||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |||
The Council welcomed the new county manager to her first council meeting. During public comment, two Orcas residents spoke about the severe ferry service disruptions in July and the efforts of the Community Water Taxi Group to help those impacted.
The communications director reviewed the results of the recent communications survey. Over 700 residents responded. Their preferred methods to get county information would be through an e-mail newsletter, on-line editions of local newspapers, and the county website. The preferred channels for providing feedback were surveys & polls, calling or emailing County staff, and submitting questions and feedback online. The county plans to start a quarterly newsletter, redesign the county website, and to make the council meeting agenda topics more descriptive.
The environmental stewardship department reported on projects to monitor and analyze vessel traffic in the county, derelict vessel programs including prevention work, improvements at the Orcas transfer station, and challenges with cleaning streets to prevent problematic run-off in water supplies. Both vessel monitoring and derelict vessel programs are seeing solid progress and results. The Orcas Transfer Station has completed the compactor building, which includes solar panels producing twice as much power as the facility uses. They are working on how to compost organic waste, and exploring commercial solar on landfill, with state representative Alex Ramel coming this week to explore regulatory issues. Street cleaning and drainage ditch maintenance have been seriously challenged by equipment and labor shortages. The Council approved an interlocal agreement with Skagit County and Friday Harbor for occasional use of the Skagit landfill for solid waste.
The county is moving forward with a tribal engagement beginning with the eight tribes with fishing rights and the Samish. The council approved a letter to the tribes regarding consultation on the comprehensive plan update.
Given the severe ferry service disruptions in July the council agreed that Chair Fuller will contact Governor Inslee’s office to request that the governor declare a state of emergency to release state funds to support the county in dealing with the disruption to county residents, businesses, and public services. The council approved of Chair Fuller inviting private groups, port directors, and transport operators to form a local transportation working group to share ideas on local transportation challenges. This will not be an official county advisory body.
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.
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