It has not been an easy first six months for the Town of Friday Harbor’s Mayor Ray Jackson, but he has a plan, and part of that includes using the challenges to come together, learn and make the community stronger.

“Here, we can be the example. We can do things in ways people on the mainland can’t,” Jackson said, encouraging islanders to come up with creative solutions in order to solve critical issues like his number one priority, housing. Jackson called the crisis in housing the biggest crack in the communities foundation.

“We have not been thinking outside the box,” Jackson said, explaining that there are two problems at hand; workforce housing and affordable housing. Affordable means long-term of course for both lower and middle class while workforce is usually minimum wage earners, and potentially seasonal. One idea Jackson said might help with workforce housing is to use a small cruise ship, which already has private bedrooms or workers. The town has recently developed a Housing Action Plan. HAP, explained on the town’s website, “s a planning tool that looks at housing stock, housing affordability, housing needs, housing types, and regulatory constraints that might impede the development of an adequate housing supply for our community.” Preliminary assessments of existing conditions, local housing constraints, and an evaluation regarding potential opportunities have already begun. The findings will be shared to the community later this summer. After completing extensive research, outreach, and public meetings. If things run smoothly, HAP will be scheduled for adoption in June 2023.

Jackson himself will be meeting with housing stakeholders to get on the same page and move solutions forward, he said, adding that creating places for workers is in the best interest of business owners. Currently, due to both the pandemic and the lack of homes, the hospitality industry is struggling.

“It’s a perfect storm for crazy, and I want to alleviate some of that crazy,” Jackson said.

Speaking of the hospitality industry, Jackson pointed out that tourism is not going away anytime soon.

“[San Juan County] is the kind of place people didn’t know still existed,” Jackson said, citing low crime rates, a welcoming citizenry and natural beauty. The peak tourist season is already becoming longer and longer.

“Do we want to give up our town for 12 months out of the year? What would that look like and how do locals feel? How can we make things more user-friendly?” Jackson asked.

One possibility is to have food trucks.

“I want them to be diverse, with different nationalities, so our guests can have an experience while here,” Jackson said. He added that he did not believe food trucks would compete with restaurants because the two serve distinct clientele.

“People who go to food trucks won’t be interested in restaurants because they can’t afford it, while people who go to restaurants won’t be interested in food trucks,” Jackson said

One challenge no one saw coming was the fire in April that destroyed three commercial buildings in the town’s core.

“I was in Herb’s that night, I was the last one to sing karaoke, “Jackson said, explaining how close he came to being in the fire. “There were so many ways that could have gone sideways.”

Jackson’s heart went out to the business owners, he said, and will be actively engaged with them to ensure they have what they need to recover and rebuild. Rebuilding will take at least a couple of years, according to Jackson, so he would like to paint a mural and make fencing more aesthetically pleasing while that occurs.

Being ever the optimist Jackson did not focus on the dark side for long.

“We have been able to try some things with the traffic flow we may not have been able to try before the fire,” Jackson said. Ferries now offload traffic up Granny Way, and Front Street traffic is directed that way as well, which gives people on foot more access to lower Spring Street.

“It is safe to say the town is looking at ways to become more pedestrian-friendly,” Jackson said.

In January, the town faced the opposite disaster of fire, a deep freeze that burst many people’s pipes rapidly draining the water supply. In typical island fashion, neighbors checked on neighbors and lent help hands until damaged pipes were turned off and repaired. That generosity and welcoming was exactly why, Jackson said, he moved here so many years ago.

“I knew this was the place I wanted to be.”

That says a lot coming from an African American man of a predominantly white town.

“I know people who have never had a conversation with an African American male,” Jackson said. “I am an ambassador. When they have walked away from that conversation, there is no excuse for them for keeping [racial stereotypes].”

Jackson continued by saying he considers himself a seed planter. “I don’t need to see the results, I just need to plant the seed.”

In town matters, Jackson said, he has been blessed to have so many town employees like administrator Denice Kulseth, who are on the same page.

Having worked for the county, Jackson said Kulseth knows both sides of the fence, knows what is good for the town and has the ability to serve as a linchpin between county and town.

As a result, Jackson said, “everything is working alright and we are on course to face any challenges.”

Should anyone want to reach out to Jackson, he responds frequently to his chat box on the town’s website, http://www.fridayharbor.org/.