02/22/2008: "Survey Results "Varied""

ig_Rich_Peterson_Survey-1 (73k image)
(Pete Rose responds to a question at a community meeting at Roche Harbor)

The results of a survey conducted by San Juan County District 2 Count Councilman Rich Peterson are in, and while the results are varied and interesting. Peterson said that “common themes emerged - challenges in dealing with bureaucracy, disappointment about unfair regulations, concern that the Council is distracted by issues not locally critical, and so forth.”

The public was able to take the survey on-line (it will be available until the end of the month), and also at a community meeting Peterson held on February 16th

As of last week there were a total of 58 respondents, many of whom offered comments in addition to filling in the appropriate blanks. Peterson found the “comments were relevant, perceptive, and, in some cases, profound. You can be assured that I have read everything you submitted and that your views will have widespread circulation in the County.”

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(continued from front page)

Peterson plans to have another survey, and said“the next time around I will have useful experience in phrasing the questions that was probably lacking this time.” He also noted that “some of my questions weren't specific enough and others confused some of you.”

Peterson hopes the public “will read the comments, the collected numerical data, and the rankings on the 12 issues listed in the final question.

The compilation invites one to draw their own conclusions. “What do your neighbors have to say about the topics in the survey? Are your views shared by others? Do these responses reflect anything of interest that you hadn't previously considered?”

Peterson expressed his “gratitude to all of you for taking the time and thoughtful consideration to complete the questionnaire.”

The results of the survey follow

County Council District 2 Survey
Compilation of results – (58 respondents) Citizen comments are in italics

This survey is intended to both review past performance of the San Juan County Council and to identify constituent priorities, concerns, and interests for the future. Thank you in advance for providing this feedback.

Rich Peterson

Please respond to the following questions and include any comments you would like to offer on any of the issues. Leave any question(s) on which you have no opinions blank.
Thank you for this meeting.

1. Why was the referendum to reject the storm water ordinance successful? (Check any that apply).

a. 28 The storm water problem was not well-defined.
b. 25 The funding (rate structure) seemed unfair in that property owners not receiving direct benefit were made to pay for improvements for others.
c. 22 The process the county council used to address the referendum was flawed and led to resentment against the ordinance.
d. 12 The vote reflected resentment in general against the council and was not solely a response to the ordinance.
e. 17 Other (Please explain)

Did not have sunset clause when project finished; never-ending tax!

Stormwater plans are effectually unenforceable ordinances. You would do better to follow the oil slick trails into driveways and get leakers off the roads.

I did not cite the general resentment because it is not why the referendum was successful. However, the public does not trust the council based on past betrayals and its condescending attitude. Things have improved since the number was increased to 6, but you have a lot of prior karma to overcome.

People in general resist taxation.

Short sighted voters

Needs to show hard evidence that storm water is a pollution source.

I don’t think residents of SJ County understood the complexity involved in the decision that was made by the committee. I think that we all have the pleasure of living in this paradise and can spend a few extra dollars per year to help each other out – even if the problem is not in your own back yard.

A small vocal minority of landowners who did not take part in the initial process and give feedback were able to side track the whole issue. The issue will not go away and given the lack of citizen involvement with the public hearings process until after the advisory committee the whole process was pretty much destroyed by this minority who see it as a “tax.”

The fee structure should be based on a parcel’s impervious area. A 1600 sq ft house on 5 acres should pay less than a 17000 sq ft house on 5 acres and fully developed parcels located in Friday Harbor, Eastsound, Lopez Village and other developed areas should pay higher rates than rural areas. I don’t buy the argument that because a rural person shops in a business district they should pay for stormwater management in those districts. Property owners in the developed districts own high valued properties that produce incomes and many received additional development rights while many rural properties were down-zoned during the last Comp. Plan. As a result I think urban and commercial properties should pay the costs of their development impacts which include managing and treating stormwater. I also think it is a travesty that the Council has not done a better job on getting this resolved. It is our marine and freshwaters that are suffering. And the argument that higher fees in urban areas will prevent affordable housing is a big red herring that anyone who has seriously looked at the affordable housing equation knows is a manipulation inaccurate argument.

