San Juan County Council Concludes Productive 2015

— from SJC Communications —

San Juan Council Chair Bob Jarman closed the 76th council meeting of the year on December 15 at 4:50 pm. The long council meeting was emblematic of so many meetings this year as the Council charged through an aggressive schedule crafted to accomplish much for the citizens.  The Council met 11 times in the past two months to consider the proposed Shoreline Master Program and Eastsound Sub-area Plan.

In conducting its business, the Council passed 18 ordinances and 46 resolutions, and held 3 meetings on Lopez Island and 4 on Orcas Island, and 2 joint meetings with the Town of Friday Harbor Town Council.

The following list provides an example of some of what was accomplished by Council and staff over the past 12 months:

• Secured $1.4m in state capital funding for three projects: Orcas Park and Ride, Prune Alley stormwater improvements, and McKaye Harbor Road relocation study.
• Introduced HB 1868 (Reps. Morris, Lytton) to allow for the use of Road levy funds to maintain the county’s many marine facilities.  Now law.
• Passed 2016 “status quo” balanced operating budget.
• Upgraded Dispatch Center; established a redundant connection to the mainland insulating it from power outages or cable cuts.
• Received a clean financial audit report from State Auditor’s Office.
• Partnered with Rep. Rick Larson efforts to address Growler noise.
• Completed an Oil Spill Response Capacity Study vital to state and federal legislative advocacy.
• Passed Eastsound Sub-area Plan.
• Completed Cattle Point Road re-alignment project.
• Partnered with the Town on ferry services issues, Tucker Street design and funding, and waterline replacement project.
• Completed Fire and Sheriff training on the new boat.
• Entered into a new partnership with the Senior Services Council for operation and maintenance of the Orcas Sr. Center.
• Implemented a new Community Immunization and Outreach and Strategic Plan.
• Re-organized Health Dept. to provide a higher level of direct services.
• Re-started the Lopez Village Sub-area Plan process.
• Implemented LEAN, process improvement, in Community Dev. and Public Works.
• Made substantive progress on the Shoreline Master Program update.
• Paid off early legacy debt in the Solid Waste Utility and reduced solid waste excise tax.
• Achieved bid ready status for the Deer Harbor bridge replacement project and Odlin Float replacement project.
• Re-started Prune Alley Streetscape design and construction process.
• Re-organized Public Works and Community Development to better integrated processes and programs.  Created an Environmental Resources division in Public Works.
• Planned for urban levels of improvements in Eastsound and Lopez Village.