LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council July 23, 2024

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

The meeting was on Shaw Island and began with county staff members introducing themselves. The chair said several Shaw residents had requested Item #2 on a Shaw Island sub-area plan standing committee be removed from the agenda, but it would remain as an information item, with no action taken. During public access ten Shaw residents spoke. Eight said Shaw islanders were happy with the current sub-area plan and did not want it changed, and thus saw no point in having a standing committee. Two members thanked the county for their attention to Shaw issues including public works and the post office and expressed support for possibly reviewing the 25-year-old area plan to ensure it reflected current needs.

The public works director said the council had approved the purchase of land on Shaw, for which they are submitting a request for it to be rezoned so it could be used to store material and waste for Shaw public works projects. Such projects would include road regrading, ditch repairs and culvert replacement to prepare for eventual chip sealing. Looking forward, a marine facility was planned for Neck Point in 5 years. They will evaluate options to preserve and rehabilitate Blind Bay Road, which is affected by sea level rise, and is sometimes inundated during king tides.

The Council explained that the Shaw Island sub-area plan itself, which is part of county code, calls for a Shaw Island sub-area standing committee with a responsibility to review the subarea plan every 5 years. The committee also potentially could review and make recommendations to the Planning Committee on building proposals on Shaw, as do subarea committees on Orcas and Lopez, giving the community an official input. A Shaw resident recently asked why a committee had never been created. Members must be Shaw Island residents who volunteer and fill out an application. Shaw residents as a community need to decide if they want such a committee, and if not, the code could be amended to say “may” instead of “shall.”

Residents heard about recent repairs at Shaw Island parks. For the upcoming Fair, residents can enter non-perishable items in the fair on their home island–August 10th for the case of Shaw. The emergency manager reviewed risks of wildfire in the county, which peaks in summer though risk of severe fire is low. He outlined steps to reduce risk and offered information on programs that help property owners reduce risk.

Chair Fuller reviewed the steps the council had approved the day before to ask the governor’s office to declare an emergency regarding ferry disruptions in the county and to create an informal local transportation working group.

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.