I supported your ordinance and think people rejected it because they could not understand how it was in their best interest to support you.

There was no clear understanding of why so much money was needed and what it would be used for – it looked like a huge slush fund for Public Works. If they need money, stop taking theirs for other departments and let them have what is originally intended for them. Why transfer money from PW to other departments only to increase taxes to give PW more money? That’s politics, not honest accounting.

Council’s failure to include the recommended sunset provisions.
Still not sure we have a problem compared to most urban areas.
We already pay too much.
Existing evidence that SJ doesn’t contribute much to overall regional storm water problem.

The county-wide parcel tax was a cheap shot. Per Bob Myhr “a simple and quick way to fund projects.”

Eastsound should deal with it.
Keep it simple; one fee for a residence; one fee for a business; period. It becomes a simple line item. No need to hire administrators. No need for arbitration panels. No need for the Public Works Department to create a fiefdom.

The need to have to do a storm water management plan when you apply for any building permit has to be re-thought. I recently applied for a client who was only adding 71 sq. feet to their house. We had to do a whole storm water management plan for the whole site. There should be a minimum definition of work done before you should be required to do a plan. Let’s say 500 sq. ft. + more would kick in the requirement to do a plan; under that, it does not seem logical to have to do a plan. Please consider amending these requirements. It adds a huge layer of costs to minor additions. $160 for storm water fee + $300-$400 to pay an architect to make a site plan up with the storm water management plan.

2. Please circle the response that best expresses your opinion.
The county council has addressed the public’s interest in allocating budget funds

Very effectively 5 Moderately effectively 25 Ineffectively 17

Too often having to “re-do” projects! Treat the Public Works employees as all others.

Consolidating all functions – Public Works Yard to Beaverton Valley and turn existing yard into Low Cost Housing.

Ineffective is not as definitive as inefficient.
Need to do more to address affordable housing. Contribute to funding expansion of the Town’s infrastructure in order to maintain a rural landscape out of town.

Buying too much real estate, should consolidate all depts. into one building. (Olerin Business park and run shuttle).

Recent budget hearings were good. Presentations by Rose and Henley were clear and transparent.

Stop frickin spending!!

The current Council has inherited some bad decisions by the BOCC. You now need to evaluate whether the spending spree the County went on acquiring land for Public Works was responsible or not. The County spent multi-millions on property speculating it can change rules and/or simply develop in violation of current code. You are hampered by the poor and self-serving data presented by Public Works. The current PW leadership exaggerates needs/wants and the cost/possibility of alternatives. I was particularly offended that he purchased or accepted the wrong size gravel for our roads, put it down with the wrong oil and then bragged about fixing the roads after spending $750,000+ more. He should have been fired.

Whose interests, the loudest?
The job will be harder next year unless a large sum of money is dropped into the coffers!

County’s economy is driven by a single cylinder engine – tourism. Tourism has its own pitfalls; it’s driven by spendable income.
The Council needs to learn fiscal responsibility; everyone who has a hand out gets funds.

Respondent crossed out “public” in questions #2 and #3 and replaced with “county tax payers.” Please understand who your “public” is. County tax payers.
Really mostly effective but could be better.

How do we know what the public’s interests/priorities are?

Way too much spending.

3. How would you describe the county council’s efforts in representing the public’s interest to the State with regard to ferry service?

Very effective 1 Moderately effective 22 Ineffective 33

Not that they didn’t try.

You should have fired them all. They were rude and belligerent.
This is a tough nut for the entire State. It is a mistake to blame it on the car tabs initiative. It is a result of funds allocation by the legislature since that change took place. That said, I think the suggestion that we need to not act unilaterally but in concert with all ferry-affected counties is correct.

The controversy with the FAC needs to be worked out, drop the egos and do what is best for the county population to keep our fares down and service quality up.

It doesn’t appear to be on the Council’s agenda, other than Councilman Ranker’s, to advocate for improved schedules, improved ferry boats and better service.

I don’t know what those efforts have been, except for the recent events involving the ferry advisory committee. That was well-handled.

The County Council hasn’t paid enough attention to ferry issues. It needs to collaborate better with the FAC to be sure our interests are represented.

