LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council, March 25, 2025

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

Council members held a public hearing as the governing body of the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District. A resident of Lopez, who was on the original LSWDD managing board said he thought the existing interlocal agreement between the district and the county should be extended rather than approving a new agreement. The county manager gave a brief review of negotiations of a new agreement which the LSWDD managing board approved on March 19. A recent change extended the term of the agreement from five to ten years. The Governing Board approved the interlocal agreement. The council members then convened as the County Council and in a regular meeting approved the interlocal agreement on behalf of the County.

For public comment in the regular meeting a Lopez citizen expressed concern that assessments were overvaluing property improvements, such as when in the process of repairing and replacing a deck the assessment stated the house had two decks. A resident representing the Lopez Community Land Trust urged the Council to make tiny house communities legal in the Comp Plan update. A resident from Housing Lopez urged the council to support a bill in the state legislature that would allow counties to tax vacation rentals to support affordable housing.

The council set a public hearing for May 20 to consider essential public works designation on a property on Shaw Island. They had a second touch on the resolution to vacate the designated county road entirely within the Fairgrounds. The Council agreed to shift the scheduled April 21 and 22 meetings to April 28 and 29 to avoid a conflict with a lobbying event in Washington DC on the first dates.

The county manager reviewed the state of play on still active bills in the state legislature of interest to the county including the Senate proposed revenue measures, the Mosquito fleet bill, and a bill on requiring negotiation with unions on AI workplace use.

Brie Chartier of the Bureau of Land Management briefed the Council on the dissolution of the Citizen Advisory Board for the SJI National Monument. BLM oversees about 1,000 federally-owned acres in San Juan County, half on Lopez with the rest scattered around other islands, including small ones. The original committee’s purpose was to give community input for the monument management plan. When the plan was done the committee mandate expired. BLM created a new discretionary committee to maintain community input. The new administration disbanded all BLM discretionary committees, but BLM plans to continue to partner with local organizations and hold public meetings about Monument management.

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.