[Previous entry: "Bad Roads + Bicycles= Bad Policy"] [Next entry: "Solar Lights For Courthouse Parking Lot?"]

03/22/2007: "CC & Auditor At Odds On Emergency Funding For Affordable Housing"

Construction of affordable housing on a portion of the Buck property on San Juan Island got a boost last Tuesday from the County Council, when they agreed to an Emergency Appropriation of $25,000.00 to hire a consultant to...Do what, exactly? According to Milene Henley, who may be following former Auditor Si Steven's lead in trying to get the Council to live within the budget, said that while she supports affordable housing programs, the request for an emergency appropriation was not justified for a number of reasons.

Henley told the Council the request for money to take planning action on the Buck property has not been a stated County priority, and also has not been identified as a priority by the Community Development and Planning Department (CD&PC). Henley said that based on a conversation with Friday Harbor Town Administrator King Fitch, the Town has not decided if the Town needs to expand the town (Urban Growth Area) boundaries at all, and if they do decide to do so, they have yet to decide where that would occur.



Henley's testimony brought a quick response from Councilman Howard Rosenfeld, who told Henley that he was shocked to hear her say that, and that it was his understanding the Town was looking at the Buck property.

Town Administrator King Fitch and Town Land Use Administrator Michael Bertrand, in separate interviews, told The Island Guardian the town is in the process of doing an analysis to determine if they need to expand the town UGA, and based on the initial numbers, it appears they can accommodate future growth within existing Town boundaries; but both added that does not mean they will not go to the County with a request for expansion of the town limits.

Bertrand said that an expansion could be requested for reasons other than residential development. As an example he said that if at the end of the analysis by the Town Planning Commission -which is in process- and the Town Council, it was determined that additional commercial or industrial area was needed, that too could be put into a UGA area.

Under the Growth Management Act, it will be the County that decides where, and how large, an expansion of the UGA will be (the town is a UGA), and if an expansion is proposed, it could include both town and county uses. Bertrand stressed that "defining the boundaries of an area does not also define the use"

According to members of the San Juan Community Home Trust (SJCHT), their desire to construct homes on the Buck property is contingent on the Town of Friday Harbor, and the County, agreeing to expand the boundaries of the Town to include the Buck property; which currently is outside of Town limits. And it needs to be done by the end of year.

In response to questions from the Council on why is there a rush to do this, Hendrickson responded that his understanding is that there is "some tax befits for the owners of the property" that will soon end, and the Home Trust have been told they may loose the opportunity to purchase the property unless the redesignation is accomplished this year. Councilman Rich Peterson wondered if this was one of those "tails that is waging the dog".

According to Peter Kilpatrick, fellow board member Larry Soll has made and offer to the Buck family to purchase the property, and he will receive a significant tax break if he can purchase the land and then donate it to the SJCHT by the end of the year.

Adding to the pressure is the desire of the Buck family to sell the property -a process they had embarked on by beginning a Long Plat development that would allow a simple way of divining the property for the family members that share ownership. Vincent Buck told The Island Guardian that the family is interested in assisting the SJCHT, "since it seems like a synergist sort of thing to do ...that would help solve the affordable housing problem for both the county and the town"; but he added that a tax write-off that would benefit the Buck family "has not been any part of the discussion at all".

Because the County will have to make changes to accommodate the change in boundaries between the county and the town lines, and because the CD&PC has "a full plate", Ron Hendrickson informed the Council he cannot do the work as quickly as the Home Trust wants, without additional funding.

The Town and the County have different deadlines for completion of their UGA review and updates, so Hendrickson made the pitch for additional money to hire an outside consultant, instead of completing the county analysis in-house, which would allow him to followi the county deadline, and not the Towns'. The County cannot do any work on the Buck proposal unit they receive a report from the Town, since the Town needs must be added to any needs of the County. While it is possible the Town will not have the Buck property on their preferred list of sites, it now appears the County will have it on the County list.

The Council agreed with the presented arguments and testimony, discounted concerns and recommendation by the Auditor, and voted to spend $25,000.00 of unbudgeted money to fast track the land use changes the Town may, or may not, need or want; but the Council decided if the Buck family and Larry Soll want to help the Home Trust take advantage of what Councilman Lichter called a "God given" offer, they would -come what may- do their part too.

The "net Increase" in the 2007 budget of all of the Emergency Appropriations approved was $688.091.00, and was necessary "for certain emergencies that have occurred in relation to unanticipated carryover obligations, long-range planning needs for growth management and environmental compliance, pandemic influenza preparedness, recovery of derelict vessels, accelerated computer maintenance fees, grant-funded community nursing needs, loss of ability to fund certain emergency management staff costs from grants, and utility projects; and storm recovery costs"