The current schedule has very little in connection with the needs of San Juan Islanders, with the afternoon ferry always overloading. But the Council has never said a single word that I’m aware of to try to change this and provide service that really meets the needs of residents. Where are you all when we need you?

Both the FAC and the CC have a bit of egg on their face. Fix it!

Why are you promoting passenger only?

The ferries will be what the rest of the state demands until we secede from the Union, go to war and get funded properly by the Feds.

The WSF mostly ignores input from ferry users.

A real joke

Prices have risen dramatically and service levels have declined. Obviously not all due to the CC.

Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket – 10 million people to draw on. SJ County has an estimated audience of 3 million.

The FAC (Ferry Advisory Committee) must be properly run. I applaud the removal of MacLeod. Sutton should be on strict probation. The FAC should publish auto capacity and auto usage data for each island.
SJC should be the big player in a coalition of ferry-served counties. Get aggressive.

4. How effective has the county council been in protecting the local environment?

Very effective 14 Moderately effective 26 Ineffective 11

Too effective at times, often giving preference to same over homo sapiens.
Especially if you are a fish or marine mammal.

I think the Council’s focus on the environment is excellent and well-focused and applaud continuing efforts.

NOT enforcing building codes or standing behind penalties; too much ‘back door’ negotiations between the Planning Department and the Prosecuting Attorney.

We must do more.

I vacillated between moderate and ineffective because protection is enforced in such a piecemeal fashion. The current codes have some good and reasonable controls in place that can protect our environment. However, the controls are selectively applied depending on the County’s interest and participation. Private citizens are held to a higher standard and the County enforces, but when the County wants to do something it usually requires a lawsuit by Friends or some other group or citizen to get them to follow all of the rules.

Tread lightly on asking the DNR to remove remaining tide lands from development; the state does not have the financial resources to back up that effort and with all of the rules, regulations and reviews, who’s to say there will be any impact on leasing tidelands.

It is protecting to the point of becoming oppressive to the local land owner.
I suppose the Council should become a stronger advocate on the State and National level because the major sources of pollution in the islands are most likely generated outside of the County – air and water pollution from nearby cities, and sewage in Victoria…etc.

I think you’ve started paying attention. Much more can be done.
Respondent crossed out “very” and inserted “too effective.” Private property implosion – parcels coming off the tax rolls and being deeded to tax-exempt entities.

But at what cost? We do not understand the social impact of environmental regulation on community resilience.

There is little to no enforcement for land use and environmental issues (including storm water).

Cooperation is better when you work with and educate people. The focus has been on force, rather than education.

Take the whale watch laws. No one will ever be prosecuted. Never commit valuable sheriff’s resources away from fighting real crime. Environment is not protected and taxpayers get shafted again.

Victoria has got to stop dumping raw sewage into our waters – jump up timeline – Need to increase pressure.

Spends too much time.

The County Council is borderline “over-reaching” in this area.
Good track record, keep it up.

5. How effective has the county council been in supporting a healthy economy? Very effective 2Moderately effective 20Ineffective 25

A respondent wrote “This is not definitive” next to “healthy economy.” Wrote further: “The CC should not try to control the economy.”

I think the Council as a whole is doing okay in this regard. There are lots of competing interests that require an unbiased approach.

Taxes need to be raised. Road levies are not used anywhere near allowed levels. We have the least taxes anywhere and our infrastructure is failing to keep up with growth. We are the lowest in the state on road levies.

Need to be more aggressive re affordable housing. Should not push for more tourists unless we have the employees to provide the services they need.
Planning department a disaster, one of two sources of income for county (#2 assessor) staff incompetent. Fire everybody start over from scratch.

Disaster. The Economic Development Council should not be directly influenced by the Friends of the San Juans.

One thing that could help the economy is making sure there is a supply of homes that working people can afford.

The Council has been supportive of the two key economies we have: tourist and construction. I don’t want to see them inventing economies – that should be the work of the individual businessperson.

