Other News
Apr 25, 2025: New Daily Service Schedule, Growing Ridership & Other Insights on County’s Pilot Transport Services
Apr 24, 2025: Building and Land Use Permits, Long-Range Planning Projects, & Staff Recruitments: DCD Leadership Provides Spring Update
Apr 4, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Transportation Element, Plan Intro, & Administration Piece Ready for Review
Mar 19, 2025: San Juan County Establishes Interim Inter-Island Transportation Services as RFP Process Continues
Mar 7, 2025: 2025 Comp Plan Update: Climate Element and Draft Official Map Amendments Available for Review
Mar 6, 2025: Governor Ferguson announces plan to restore Washington State Ferries to full service by this summer
Mar 4, 2025: Public Meeting: Land Bank Using Prescribed Fires to Manage Wildfire Risks & Restore Ecosystems
Feb 19, 2025: San Juan County Seeks Proposals from Transportation Service Providers for Pilot Project
Feb 12, 2025: Call for Candidates: Three-Day Special Filing Period for Lopez Metropolitan Park District Commissioners
Jan 19, 2025: Four districts, six unions, three PTAs, and county leadership all agree: legislators must take action to fully fund education no
Dec 19, 2024: San Juan County Parks and Fair Announces New Camping Software; Delaying Reservation Availability
Dec 10, 2024: County Council Considers Extending Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste to Allow for More Collaboration
Dec 5, 2024: San Juan County to Consider Updated Interlocal Agreement with Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District
Dec 2, 2024: San Juan County Council Sets Public Hearing for Cultural Access Sales Tax at Dec. 10 Meeting
Nov 25, 2024: San Juan County Celebrates Completion of Lopez Skate Park and Calls for Inaugural Skaters
Nov 7, 2024: How Has Extreme Weather Impacted You? Participate in the County’s Climate Resilience Planning Effort
Nov 1, 2024: UPDATE: Sea Wall Repairs Temporarily Close MacKaye Harbor Dock and Boat Ramp on Lopez Island
Oct 22, 2024: DRAFT North Shore Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Oct 21, 2024: Reminder: You’re Invited to Attend Open Houses for the 2025 Comp Plan Update This Fall
Oct 1, 2024: LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS SPONSORS OCTOBER COUNTY COUNCIL VOTER FORUMS ON SJI, ORCAS, AND LOPEZ
Sep 24, 2024: County Hosts Community Meeting on Lopez Island to Discuss Public Safety during Hunting Season
Sep 24, 2024: SJC Reviews Shoreline Habitat & Infrastructure Adaptation Strategies in the face of Sea Level Rise
Sep 23, 2024: DRAFT Watmough Bay Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Aug 29, 2024: San Juan County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Survey Sets Baseline for Ongoing Change
Aug 27, 2024: 2024 San Juan County WSU Master Gardeners Gardening Workshop Series, October 15-24, 2024
Aug 27, 2024: County Representatives Discuss Solutions to Ferry Service Disruptions with Governor Inslee
Aug 21, 2024: County Council’s Request to Governor for Relief from Ferry Service Disruptions Not Fulfilled
Aug 20, 2024: San Juan County Certifies Primary Election Results & Celebrates Highest Primary Turnout in Years
Aug 13, 2024: WSF Commits Additional Crews to Interisland Route to Ensure Service During County Fair Week
Aug 13, 2024: Ferry Data from Staff and Local Partners Shapes Council Request for ‘Executive Relief’ From WA State
Aug 5, 2024: The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival returns to Lopez for its 27th Summer Concert Season
May 2, 2024: WA State Governor and Assistant Secretary of WSF Talk Ferry Service & Solar Power with SJC Officials
Apr 11, 2024: Community Meeting: Sea Level Rise Adaptation for Outer Bay and Agate Beach Areas on Lopez Island
Mar 11, 2024: Queers in Unexpected Places: Searching for (and Finding) Gender and Sexual Non-Conformity in the Rural and Early PNW
Mar 7, 2024: DRAFT Richardson Marsh Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
Dec 5, 2023: County Council Member Jane Fuller and Senator Liz Lovelett to Host Public Meeting on Lopez
Nov 3, 2023: County and Town Send Open Letter to State Officials Regarding Impacts of Poor Ferry Service
Sep 29, 2023: Conservation Land Bank Announces Special Meeting to Discuss Watmough Bay Preserve Addition
Sep 14, 2023: The mobile dental van is coming to Lopez! // ¡La camioneta dental móvil ya llega a López!
