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02/17/2006: "County Takes A Look At Carlson Bld"

(Carlson office complex in Friday Harbor, across from the Courthouse)

The County need for more space, and the money to acquire it, has been an going problem for years, but a combination of the recent Charter election that will increase the number of Council members, and the on-going embarrassment of holding the Municipal Court in the old Court house vault room (yes, you read that right.), and the over flowing Superior Court's office, may finally be pushing the County into coming up with a solution, even if it is short term one.

Pro-Tem Administrator David Goldsmith informed the County Council of one possible solution to the problem is to lease all of the vacant space in the John Carlson Building, which is directly across the street from the Court house, and then sub-lease space not used until such time the space is required by the County.

Auditor Si Stephens told The Guardian that he has for years attempted to bring the County and Carlson into some agreement to purchase the building. The property abuts other properties the County already owns on the block, and the building has underground parking. Stephens was unsure of the value of the property, but thought it may be possible for the County to finance it without going to bonding, if a contract can be agreed to that would allow a payment schedule for the purchase. Both Si and Goldsmith also pointed out that the County currently leases office space in town, and with the consolidation and move of those departments to the Carlson building , the money used for those leases could be applied to the purchase of the building.

In the meantime, purchase or no purchase, the elections office will be moving over to the building, and Si expects to obtain Federal money though a State fund to offset the costs of the move, and the setting up of the infrastructure that is necessary for a modern elections office.

As for the vacated space when the elections office moves, one possibility, given the location of the space as one of the first things a visitor sees when they come into the Courthouse, is to put the new County Administrator and his staff there. It even has a big open friendly widow and counter for the public to gain access to the manager of the County.