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
What's going on with the Dump?
Dec 8, 2024
By Sandy Bishop
Is this all a misunderstanding? What role does money play?
I’d like to speak about the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District aka the Dump.
Given that none of the County decision makers have intimate knowledge of the dump operations and do not rely on the services of the Dump - they are bound to see everything through a different lens.
A different lens makes it easy to:
Dismiss Randy Gaylord’s (past prosecutor) recent letter,
Dismiss my concerns with these words, "I’m sorry Sandy - but I will not be responding…"
Suggest selling the land where TIOLI (Take It or Leave It) sits without community input,
Use solid waste funds to boost the Environmental Stewardship department,
Refuse to put Solid Waste back into Public Works,
Spend money on a boiler plate plan from Wilson Engineering and pretend to be performing due diligence,
Give more credence to the complaints of your friends and less concern to the 80% of Lopezians who voted for the November dump levy,
It also makes it easy to hide behind the issue of public safety and pretend that the Dump board, staff and volunteers are somehow lacking,
The list goes on. But perhaps most egregious at this juncture is how the County has decided to sign a new version of an Inter-Local Agreement (ILA) without the signature of LSWDD and claim NOT to be taking over operations of the Dump.
An ILA with one signature is not an agreement - it is a dictate. The sanctity of the managing board must be honored and respected. With all the problems going on on at the County, why turn your attention to meddling in the operations of an award winning, fiscally sound and well managed system?
The Dump has some issues to grapple with and good relations with the County are essential. Since LSWDD took over operations in 2013, Dump/ County relations have mostly been good. We had a supportive and knowledgeable Council, prosecutor, county manager and solid waste was under the Public Works Department. Public Works understood the many issues that came with managing the built environment, transportation, and growing pains on small site. They did not need to fill their work load by taking on operational aspects of the Dump.
Please ask the Council to not sign the ILA with only the county signature. They need to negotiate in good faith between the new council and the Dump board. Extend the ILA for a year. There is no crisis here - except of the County's own making.
If you care about this issue, it is important to contact the County asking for an extension of the current ILA, and request that the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) be signed by both parties.
Sandy Bishop, Founding LSWDD Board member
WRITE to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Given that none of the County decision makers have intimate knowledge of the dump operations and do not rely on the services of the Dump - they are bound to see everything through a different lens.
A different lens makes it easy to:
Dismiss Randy Gaylord’s (past prosecutor) recent letter,
Dismiss my concerns with these words, "I’m sorry Sandy - but I will not be responding…"
Suggest selling the land where TIOLI (Take It or Leave It) sits without community input,
Use solid waste funds to boost the Environmental Stewardship department,
Refuse to put Solid Waste back into Public Works,
Spend money on a boiler plate plan from Wilson Engineering and pretend to be performing due diligence,
Give more credence to the complaints of your friends and less concern to the 80% of Lopezians who voted for the November dump levy,
It also makes it easy to hide behind the issue of public safety and pretend that the Dump board, staff and volunteers are somehow lacking,
The list goes on. But perhaps most egregious at this juncture is how the County has decided to sign a new version of an Inter-Local Agreement (ILA) without the signature of LSWDD and claim NOT to be taking over operations of the Dump.
An ILA with one signature is not an agreement - it is a dictate. The sanctity of the managing board must be honored and respected. With all the problems going on on at the County, why turn your attention to meddling in the operations of an award winning, fiscally sound and well managed system?
The Dump has some issues to grapple with and good relations with the County are essential. Since LSWDD took over operations in 2013, Dump/ County relations have mostly been good. We had a supportive and knowledgeable Council, prosecutor, county manager and solid waste was under the Public Works Department. Public Works understood the many issues that came with managing the built environment, transportation, and growing pains on small site. They did not need to fill their work load by taking on operational aspects of the Dump.
Please ask the Council to not sign the ILA with only the county signature. They need to negotiate in good faith between the new council and the Dump board. Extend the ILA for a year. There is no crisis here - except of the County's own making.
If you care about this issue, it is important to contact the County asking for an extension of the current ILA, and request that the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) be signed by both parties.
Sandy Bishop, Founding LSWDD Board member
WRITE to:
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]