Aug 22, 2023: San Juan County Adopts 32-Hour Work Week in the Name of Fiscal Health, Recruitment, and Islander Wellness
May 25, 2023: Recap of Lopez Neighborhood Meeting Regarding the Relocation of Public Works Facilities
May 23, 2023: District 3 Councilmember Jane Fuller Opens Office on Lopez and Hosts Community Conversation
Apr 17, 2023: Give Lopez Starts April 17th - A two week fundraiser benefiting 15 Lopez Island Non-Profits
Sep 22, 2022: Interim Watmough Preserve Addition Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
LWVSJ Observer Corps Notes County Council July 8
Jul 14, 2024
By League of Women Voters of the San Juans
County Council Meeting July 8, 2024
The Council set a public hearing for August 6 to hear resolutions to transition six parcels on Orcas from Designated Forest Land to Agricultural Open Space. The owner is willing to accept the increased tax rate and to stop harvesting timber on the parcels.
The Environmental Stewardship Department presented a report analyzing public comments on the draft Destination Management Plan. The concern about both increasing and decreasing tourism reflected why past efforts to create a plan to manage tourism failed to get consensus. Many comments focussed on a few hot topics, of which several were the target of misinformation. The county will deliver the draft plan to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which funded it, and post the feedback report on the Engage website. The Council will not move forward with the draft.
The Environmental Stewardship Department recommended focusing on underlying policies like the economic development and transportation sections of the comprehensive plan. The economic development section has not addressed tourism despite its weight in the county’s economy. There is public support to work to protect the islands from the impact of tourism. How and where to find the resources for that work is a challenge. Lodging tax funds can be used only to support tourism promotion and facilities. Tourism can’t be controlled; tourists will come. The challenge is for the community to work together to derive economic benefits while limiting unwanted impacts.
The Council continued the discussion from a June Council meeting on which path to take in the future regarding a Destination Marketing Organization(DMO), required by law to implement lodging tax funds designated for marketing, once the current contract with the visitors bureau expires at year end, Options include a new contract with the visitors bureau, an open request for proposals, existing funding formula with existing funding formula funding Chambers of Commerce as DMOs, or doing destination marketing in-house. Council members wish to engage with chambers and have more info on the experience of counties that do this in house.
*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.
The Environmental Stewardship Department presented a report analyzing public comments on the draft Destination Management Plan. The concern about both increasing and decreasing tourism reflected why past efforts to create a plan to manage tourism failed to get consensus. Many comments focussed on a few hot topics, of which several were the target of misinformation. The county will deliver the draft plan to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which funded it, and post the feedback report on the Engage website. The Council will not move forward with the draft.
The Environmental Stewardship Department recommended focusing on underlying policies like the economic development and transportation sections of the comprehensive plan. The economic development section has not addressed tourism despite its weight in the county’s economy. There is public support to work to protect the islands from the impact of tourism. How and where to find the resources for that work is a challenge. Lodging tax funds can be used only to support tourism promotion and facilities. Tourism can’t be controlled; tourists will come. The challenge is for the community to work together to derive economic benefits while limiting unwanted impacts.
The Council continued the discussion from a June Council meeting on which path to take in the future regarding a Destination Marketing Organization(DMO), required by law to implement lodging tax funds designated for marketing, once the current contract with the visitors bureau expires at year end, Options include a new contract with the visitors bureau, an open request for proposals, existing funding formula with existing funding formula funding Chambers of Commerce as DMOs, or doing destination marketing in-house. Council members wish to engage with chambers and have more info on the experience of counties that do this in house.
*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.