District 2 commissioner candidates speak out on a post-pandemic county

— by Orcas Issues reporter Matthew Gilbert —

With unprecedented speed, the current pandemic hit the pause button on normal life, taking thousands of lives while disrupting many millions more, and the world has been scrambling to adjust (while the earth breathes a temporary sigh of relief). The big question is, What’s next? A “post-pandemic world” will likely look different than the pre-pandemic one, but in what ways and how soon, and what will that mean for SJC?

All eyes have been on the governor’s office as well as updates from the federal Center for Disease Control (CDC), our local Department of Emergency Management, and county health officials, in particular Dr. Frank James. Now with the advent of the summer season, a flattened infection curve (according to best available data), and most people eager to resume at least some sense of a “healthy normal,” talk has turned to a
timetable for opening up the local economy.

Recent letters have been sent to the County Council from both the Vacation Rental Work Group (expanded on in this letter to the editor) and a consortium of local innkeepers and restaurant owners; not surprisingly, they are on opposite sides of the pace for loosening restrictions on tourism traffic and economic activity while acknowledging the challenge of balancing health concerns with preserving livelihoods.

Victoria Compton at the Economic Development Council reported that a March survey of 100+ local businesses found that “the vast majority said they were seriously impacted by COVID.” A new survey is going out this week.

The “pages” of Orcas Issues have been filled with reader comments on how or if or when or what, while a growing number of island-bound non-residents aren’t waiting to hear the answer. Undersheriff Zac Reimer reports that his office is getting “one or two [vacation rental] complaints a day. We do look into each one, but it’s very time-consuming. When the Tip Line first came online, there were 20 – 40 calls a day! Things have slowed down quite a bit.” Which is ironic given reports of steady visitor traffic and
questions on where they’re staying. What will Memorial Day weekend tell us?

As this “first wave” of the pandemic (which presumes the possibility of another) reaches an arguable pause, it behooves us to remember that this is also an election year and there are three candidates for District 2 (Orcas/Waldron) commissioner: Rick Hughes, Cindy Wolf, and Michael Durland. (Learner Limbach, who declared his candidacy earlier
in the year, decided not to file and to instead focus his energies on food issues and his role as manager of the Orcas Food Co-op.) There is also a Comp Plan update lumbering back into gear and a Tourism Master Plan waiting to take shape. Budget issues loom, and the pandemic itself is not yet done with us. They are all connected, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly.

One of the issues emerging from the last few months of challenge and adaptation is, “What have we learned (and maybe what are we supposed to have learned)?” Throughout the world, Covid-19 has put a strain on every system, revealing both their strengths and weaknesses. For its part, SJC has been impressively resilient and community-strong, which bodes well for whatever future awaits. Some of that future can be shaped, which will depend in part on the vision of those we trust to govern.

There are both new vulnerabilities and new opportunities. Going forward, has our collective experience and response changed our thinking about food sovereignty, for example, or our healthcare systems or diversifying the economy or protecting the environment? And if so, how? Are there new choices or more difficult ones? As several attendees wondered at the February County Council meeting on Orcas, “Are we rural or a resort? Can we be both pro-tourism and pro-community? What is our carrying capacity?” Those fundamental questions haven’t changed.

As campaign season inevitably ramps up, and in the spirit of starting a mid/post-pandemic conversation of the county’s long-term quality of life, we asked each of the three candidates to share some thoughts on their experiences during this pandemic and how, or if, it has influenced what they would emphasize or shift as they contemplate their role in SJC’s future.

Michael Durland michaeld@rockisland.com / Owner, Deer Harbor Boat Works

First I would like to thank Orcas Issues for beginning what I hope is a long dialogue about life in the San Juans and the importance of Council members who respect the wishes of the residents.

I have been fortunate that my personal work experience over the last few months has not changed too much from past years.

We all see the impact a reliance on a tourist-based economy has on our local businesses. Last Friday, driving through Eastsound, I saw businesses that usually stay open all winter having to close their doors just before the first big holiday weekend of the summer.

I think the most important focus for us as a community will be on how to promote a more self-sustaining local economy. Many of the established locally owned tourist destinations have been hit hard with the proliferation of vacation rentals. My first priority will be on limiting the number of transient vacation rentals to all but owner-occupied properties. Non-owner occupied or corporation-owned vacation rentals are essentially a commercial enterprise and should be treated as such with different regulations than privately owned rentals.

The important issue here is how do we protect and encourage our traditional tourist economy while at the same time establishing a functioning and vibrant local economy that works for all the residents of the Islands. As a working resident of the local economy for over 40 years, I look forward to addressing these issues. 

Rick Hughes
Starwave96@hotmail.com / Current District 2 Commissioner

I am continuously amazed by the generosity, caring, and support offered islanders during this crisis. These are interesting times. Every day brings a new challenge, new obstacle, and new solutions. San Juan County will need to be adaptive and flexible to succeed, but I believe we will be able to keep the community healthy and safe while creating a new, vibrant economy.

Tourism will always be part of our economic model, as will real estate and construction, but I feel we have an opportunity to create a more sustainable, greener economy. We must find a way to produce more food locally, shop locally, increase educational opportunities, provide affordable housing, address the needs of our aging population, support expansion of fixed broadband and LTE internet mesh to allow continued work at
home opportunities, encourage our community to live in the county year round, invest in small scale ag-based and specialty manufacturing, and expand our reliance and installation of renewable energy.

My goal going forward will be to encourage the continuation of inclusion and our island spirit and to treat all visitors and neighbors with decency and respect, not to judge, and to come together to move our community forward.

Cindy Wolf
CindyWolf2020@Gmail.com / Orcas Women’s Coalition Steering Committee Member 

The shutdown has meant that my husband and I are working from home, my daughter takes all her classes online, and I do community meetings via Zoom. We are fortunate to have jobs that can be accomplished from home.
The pandemic has forced me to rethink some of my campaign. The current council is already planning for a 10% revenue reduction this year. The problem is likely to persist into 2021. We need to focus on:

• Restoring our local economy: County government must do everything it can to get our local economy back on its feet once it’s safe to do so. This is critical.
• Planning for a new reality: If we don’t have a healthy tourist season this year, the county budget will shrink even more and the economic drivers in our county will have to change significantly to create jobs. We need to be thinking ahead.
• The lack of affordable rental housing. This is an urgent issue that is damaging our local economy. Coupled with this is the impact of vacation rentals. We will be facing some old problems and several new ones, but we’ll have fewer resources to deal with them. Leadership and creativity are going to be essential.