Over-regulation has prevented development of a non-tourist based economy. Where in the county is it possible to locate a clean, non-polluting small business? Outside of the Town of FH, basically nowhere. Back when I was on the EDC, an off-island business wanted to locate a bicycle brake assembly shop here. There was nowhere outside of the Town to put it. Nowhere. Software research business? Nope. Nursing home? Nope. Small private school? Nope. If we are going to have any economic base other than retirees and tourism, we need places for businesses to locate.
County regulations make property ownership expensive, and individual property ownership is necessary for a healthy economy.

I believe there’s only so much our county government can do to stimulate the local economy.

I thought commercial activity was banned in the county?

Rising ferry fares keep tourists away and make it more expensive to do business here.

The county’s passivity in ferry issues has worked against a healthy economy. Many council members do not understand economics and lack professional background to legislate properly.

County is anti-business

Government has very little effect on the economy, its private businesses.

6. How appropriate are the county’s current regulations?
Very effective 4 Moderately effective 30 Ineffective 9

Effective in slowing business and making things more expensive while really not necessary in protecting the environment as the people do it on their own!
If you want to stop life for middle class.
They are very effective at controlling almost every aspect of life, in stifling freedom and lifestyle choice. The Politbureau wishes it could get away with controlling its citizens’ lives as effectively as you do.

(Note: The comments immediately above – all listing a “very effective” rating (3 out of the 4 total) - should be considered in the light of their content -which reflect ineffectiveness not effectiveness).

Some are misguided.

They have to be equally applied. The biggest problem you have here is that the advice you get from the Prosecuting Attorney is deficient. It seems to be agenda based rather than unbiased. The PA seems to be more interested in presenting clever arguments to argue for a specific goal rather than present a balanced legal opinion. How many of you would have voted to sue over the referendum if you had been given all the facts rather than being led by partial data and advice.

Our local economy is a testimonial to the hard-working folks sticking it out, working 2 jobs to afford housing.

Allows too many special interests to influence our regulations.
The current regulations (mostly intended to protect our environment) have simply limited improvements (degradation of environment) to the wealthy. I think we need to improve our education process and reward those who are developing conscientiously.

The dog control ordinance should be enforced more strongly.
Too many regulations, e.g., cell phone towers, ADUs, building permits
This question is too vague; regulations about what?
I would hope, in regards to the environment, that more could be done to protect the shoreline and agricultural land.

In the past dealing with the building department has been a nightmare. It tempts homeowners to go ahead with small projects, decks, etc. without waiting 3 months for approval.

Many are not working.

Land use regulations seem to be becoming more and more restrictive unless it has to do with affordable housing, in which case it seems to be getting less restrictive.

They are a litigious hairball. The San Juan Initiative was supposed to review/streamline them. Status?

Repeal only; never add laws.

Council member to chair FAC

What regulations? There are so many. If it’s to help the county government, they may be effective; if it’s to protect our private property and rights, they are too effective.

It is easy to legislate; it is much harder to enforce.

As to what?

Guest houses opened up motels.

Need to finish Eastsound and Lopez Village plans.

Hard to answer; too broad.

Keep refining them.

Which, if any, would you like to see modified?

Recognize and protect property owners’ rights, particularly in shoreline area.
I would like to see a tax break for homesteads that have been in families for multiple generations remain that way.

Cell tower – we need better service. The ordinance should be modified to allow cell towers so long as they are disguised or hidden from view.

I would just rather see regulations enforced or done away with. If one more regulation is introduced at my expense without past regs being enforced, I’ll be sick.

Don’t waste our county money on Whale watching policing. Encourage NOAA or WSDFW to include it in their responsibilities. They (WSDFW) are already out there on a daily basis in the summertime checking on Commercial and sport fishermen anyway.

Allow the Planning Dept. to modify code more than once per year and change building code to allow for essential public facilities to have different standards. Now they are almost prohibited (against RCWs) by our regulations. Have public involvement only in the mitigation of the facility, not is establishment. We desperately need a barge landing in FH and a larger solid waste facility. Special interests shouldn’t be allowed to block it for the rest of us.

Perhaps a TDR program for affordable housing; add code changes regarding PERMANENT affordability.

All of it’s over kill.

The requirement to have a cell tower on a 60 acre site is ludicrous. There is no scientific reason for it and they can be easily camouflaged to make them fairly inconspicuous.

