LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council February 11, 2025

||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |||

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 SJI 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 vacations 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 vs. 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, vs. the budgeted projection of a $2.3 million deficit. Higher than budgeted revenues were due mainly to higher interest income while the REET 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. Paulsen and Fuller were in Olympia on February 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.

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.