Submitted by the League of Women Voters Observer Corps
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.
SJI School Board regular meeting of Aug. 21
Superintendent Fred Woods reported that the San Juan Institute education days went very well with 80-90% teacher and staff attendance. The Institute brings trainers to the island so district staffers do not have to travel. One issue presented was the role of AI in classroom education.
During repairs of the Stuart Island school, which has been closed for ten years, additional items were found that need to be fixed to prepare the building for students.
Total expected enrollment for the district is up with 795 versus 783 in 2023-2024. The 2024-2025 budget is balanced.
Director T.J. Heller stated that the legislative representative meeting to prepare for the upcoming School District Association meeting will be on Sept. 20 and 21 and that the 3rd annual San Juan County Schools Legislative Summit will be on Sept. 13 on Orcas Island.
County Council regular meeting of Aug. 27
The Council approved 2024-2025 budget amendments for supplemental and emergency spending that included updated numbers in accounts. They did not approve added hours for the Land Bank Nursery Assistant. Auditor Natasha Warmenhoven made the case that additions in positions or hours should be done only at specific budget reviews, but they approved an urgent new position to the Treasurer’s Office to maintain service. The total impact leaves a projected shortfall in cash at the end of 2025 of about $500k, which may be offset by interest revenue running above budget. The Council approved a resolution updating the county’s appointments and designations for the Washington Counties Risk Pool. They set a public hearing to extend the sales and use tax for the Public Facilities Financial Assistance program for September 10.
Prosecuting Attorney Amy Vira briefed the Council on the update of the county code. A team is reorganizing the content to improve clarity. She asked council members to decide what principles to prioritize in code revisions as different values can be in conflict including ease of use, consistency, efficiency, specificity, enforceability, and ease of maintenance. The PA’s office is seeking public input and asks residents to send examples of specific elements of the code they would like to see updated, fixed or clarified to codeupdate@sanjuancounty.gov.
The Department of Community Development updated the Council on the Comprehensive Plan update. The population projections and the public outreach plan have been completed. They are working on the needs assessments that include a housing needs estimate to inform decisions on possible expansion of urban growth areas, and utilities, transport and capital facilities inventories. They are coordinating among departments, boards and committees that have input into the plan.
The County Manager Jessica Hudson led a discussion of priorities including transportation, housing, and education for the 2025 state legislative session. They will discuss this further with their lobbyist on September 10. Council Member Fuller reported on positive vibes on the governor’s support for a water taxi and barge to supplement interisland ferry service.
The Affordable Housing Coordinator laid out the elements of the Emergency Rental Assistance Pilot Project and the allocation to Resource Centers of $15k to SJI, $10k to Orcas and $5k to Lopez. The council approved five requests for Affordable Housing Awards totaling $65k to applicants on Orcas and San Juan.
The County Manager met with Friday Harbor Town Administrator Kulseth and will attend the September 5 Town Council Meeting. She is planning to open office hours on one Island each month starting with San Juan Island in September.