The CAO needs to be updated immediately because currently it conflicts with guidance enforced by Ecology. That means an applicant with a project affecting critical areas must prepare a proposal that meets two different and sometimes conflicting standards. It is costly and a waste of money for developers. We need a stormwater utility in the urban growth areas to effectively meet Ecology’s stormwater management requirements.

The ability to build a 400 sq foot shed without a permit.

Building Department – It took me almost a year to get one building permit. Put in regulations for overseeing how County committees are chosen. Too many committees are stacked with people or groups who have a special interest or are rewarded with their own recommendations. We need committee members who are knowledgeable and unbiased. Decisions are being made by the influence of self interest or by special interest groups. Policies should be made via what is in the best interests of citizens and the community.

Less regulation of short platting property within existing density requirements.
Eliminate the Land Bank and tax-exempt entities from buying up private parcels.
Entire Comprehensive Plan

Building Permits, Well siting, and water rules.

Remove barriers to affordability, encourage business.
GMA

Reduce the burden for storm water plans for minor development (additions and remodels).

Shoreline Master Plan to accommodate use by marine enterprises.

7. What can the county council do to be more effective in the future?

Privatize jobs that require specialized, expensive equipment & highly trained personnel

Get a balanced…

Listen to County Manager and follow advice.

Quit mandating programs that require the County to hire expensive, highly trained personnel that can’t find housing.

It can insist that its advisors provide accurate and complete data. If there are questions raised by the public, it should be approached as an avenue to discover something the County staff may have missed rather than nimby-ism. The Council has expressed the desire that the public trust them and their motives. If you truly want this then be completely open and honest.

Once and for all, deal with the transient rental issues. Define them as commercial use, just as other counties do, help neighborhoods to maintain their character.

Be careful not to get swept up in the special interests of the minority, continue to seek public opinion and try to make decisions on the best interests of the population as a whole.

Keep in mind that man IS part of the environment.
Take the necessary actions, such as a larger solid waste facility and a barge landing in FH, and not cater quite so much to the “loudest” residents. The rest of us are too polite to do what they do but we need the services they are blocking.

Manage the squeaky wheels – don’t let them manage the Council

Make sure every dollar taken in is not wasted.

Make the building process more effective and realistic. All I have seen at the “desk” of the building department (San Juan Island) is resentment, and no one willing to answer questions nor anyone willing to help with any problems that may arise. Why the Commissioners don’t open up the ability to build a guesthouse is beyond me. The guesthouses make it possible for the “working” person to live here. Otherwise affordable housing is non-existent!

Work with the EDC with funding, research or in kind help; you need them.
Keep asking for feedback. Listen to the volunteer committees that help provide you with issues that are relevant and timely.

Minimize government control. Control Jon Shannon who seems to have his own agenda and just goes ahead on it. No reason for county to own some expensive trucks when they can sub-contract work to competent local contractors.

Think outside the box.

Stress the reuse, recycle, and reduction of the solid waste stream on the island.
Do its job to set policy and long-term future direction and leave administration and implementation to the professional County Administrator and Department employees.

Require every council member to certify under penalty of perjury that they have read both the Federal and State constitutions every month. Including the opening statement that we, the people of Washington, express gratitude to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties. Include a statement in every piece of legislation stating specifically how it is expected to improve the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of the residents of San Juan County.
Stay home, quit the global, - focus on local.

Get more feedback from the community ?

Stop spending money like it’s not the peoples’.
Listen to the mass of constituents. Leave personal agendas at the door. This survey seems like an excellent way to get feedback.

Start working on issues before they develop into crisis situations. Hydrology for one. This will become the critical issue in the next decade. Solid science will take years to develop. We should start working on it now.
Pass less regulations.

Monitor performance of advisory groups and quasi-government entities. Expose and repudiate the improper influence of the Friends of the San Juans.
Respect the local business and have a more “at your service” not police type attitude on local land use issues.

Get a database between the assessor’s office and permit center to be interactive, instead of two separate databases.

