LWVSJ Observer Corps Notes | County Council March 17, 2025

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

In public comment an Orcas resident said after the recent earthquake many on Orcas came together to discuss earthquake preparedness in the county. He came to hear the emergency management overview.

Brendan Cowan and one 10-hour-per week employee make up the Emergency Management Department, which maintains and updates emergency plans; is responsible for communication and coordination during an emergency; and works with state and federal emergency managers. The department issues alerts for potential emergencies. The emergency command center is at the fairgrounds and the fire stations throughout the county act as a network of local nodes. He went over the role of the Council in emergencies and reviewed recent and upcoming public information events including one at the SJI grange scheduled for April 17. There will be an Oil Spill Response Exercise in early June that the Council can take part in.

The county lobbyist reviewed where things stand in the state legislature and recommended council members testify during the senate hearings on the transportation budget next week regarding county ferry issues. Two members also will testify in favor of the Mosquito Fleet bill.  

The county long range planner reviewed four elements of the Comp Plan update. In Element #1 Governance, the main proposed change will add the tribal participation policy. Element #4 Water Resources will have updated goals and policies, new data, and input from the Clean Water Advisory Committee, Environmental Stewardship, Agricultural Resources Committee and individuals and organizations. Element #9 on Historical and Archeological Preservation will incorporate tribal review and climate risks. Element #10 Economic Development was added during that last Comp Plan update and will have b new language on balancing tourism with other sectors and may add ensuring adequate power supplies. The Council will review more elements in coming weeks and asked for ample prep time to read drafts and for consistent language in all elements. Public input is coming in for all elements and there will be more public outreach as further stages. Work will begin on updating maps this summer.

The Council rescheduled the public hearing on vacation rentals in Eastsound and Lopez Village from March 18 until April 15. They agreed that radio installation at the emergency command center could be paid for with ARPA monies transferred to the general fund.

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.