Other News
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 November 12
Nov 14, 2024
By League of Women Voters of the San Juans
San Juan County Council Meeting November 12, 2024
Department heads introduced new staff members: a courthouse facilitator who will help people navigate legal processes and three recent additions to the Assessor’s Office. During public access, five residents spoke in support of the Cultural Access Initiative. Two residents spoke in favor of the resolution on the Tribal Engagement Framework.
After a public hearing the council approved three ordinances setting levies for land conservation, county roads and current expense for 2025. The Council approved the SJC Tribal Engagement Framework and asked staff to work on some revisions to a letter to tribal governments about the resolution. They set a public hearing for December 10th to move a parcel on Lopez from Farm and Agricultural Use to Farm and Ag Conservation. They set a public hearing for December 10 to consider adding docket amendment requests to the DCD workplan.
They did second touch reviews of the 2024 budget amendments, the 2025 and Six-Year Capital Improvement Plans, the 2025 budget mid-biennium review, and cancelling prior year’s unclaimed warrants.
The Council heard the one-year report on the 32-Hour work week which is now posted at: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/31157/32HWW-One-Year-Report_111224 . The data continues to show improved retention and recruitment of staff with fewer and shorter vacancies and less use of sick time. However, most exempt (non-union) staff either work the same or more hours than before. Toy Toal actual hours worked fell only eight percent, in part because more positions were filled. There is continued interest in having a more uniform county-wide schedule to reduce confusion and support cross department collaboration. The county will continue to track staff and resident feedback.
The Council approved setting a public hearing for December 10 for the Cultural Access initiative. Council member Fuller abstained. The prosecuting attorney presented a progress report on the planning code revisions. The first step in progress is reorganizing the Code to keep all references to specific areas together. This will help in finding conflicts and make the code easier for users and planners to navigate. The Council set a Hearing for December 10 to approve the proposed organization of topics. Actual amendments to the code will take place later in the process.
Council Members and the county manager will attend the Washington counties conference next week.
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.
After a public hearing the council approved three ordinances setting levies for land conservation, county roads and current expense for 2025. The Council approved the SJC Tribal Engagement Framework and asked staff to work on some revisions to a letter to tribal governments about the resolution. They set a public hearing for December 10th to move a parcel on Lopez from Farm and Agricultural Use to Farm and Ag Conservation. They set a public hearing for December 10 to consider adding docket amendment requests to the DCD workplan.
They did second touch reviews of the 2024 budget amendments, the 2025 and Six-Year Capital Improvement Plans, the 2025 budget mid-biennium review, and cancelling prior year’s unclaimed warrants.
The Council heard the one-year report on the 32-Hour work week which is now posted at: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/31157/32HWW-One-Year-Report_111224 . The data continues to show improved retention and recruitment of staff with fewer and shorter vacancies and less use of sick time. However, most exempt (non-union) staff either work the same or more hours than before. Toy Toal actual hours worked fell only eight percent, in part because more positions were filled. There is continued interest in having a more uniform county-wide schedule to reduce confusion and support cross department collaboration. The county will continue to track staff and resident feedback.
The Council approved setting a public hearing for December 10 for the Cultural Access initiative. Council member Fuller abstained. The prosecuting attorney presented a progress report on the planning code revisions. The first step in progress is reorganizing the Code to keep all references to specific areas together. This will help in finding conflicts and make the code easier for users and planners to navigate. The Council set a Hearing for December 10 to approve the proposed organization of topics. Actual amendments to the code will take place later in the process.
Council Members and the county manager will attend the Washington counties conference next week.
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.