1. Be more transparent, open, and honest. 2. Be more responsible with the public’s money. To illustrate, two examples of what should NOT happen are (a) the taxpayer-funded “informational” mailing about the stormwater ordinance (which misrepresented the proposal as merely following the recommendations of the citizens’ committee, when in fact the council had modified the original proposal in such a way as to make it a tax in perpetuity), and (b) the secretive purchase a few years ago of the Kellsey South property (huge amounts of taxpayer dollars were committed without our knowledge or consent to a pet project of the PW Director).

Communicate better to residents. Start with your own committees. It is inexplicable to have public meetings (like council meetings) to discuss a topic your own committee is charged with and not inform them in advance.

Stop passing foolish stuff like surrender in Iraq, global warming, and whale laws that are unenforceable.

Forums such as this one for input.

Council needs to be fiscally responsible; needs to consider Not an unlimited tax money.

Stop meeting.

Complete the transfer of Admin. From CC (County Council) to CA (County
Administrator). Become more district-accountable.
More joint effort with the Town, such as one Fire Department for SJ Island.

8. What are the most important issues the county should address in the near future?

Silting up of Neil Bay.

Emergency preparedness & self reliance resourcing.
Barge access on SJI, repair damage done at WSF, raise revenue for capital budgets by raising allowable lids.

The reduction of buildable parcels for future needs relative to conservation effects on our land base. Ferry Rates. Barge landing site on San Juan Island.

Economic diversity – how can we keep thriving business in the islands.

Cost of maintaining itself in a luxurious fashion; bullying those who question it.
County government budget sustainability, increased affordable housing, ferry rate sustainability, attracting young families to reside here.

Passenger ferry service to Bellingham from Friday Harbor, a recognized facilities landing at Jackson’s Beach.
Government accountability, Public / environmental Safety (transportation improvements).

Taxing long-term islanders out of their homes.
Stop the unnecessary taxing of the working person! All the taxes being put on the individual is making it extremely hard for a working person to live here.

Soon there won’t be “working” families.
Controlling population (new building permits) with regard to the island infrastructure, Solid Waste facility needs should be determined and dealt with in a more timely manner.

Make sure you do not gut our environmental protections for the sake of expediency. For several years now Public Works has been trying to change the current EPF codes. The stated goal is to remove the restrictions that have frustrated its previous attempts at development especially on shorelines. It has consistently opposed citizen participation in the process of rewriting these regulations but has injected its own opinions repeatedly. EPF law is a recognized and important issue for the entire state. The concept is really quite simple. It says that sometimes there is no properly zoned spot for noxious facilities that are essential for a community. Therefore, zoning alone cannot prevent their siting, but (and this is a big but) the other rules of that zoning apply. In the Trash to Treasures case our Prosecuting Attorney argued that EPF trumped all the rules for any zoning. It was the PA’s disregard for the “but” of EPF policy that caused both the lawsuit and the loss. Now the PA and PW are advising that our EPF codes are flawed because they lost this case. Before accepting this advice I would encourage you to read our current rules critically, and consider the quality of previous advice from these two advisors. Recently PW advised that a fuel depot was needed. The problem is that his testimony regarding the current supply was refuted by those supplying the product. EPFs are important. So is protecting the citizens who are asked to bear the burden of their presence.

Ferries – priority loading and discounted rates for residents and local commerce.

Stormwater, get it funded. CAO process. Get it done. Take care of any part of the GMA that needs to be finished so we are not left without state funds because we are not “finished” with said processes. Preservation of open spaces and agricultural lands.

Ferry service. Environmental protection and efficient coordination of resources to eliminate overlap of protections. As for and listen to public input more often about long-term vision for the islands.

How to keep a diverse population, given the cost of housing, and increased ability to attract young families to the island.
Ferry Service. Needs stable State funding as an integral part of the highway system.

Actively work the ferry issues with Olympia. Allow more cell sites for better cell coverage. Build what is needed at the existing transfer site.
Ferry Service

Independence and sustainability from the mainland.

Cutting the county’s growth in employment.

Ferry service

Job creation

Decent, affordable, reliably funded ferry service. Passing a local ordinance instructing the Sheriff’s and Prosecutor’s departments not to spend any public money enforcing laws against the personal use of small amounts of marijuana. No, I don’t smoke myself, and don’t approve of it, but it’s an enormous waste of public money to worry about smoking marijuana when smoking tobacco is legal.

