04/18/2007: "CC Discusses Financial Incentives To Travel"

The question of additional money for those council members who volunteer for travel to meetings to represent San Juan County, has become a continuing topic of discussion among the Council. (past story) The possibility of a per diem, or as Councilman Howard Rosenfeld suggested, “a financial incentive” be offered to encourage council members to travel on behalf of county business, was once again raised by Rosenfeld at the Tuesday council meeting.

It is will known that Councilman Ranker has spent large amounts of time in Olympia (see story below), and Rosenfeld told the council that with “some financial incentive” I might be interested in “getting my feet wet down there [Olympia]...by tagging along [with Ranker]. Rosenfeld said “I am in a position to do it; and I might enjoy it”; but Rosenfeld said he is concerned that his Friday Harbor business may be impacted if he spends time related to county business on the mainland.

Councilman Myhr said “I find it important to show my face down their”; and Ranker said ‘it is not necessary for all of them to attend, perhaps it is only necessary to have just one person’ make the trip.

Councilman Gene Knapp acknowledged that Ranker will not always be around as a councilman, and so it was important to look at some mechanism, as Rosenfeld suggested, that will define the issue of off-island meetings. Myhr agreed that it was important to know “how we are going to address our priorities in Olympia”.

The Council agreed to continue to look at the question.