Jensen’s Boatyard reopening

Submitted by The Port of Friday Harbor.

The Port of Friday Harbor will be reopening Jensen’s Boatyard on January 3, 2022. The new operations model will see Port staff scheduling and operating the boat lift and boat yard. Port crews will perform all boat lifting and launching, pressure washing, and blocking of vessels. Bottom painting, and vessel maintenance or repairs, may be conducted by the owner or a qualified contractor. Any entity desiring to rent business space at the boatyard, provide contractor services, or operate the chandlery should contact the Harbormaster at tamih@portfridayharbor.org.

Town residents to receive free refuse “carts”

Submitted by the Town of Friday Harbor.

Within the coming weeks, Town of Friday Harbor residential refuse customers will receive 32-gallon, wheeled refuse carts with a lift bar to assist refuse workers in loading their truck. These carts will help refuse personnel avoid injuries incurred from repetitive lifting. Rates and pickup dates for residential customers will remain the same, and traditional (non-lift) cans will continue to be picked up. Placement of carts at the curb will be the same as for cans. The current refuse truck has a single lift for these carts. A new truck arriving this spring will have two lifts to expedite refuse pickup.

Customers are asked to securely bag all garbage before depositing it in the cart and double bag noxious trash such as cat litter and diapers. Carts are for household refuse only, not recycling, yard waste, construction debris, or other unallowable refuse as outlined on the Town’s website at http://www.fridayharbor.org/2151/Refuse-Recycling.

Carts are stamped with the Town’s logo and remain the property of the Town. Carts are to stay with the property when the resident moves. If they are broken or stolen, replacements may be provided while supply lasts. Once the supply is gone, customers will be asked to provide replacements which should be available at most hardware stores.

According to Town Administrator Duncan Wilson, the need to replace an aging truck in the Town’s fleet provided an opportunity to improve work conditions for the refuse crew. He explained, “We were able to respond to our employees’ very real concern with the ongoing risk of injury from heavy lifting and repetitive motion. The new truck and wheeled carts are a wise investment in our employees and the community.”

Town residential refuse customers may direct questions to Town Hall at (360) 378-2810 or contact the Administrator at duncanw@fridayharbor.org.

Town awarded Transportation Improvement Board grants to improve Marguerite Place and Nash Street

Submitted by the Town of Friday Harbor.

Marguerite Place and Nash Street will undergo major improvements in the next two years thanks to $1,469,783 in grant funding awarded to the Town by the state’s Transportation Improvement Board (TIB). Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

In addition to rebuilding the existing roadway, sidewalks will be added to one side of Marguerite from Spring Street to Park Street giving pedestrians a safer route to nearby schools and the public library. Curbs, gutters, and streetlights will be installed along with upgraded storm drainage.

Nash Street will be extended from Market Street to Spruce Street with the construction of a new roadway. This major cut-through will come with improvements similar to Marguerite with new sidewalks on one side, curbs, gutters, streetlights, and proper storm drainage. The Nash project will also aid the walkability of the town with additional access between Argyle, Market, and Mullis Street businesses.

The Town is receiving $800,000 in grant funding for the Marguerite project, and the remaining $700,000 needed to complete the project will come from the Town’s capital improvement fund. The TIB is contributing $669,783 for Nash Street which is approximately 85% of the cost of the project. The balance will be paid by the Town.

The Town has previously used TIB grants for projects including improvements to Blair Avenue, Tucker Avenue, Web, First, and Mullis streets. The state legislature created the Transportation Improvement Board to foster state investment in quality city and county transportation projects. Funding for TIB grants comes from a three-cent statewide gas tax.

Questions regarding these projects may be directed to Town Administrator Duncan Wilson at duncanw@fridayharbor.org.