Comprehensive Master Plan for County.

Coherent land use regulations.

Solid waste transfer station and water resource management.
Attracting business to locate here. We’ve got to depart from solely depending on tourism.

Keep taxes low, do not use the banked taxes in the future.

Community resilience equals small business support, reduced regulation, expand use of rural general land for housing and business.

Rationalize every job on County payroll; Growth of county payroll and office space is out of control.

Get the state to subsidize the ferry system as part of the highway system.
Repeal laws

Economy – ferries, affordable housing, supporting our best drivers for increasing revenue such as tourism does.

Making a community-focused decision regarding the improvements to the transfer station on San Juan. The solution needs to place the highest priority on minimizing environmental impact and minimizing fiscal impact. If those two factors are considered paramount, it seems that improving the current site is probably the solution. So why all these machinations about analyzing alternatives? Could it be PW simply trying to wear down the community’s resolve so they can build a cool new facility? Note that this is the same management that tried to hide land purchases from public scrutiny and intentionally refused to repair the tipping floor roof. The council needs to stand up for the best interests of our community – environmentally and financially. Reference the very cogent editorial in the Journal a few months ago.

9. What are the most important issues the county should address in the long term?

Bringing small businesses to island that will bring along better paying jobs.
Quit giving away the tax money to individual “favorite” programs and start taking care of the infrastructure of the county.
Health and safety issues are important, the mental health funding retail tax support is appreciated.

Sustainability and improving the quality of life for all islanders without losing our rural charm. Transportation planning that reduces fossil fuel dependence by advocating for and encouraging healthier alternatives such as improving roadway safety for pedestrians and bikes and considering public transit options. Another important issue is improving cost efficiency and accountability of each office of county government (investigate strategies to decrease expenditures without cutting services by creating incentives for productivity and efficiency), is this the job of the county administrator? Whose job is it? Is it being done?

Trying to preserve the environment while minimizing government intrusion. Actually acting on your verbalized support for protection of the shoreline, salmon recovery and preservation of the marine environment.

Cutting costs, reducing unnecessary regulations and making them simple to understand, abide by and affordable to enforce. The County should strive to be “people friendly” again, like we used to be. If the VAMC can turn itself around to become a pleasant experience, how come our County planning department is such a nightmare?

Ferry service

Fix the compromised essential public facilities regulations.

I think the most critical item is figuring out how much development and population an island ecosystem can handle. Look at places like Bermuda, where the government limits the number of cars a household can own, sets up two tiers of housing to allow for islanders to own, and off-islanders to only be able to buy housing that costs a certain amount. Very impressive use of legislation to protect a tourist economy without damaging the very environment it is protecting.

Wind and Tidal energy.

Ferry issues – It’s our lifeline and affects us all.

Taxing long-term islanders out of their homes.

Solid waste needs.

Spend more time and money on how we can prosper in San Juan County and less on how we can stop the use of these islands we are fortunate to live in. Also Bellingham/FH ferry service and facilities landing at Jackson’s Beach.
Quality ferry service. Create a business-friendly climate. Recognize that tourism is a fact of life and brings in business that allows many of our businesses to exist at all.

At what point will we have reached the critical time in which water, land and the environment we share has reached a critical point? What are the limits of our growth? How will we stay sustainable as a set of islands when so much and so many needs have to be” imported?” How will we deal with the end of oil? What can we do to become a little bit more self-supporting when we look at these issues?

Environmental protection and permanently affordable housing.
Land use policies; environmental protection; ferry service
Housing for all

Ferry service

Improving our economic base by encouraging appropriate non-retirement and non-tourism related businesses and industries to locate in the County. Effectively combating drunk driving which is by far the greatest killer in this county.

Affordability

Widen roads, create bicycle paths to alleviate danger to bicyclists.

Continuing to do the best we can to enhance the livability of our community. The economy is fragile and not diverse. The tax rates are high and going higher. These things are inter-related and, clearly, they are complex problems. Over time, I’d like to see high priority placed on things like diversifying the economy (and thus providing more opportunity for all), and keeping a lid on government growth and the tax bloat that inevitably accompanies it.

Changes / amendments / improvements to County Code.

