The town council issued a unanimous decision April 18, to uphold the notice of water usage violation at the San Juan County Fair.

“This issue has been building for some time and I have given it a lot of thought,” Council member Barbara Starr said beginning the discussion, adding that there has been a persistent behavior on the part of the county to ignore the town’s concerns, that over the years as council member Starr said, she has been witness to. “Three town administrators have all reported the same experience. We need to get this issue under control.” She added that the town is very supportive of the fair and Island Rec., the town’s water assets come first, and that all counties across Washington have been declared in drought. “We want more than anything to resolve these issues. I want to work with you, but I don’t want the needs of the townspeople to be put on the back burner,” Starr concluded.

A recent press release from the town cited the fairgrounds as being the 25th highest non-residential water user last year, “more than many hotels in town, most restaurants, a commercial laundry, a self-serve laundromat, a grocery store, the car wash, the elementary school, Shipyard Cove Marina, and Jensen Shipyard to name a few.”

Council member Mason Turnage agreed with Starr and stated that he believes that the town code was correctly interpreted and that with drought conditions water usage needs to be carefully considered.

“We need to protect the town’s resources for town purposes,” Council member Anna Maria de Freitas said, also concurring with Starr.

Steve Hushebeck expressed sympathy for the county but pointed to three options provided by Kulseth in a memo to the county as possible solutions. Those options were for the fairgrounds to be annexed into the town, to only use water during the fair or to drill a well and no longer use town water.

Town Administrator Denice Kulseth told the Journal later that while she understands there are costs involved with the three options, the fairgrounds, the Fair, and County Parks were specifically designated as three of the 12 recipients of permanent funding upon passage of the County’s levy lid lift that went to the voters in Nov. 2019 and took effect in 2020.

“The FAQ explaining Proposition 2, available on the County’s website said this: In 2009, the voters of San Juan County approved an increase (levy lid lift) in the Current Expense property tax levy to provide financial support for a host of programs and services for a period of six years (2010-2015). In 2014, the voters approved a levy lid lift for another six years

(2015-2020) to fund the same set of programs and services (see below). Proposition 2 is a continuation of levy lid lift that has now been in place for 10 years. Proposition 2, if passed, would continue the financial support for the same programs and services with an increase in the amount collected to account for the increased cost of providing programs and services. Unlike the prior two voter-approved levy increases, Proposition 2 does not state an end date; it would be in place until a new proposition is submitted to the voters,” Kulseth noted, adding that “voters approved permanent funding to provide stability for these important programs, so resources should be available.”

A motion was made by Hushebeck that the council uphold the notice of violation. That motion was passed unanimously. After it was pointed out that a Findings of Facts and Conclusions of Law and Decision should be made, another motion was made and passed directing staff to draft them.

San Juan County Fair Director Brandon Andrews requested during public access that the notice be extended two months in order for the county to prepare.

After the meeting, Andrews told the Journal ”We look forward to finding a solution at the Fairgrounds that protects the Town of Friday Harbor municipal water system, allows for future water system planning, and maintains the multi-use spirit of events that occur year-round since the creation of the Fairgrounds 100 years ago.”