West Fire Station. The new Logistics Temporary Annex is being installed.
