Submitted by the League of Women Voters
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.
Friday Harbor Town Council regular meeting of Jan. 4
Mayor Ray Jackson swore in new Town Council Member Richard Geffen.
The Council reviewed committee and liaison assignments and kept them unchanged. However, Richard Geffen will represent the town on the Board of Health.
Administrator Denice Kulseth reported the State representative Debra Lekanoff had included the Town wastewater treatment plant on her list of capital requests for state funding for 2024.
An attorney did a training session for the Council on the rules for quasi-judicial proceedings and the Appearance of Fairness Doctrine, in cases where the Town Council rules on planning and zoning applications and appeals. The training covered issues which would disqualify a member from participating in a decision and about putting communication with constituents on such matters into proceeding records.
At future meetings, the Council will discuss Harrison Street issues, food trucks and the traffic study. They will begin reviewing the Transportation Improvement Plan for 2024 and 2025.
SJI Fire District regular meeting of Jan. 9
During public access a citizen said two executive sessions scheduled for the day followed state law and expressed the hope that the Commission would continue to use such sessions only as legally mandated.
The Commissioners asked the deputy chief to explore renegotiating leases for remote substations.
Returning from the executive sessions, the Commission reported back that in the matter of a complaint brought against a public official, no action was taken, but that the matter is being monitored and is in the process of being resolved.
In the matter of evaluating the qualifications for an applicant for public employment, the commission reported that it had received ten applications for the position of Chief. The commissioners reviewed all the applications and will move forward to negotiate a contract with Interim Chief Noel Monin, but wanted to first develop a draft contract that meets the needs of the Fire District. The Commission set a special meeting for Wednesday Jan. 17 at 1p.m. to work on a draft contract.
Interim Chief Monin reported that 2023 was nearly closed out and a complete accounting for 2023 would be available in February. The ending balances as of Dec. 31, 2023 totaled $706 thousand.
The fireboat is fully equipped, and the duty officer schedule is being set so that there is always a qualified boat operator available as a duty officer. The application to get a surplus engine from the state Department of Natural Resources was denied as the available engines went to higher priority jurisdictions, but the department was encouraged to continue applying in the future, The aid license renewal is coming up.
Monin informed the commissioners that he is working on a Mutual Aid and Interlocal Agreement with EMS chief Butler.
In a discussion of training for commissioners, they noted that the annual fire commissioners conference would be in the fall. They had a brief discussion of putting a levy on the ballot this year. Monin recommended that they form a budget committee with one commissioner, a couple of staff, and possibly public members to review and revise the budget and to help inform the urgency and/or timing of a new levy.
County Council regular meeting of Jan. 9
During public comment 27 county residents supported the Council issuing a call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
To start the new year, the Council elected Jane Fuller as the chair and Christine Minney as the vice chair of the Council.
The Council set a public hearing for Feb. 6 at 9:15 am for changes to county personnel policy regarding vacation accrual for non-union-represented staff. Section heads had reviewed the new policy and had no concerns.
The Council approved the advisory committee recommended lodging tax awards with the removal of the earlier proposed grant to the Environmental Stewardship department.
The Council discussed, approved, and read out a proclamation calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire in occupied Palestinian territories.
The next scheduled Council meetings are a retreat on Jan. 22 and a regular meeting on January 23. At the Retreat on the 22nd, the Council will set the meeting schedule for the remainder of 2024.
The Council will add New Business as a standard item to future agendas to allow council members and the county manager to raise issues for discussion outside of their updates.
The County Manager Mike Thomas noted that public works would seek to renegotiate a contract with the state for funding a new dock on Orcas, as the contract contains unusual problematic clauses the purpose of which is unclear.
