||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
The council proclaimed November Veteran and Military Families Month and approved the 2026 council calendar. During public access time the Friday Harbor Port director and a commissioner requested to redesignate Shipyard Cove from rural residential to rural industrial as part of the Comp Plan Update to allow the Port to rebuild the facility. A citizen spoke in support of the Environmental Stewardship budget and the Climate Change element of the Comp Plan. Two citizens from Lopez spoke about a picnic table removed from an island park.
The council heard the budget drafts for three justice system departments. The District Court covered the uncertain budget impact of dropping pre-trial monitoring. The Sheriff said incarceration and detainee medical costs are driving higher expenses. Staffing issues continue and compensation is below other locales; to save money, they planned to hold off on hiring a corrections officer and the deputy chief position. The Prosecutor’s Office cut discretionary spending by a third, eliminating travel and training.
The council continued to review proposed recommendations on the Comp Plan update and response to their request for information and their own suggested changes. The council approved moving forward to change the code for the Eastsound sub-area to match the new maps. Changes will conform definitions, reduce repetition, and update data. Questions about setbacks for the proposed Roche Harbor sub-area amendment need more clarification. The county manager will work with the DCD to make a recommendation and bring the port request back to council.
The code enforcement officer reported on her progress after eight months in the job in which she created five priority categories with life safety at the top. Code enforcement is driven by complaints filed and most issues boil down to people living in unsafe shelter or junk accumulating in and on a property, with problems driven by housing shortages and unaffordability, high disposal costs, and mental health issues, plus a handful of deliberate scofflaws. She has handled over 100 cases so far.
In three further budget presentations, the Treasurer cut 5.6 %; further cuts will require staff reductions. The Parks and Fair budget is covered mostly by revenue generated by service fees, parks levy, and lodging tax. The department will reduce staff to cut its general expense fund budget. The Information Technology Department will cut its budgets by cutting consulting services and software licenses.
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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