The local economy may be down, but it’s not out. In fact, there’s some sign of economic improvement this summer compared to the last, particularly in the tourism sector. San Juan County’s share of lodging tax receipts were up 6.8 percent through the end of April, and up 23 percent in the town, compared with the first four months of 2009. Deborah Hopkins, director of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, cautions against putting too much stock in monthly lodging tax figures, noting that hotels, motels and inns are allowed to report earnings on a monthly, quarterly or an annual basis.
Whether the San Juan County Planning Commission changes its mind remains to be seen. But at the behest of the County Council, the commission will take another look at potential changes to one of the county’s open space “current use” programs which, if approved, could spare as many as 17 local landowners from having to pay years of back taxes, including County Councilman Gene Knapp of Orcas Island.
With a 45-pound pack strapped to his back, Bob Anderson is trudging back and forth in the upper elevations of Mount Rainier this week. He’s the intrepid leader of a survey team that’s using the latest GPS equipment to measure the height and gravitational tug of Washington state’s tallest peak.
Islanders on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan met and questioned candidates for sheriff, Legislature and Congress, July 16 and 17 at forums hosted by the League of Women Voters. The sheriff’s race was the big draw. About 200 people attended the forum July 16 at Mullis Community Senior Center; the audience decreased to 50 after the sheriff’s candidates were finished.
The price tag on innovation can sometimes prove too steep. But thanks to an infusion of nearly $700,000 in federal funds, San Juan County will have a big chunk of change to spend on creating new techniques to better manage growth and protect its shorelines, water and land. On July 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will distribute $30 million in federal grants over the next three years in an ongoing effort to help protect and restore Puget Sound. The grants, 36 in all, are intended to bolster Washington state’s goal of restoring the health of the Sound by 2020. Recipients include Washington state and various tribal and local governments, including San Juan, throughout the Puget Sound and Salish Sea.
An attention grabber? You bet. But in the end, the San Juan County Council backed away from charting a course that might lead to the possible elimination of one or two of its fellow elected officials. On Tuesday, the council agreed that combining the auditor and treasurer’s offices — and allowing the consolidated department to be managed by one elected official rather than two — is an idea worthy of further examination. However, a majority of council members agreed that it also would be premature to pursue such an idea, at least for now.
Bicyclists beware. Several of San Juan Island’s most heavily-traveled roads, including Roche Harbor and Beaverton Valley, will be covered by a sticky tar-like substance at various locations, and at various times, over the next 10 days.
It’s probably unfair to ask someone to sum up in three words or less what it’s like to sail solo from New Zealand to Friday Harbor. But skipper Scott Malone, who single-handedly covered 8,500 miles of open ocean in just 70 days, played along. “Damn long time,” said Malone, who set sail out of Auckland bound for San Juan Island on April 17.
A billowing column of black smoke could be seen towering above the two-story structure, located just one lot north of the fairgrounds, for miles.
Nearly a half-dozen public projects received a shot in the arm thanks to the latest round of awards from San Juan County’s public facilities financing assistance program.
On Saturday, 78 young adults left an indelible mark on the collective mind of the community as they paced across the risers at Turnbull Gym, took hold of a hard-earned diploma, and then hustled off to begin a new chapter of life.
According to Auditor Milene Henley, all departments that draw support from general fund, which totals $13.5 million in 2010, were asked to trim expenses by 2 percent in order to achieve the $266,000 target. Voluntary furloughs, which total $95,221 across all departments, account for more than one-third of the combined spending reduction.
In a 5-1 decision, the County Council Tuesday endorsed the recommendation of the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee in splitting up $315,000 in anticipated lodging-tax revenue – expected to be generated in 2010 – and dividing it between 11 separate tourist-related facilities, such as museums, parks and performing arts centers.
That’s roughly $70,000 less than the $384,650 distributed from the fund this time a year ago.
