Submitted by San Juan County

Over the years, San Juan County staff has been looking towards a new civic campus to bring specific departments together in an effort to increase efficiencies, reduce operating costs and provide better service to county residents. A new campus could also provide increased inside and outside spaces for community use.

A number of San Juan County functions are currently housed in a variety of facilities and sites in Friday Harbor. These have developed sporadically over time and do not support efficient operations or customer service. The current project, which began in late January, is to develop a plan for a new civic campus in Friday Harbor to house county administration, county council, department of community development, health and community services, public works (except maintenance and fleet), and the assessor, auditor, and treasurer’s offices. The prosecuting attorney and sheriff’s offices, and district and superior courts will continue to be located in the courthouse.

The San Juan County Manager’s Office has developed a website that provides background information as well as a link to a Frequently Asked Questions page. This website will be updated with new information as the planning process develops. In addition, county staff will be soliciting input from the public through an online survey to obtain feedback on the vision for the new campus, community needs and uses that taffs should aim to accommodate, the character of the building, indoor and outdoor spaces, and public amenities. The survey will be available the week of Feb. 26.

Civic campus plan web page: www.sanjuanco.com/1388/Civic-Campus-Plan. Frequently asked questions web page: www.sanjuanco.com/1389/Civic-Campus-Plan-FAQ