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07/18/2007: "SWAC & Lichter Tour Some Dump Sites"

(SWAC on site tour of one possible site for a transfer station)

The SWAC (Solid Waste Advisory Committee) was led on a tour by Public Works on Monday of three possible sites for the construction of a new solid waste facility. The committee members were joined by Councilman Alan Lichter, two members of the press, members of the public, some interested neighbors, and representatives for the owners of two of the potential sites.

The meeting was unusual from the normal SWAC meetings in several respects. While all SWAC meetings are open to the public, the public is limited to giving input at a prescribed time in the agenda, but in the field visits, there was active lobbying of the SWAC by members by the public as to why one site was better -or worse- than another.

And then there was Councilman Alan Lichter, who is still official listed as the Council liaison between the Council and SWAC, but under the Charter, the Council has questioned why there should be liaison appointments after the Charter took effect, since there is now a County Administrator who fills that role.

When asked by The Island Guardian about his actions, Lichter said that until there is action by the Council to remove the liaison appointments, he felt he still had that role to play. Lichter had left the Monday Council meeting to make the tour, and did not return at the end of the tour to re-join the afternoon session of the Council.

After Lichter had left to make the site tour, the subject came up during a discussion on council sub-committees, and the question was raised if they needed one for solid waste. Councilman Gene Knapp - a former Freeholder- asked “Is solid waste even in our bailiwick?“ and added that “I don’t think we should be out in the field picking out a site”. In the past Knapp said “I thought we got rid of the liaison assignments?”



While no formal action has been taken to remove the assignments, the last assignments are left over, and have not been renewed or reassigned since the Charter went into effect, so it may be they are still standing assignments. In any case. Lichter thinks they are.

Another odd thing about the visits was the inconsistence. At the first site, which is located at the south end of the airport (photo above) there was an active presentation by two representative of the owner, pointing out features of the property; and on the other hand, there were two neighbors who were also pointing out features that seemed to be aimed at discouraging the Committee, and Councilman Lichter, from selecting the site.

After the neighbors listing of a number of restrictions that had been placed on the site by a previous proposed use of the site, some members of SWAC -and Lichter- wondered aloud “Why are we even here”?
The Public Works official leading the tour explained on several occasions that they were not to form opinions on what would be allowed, or what conditions may be imposed -that was to come later after analysis- but only to “look at the sites” and “familiarize yourselves with the sites”.

At the Tuesday council meeting, Lichter recounted his trip and impressions of the tour, and informed the Council that he had attended as the liaison to the SWAC, and also said that he was “mildly disappointed that the chair of the SWAC had not led the tour”. He also noted that lobbing had take place. He told the Council that two of the sites were not suitable for a transfer station.

Lichter’s attendance as one who was present for what may have been pro-and-con arguments on the merits of the sites, brings up the question of should Lichter, who will ultimately join the council in making a decision as to which, if any, site to use, have been on the tour in the first place?


(View of the second site: to the west of the FH airport)

The next site was near by, and next to, the side of the airport on private property, and while the owner of the property not only was not present, or represented, and had not granted permission for the group to enter the property, a neighbor of the property gave a short tour from his property and listed some of the pros and cons of his neighbor’s property.


(View of the third site: to the west of the FH airport)

After that, it was off to a property north of Friday Harbor, and the owners representative gave a walking tour. In this case the representative of the owner (the County) was also the same person leading all of the tours, since he works for Public Works. The property was purchased by the County specifically to be used by Public Works, and -at least at the time of purchase- it was stated it had been purchased to be used for a solid waste facility.

Lichter said the tour also reviewed the existing site, and that he expects that the SWAC will be making a recommendation of site selection in the very near future.