The Town and County Councils will continue to partner on the variety of services residents depend upon.

||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||

This month, the Town and County Councils met at Brickworks where they reviewed significant projects, services, and opportunities for collaboration. The meeting lasted approximately three hours, and a recording can be found on the Town and County’s websites.   Town of FH

“I felt it was a positive and productive meeting that highlighted our shared commitment to serving the community,” said County Council Chair Kari McVeigh. “I was so pleased to review all the ways the County and Town work together and to see strong collaboration in action.”

“This meeting was an opportunity to show how local government can work together for the greater good. I was glad to be a part of it and hope that this goodwill continues into the future,” said Mayor Ray Jackson.

Affordable Housing & Home Fund Update

Ryan Page, the County’s Affordable Housing Coordinator, and Mark Tompkins, the Director of Health & Community Services, provided updates to both councils on affordable housing projects and the Home Fund – the program funded by the voter-approved Real Estate Excise Tax for affordable housing and now the 1/10th of 1% Sales Tax for affordable housing adopted in 2023.

The presentation included updates on four projects on San Juan Island utilizing over $3 million in County funding commitments. These projects have built or preserved 34 units of affordable housing for residents with another 40 units currently in development. Countywide since 2019, the program has built or preserved 104 units of affordable housing with another 92 units currently in development.

The Town and County are working to bring the Argyle Lots affordable housing project to fruition. The project is currently being developed by the San Juan Community Home Trust. The County has already committed an initial $715,000 from the Home Fund to this project, in addition to leasing the land for the project to the Home Trust. The project is currently in the design and fundraising phase of development. Once completed, the Argyle project will provide up to 40 units of affordable rental housing serving residents in a variety of income ranges including both low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

Emergency Rapid Response 

County Manager Jessica Hudson and Health & Community Services Director Mark Tompkins briefed the Councils on ongoing efforts to utilize the $1.5 Million in Rapid Response Funding from the Washington State Department of Commerce to address disruptions to ferry service.

San Juan County is seeking to establish interim, emergency transportation services throughout the County. The pilot project will utilize funding from the WA State Governor’s Office to develop services including foot passenger transportation to Anacortes, inter-island foot passenger transportation, and emergency barge transportation services.

The County sought proposals from interested parties to provide transportation services with all RFP submittals due back by Friday, March 14, 2025. Read the RFPs and learn more about the pilot program on the County’s website: https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/san-juan-county-emergency-transportation-services

The Councils discussed the desire to support this pilot initiative with ground transportation options for travelers once they arrive in the islands.

2025 Impactful State Legislation

Town Administrator Denice Kulseth and County Manager Jessica Hudson shared an overview of legislation that may impact the islands, including bills that relate to property taxes, vehicle registrations, the use of Real Estate Excise Taxes, mobile dwellings, and more.

A bill of particular interest to both Councils, HB 1923, increases the availability of passenger-only ferries by establishing the mosquito fleet act.

Already halfway through the 2025 legislative session, both administrators plan to provide updates to their Councils as bills progress.

Comprehensive Plan Updates

Both the Town and County are in the process of updating their Comprehensive Plans as required by the Growth Management Act (GMA) (36.70A RCW). These plans are intended to take a 20-year look into the future and guide the jurisdictions in preparing to meet the projected population’s needs. Both governments intend to adopt their updated Comp Plans in December of 2025.

Ryan Ericson, the Town’s Community Development Director, presented alongside the County’s Sophia Cassam, Planner III. Together, they outlined the areas in which the Town and County governments coordinate, including topics relating to population projections, housing needs, and job allocations.

The County and Town will also be coordinating on Comprehensive Plan Official Map amendments for the Town of Friday Harbor Urban Growth Area and on updating Joint Planning Policies to address language consistency between the documents and to ensure consistency with the GMA.

The departments also reviewed recent community outreach efforts and discussed ways to partner in community involvement into the future.

What’s Next 

“Town and County cooperation is paramount to the functioning of our island,” said Mayor Jackson. “I hope this is the beginning of a new partnership in good governance.”

“I’m looking forward to our continued partnership with the Town and grateful to work alongside dedicated public servants to continue providing essential services to our friends and neighbors,” said County Council Chair McVeigh.

The Town and County Councils will continue to partner on the variety of services residents depend upon. The meeting ended with positive comments from Councilmembers who touched on the desire for continued collaboration and the inclusion of other local partners in future meetings.

Support was reiterated for local initiatives regarding transportation and several councilmembers encouraged garnering support for the foot passenger pilot programs from other entities such as the Economic Development Council, school and hospital districts, and local groups.

Stay up to date with Council news throughout the year by subscribing to ‘Council News Flashes’ sent to your inbox here: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/list.aspx

Stay up to date with Town news throughout the year by subscribing to News Flashes sent to your inbox here: https://www.fridayharbor.org/list.aspx

 

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