||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS |||
Friends of the San Juans made public comment on the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan asking for clarifications on multimodal corridors and for revisions of service level map designations to better reflect actual width and safety.
The council heard a County Fair recap. Despite frequent rain the fair had 16k visits and over 800 projects exhibited. Traditional favorites- the Chicken Race, the Zucchini 500 and Trashion Fashion proved popular, and the Latin Stage was a big success. Ferry issues were again a serious challenge and the inclusion of sales tax in the ticket prices reduced fair revenue. The council reviewed a draft resolution to establish a Cultural Access Review Board. They reduced the proposed membership from nine members to five, asked for more clarification on eligibility for pre-school children and that the State RCW language be included in the resolution.
The county heard departmental budget presentations from the Assessor’s Office, the Court Clerk, and Superior Court. These departments all do legally mandated work with only a small fraction of expenses being discretionary; even cutting those back significantly left them unable to reach the requested 9.5% cut without cutting staff. The courts are operating with 8 fewer staff hours per week than in 2008, although the court workload is growing with a 300% increase in protection orders. Trials have been fewer in number but much longer and more complex. The assessor’s office cut travel, software training and office supplies and will try to boost identification of new construction. Identified new construction will add $358k in revenue in 2026.
The Community Development planner reviewed proposed changes to the Comprehensive Plan draft approved by the Planning Commission at a September meeting. The amendments reflect hundreds of public comments. She covered potential updates to Land Use, Water Resources, Housing, Transportation, Utilities, and Economic Development elements. She reviewed proposed mapping changes, many of them in the Eastsound sub-unit. The Environmental Stewardship presented the Climate Element which is newly mandated and which itself had public inputs over 1200 people. The climate engagement also provided recommendations that were incorporated into other elements of the Comp Plan.
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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