Coherent land use regulations.

Re-establish local control.

Rein in hiring and spending.

Water resource management

Long term financial stability. They should take a look at unfunded retirement benefits. Take a good look at privatizing a lot of county services that can be done by private industry a lot more economically.

Home rule implementation. Streamline regulations. Open rural lands to low impact cluster housing projects.

Encourage businesses that create jobs.

Stop working to increase the population.

Reduce the cost of county government; Joint admin of fire protection (FH/District 3).

Economy and environment. Don’t forget the environment but pay more attention to the economy.

10 Please rank the following issues in importance to you from 1 (most important) to 12 (least important).

Note: The results below include the ratings as respondents listed them. Some respondents used the requested 1-12 numbering; others used numbers more than once and some increased the numbers (e.g. 20, 76, 50, etc.) to emphasize their views. Some respondents gave a numerical value to some of the items and left others blank. In determining averages for each item, 12 was used as the number for responses greater than 12. The statistical reliability of the averages is obviously weak but they do provide some indications. One person made comments after each item. Others commented about one or two items.

1_2_1_10_6_1_5_2_2_4_8_1_12_10_1_5_2_3_1_3_3_1_1_1_3_1_1_8_3_1_10_1_2_8_1_ 1_2_3_1_2_2_1_2_1_6_3_6_2_2_1_5_5_6_2_1_2 ferry rate affordability Help WSF get its share of Dept. of Transportation budget. Another person noted, “and service!” Affects the whole island economy. Average: 3.23 Overall Ranking: 1

1_1_1_1_1_3_1_9_1_1_2_4_ 1_2_6_3_2_1_2_2_10_7_7_4_3_1_1_2_1_1_1
1_3_5_8_ 9_2_7_6_1_4_4_1_8_12_1_3_1_7_1_4_6_1_1_11_1_ government cost-effectiveness Absolutely Average: 3.6 Overall Ranking: 2

6_1_2_6_4_1_5_5_5_3_1_11_3_7_5_12_4_8_1_1_3_2_1_12_6_8_4_9_9_12
_1_8_8_12_4_5_9_6_3_6_12_1_7_6_7_8_12_12_4_3_ 4_1_3_ 1_3 affordable housing County already has enough affordable homes and rent-subsidized apartments. Not subsidize, reduce regulation. Average: 5.36 Overall Ranking: 3

11_1_3_5_7_12_5_6_8_10_6_8_6_1_4_2_1_4_11_2_12_3_3_2_2_6_6_11
_12_4_8_9_10_3_5_4_2_3_2_1_7_4_3_12_9_3_12_5_11_10_10_1_2_ shorter turn-around on building permits already getting there. If cost-effective. affects construction industry which is a huge portion of the island economy. Average: 5.44 Overall Ranking: 4

1_4_5_4_6_1_6_5_9_10_1_4_11_4_10_3_7_9_4_5_5_5_2_5_1_10_6_9_7
_5_10_2_8_2_9_ 6_99_11_3_4_3_9_10_8_8_10_8_7_10_11_4_4_2_7_4_6_ oil spill prevention Yes, from county-owned facilities. Average: 6.1 Overall Ranking: 5

12_5_2_7_12_1_1_9_12_11_9_7_6_6_2_5_5_6_7_10_5_6_6_4_10_2_1_5
_8_4_12_8_8_5_2_4_4_7_3_2_2_4_5_7_5_6_5_50_10_12_9_98_3_12_ choosing a site and building a new transfer station If cost-effective. What is wrong with the existing?? Average: 6.38 Overall Ranking: 6

3_8_3_8_7_8_1_5_11_9_1_12_7_8_11_4_11_8_8_8_10_2_5_7_4_3_3_6_7
_4_12_5_9_11_10_6_99_9_8_10_5_5_4_7_7_5_3_2_4_11_8_3_9_1_9_8_12_5_ salmon recovery Not a county function. Average: 6.76 Overall Ranking: 7

20_11_4_6_3_10_4_10_1_5_8_6_12_2_3_2_1_7_4_9_12_1_3_6_10_9_12
_12_11_10_6_12_6_12_12_5_10_4_10_5_7_2_6_9_1_5_11_6_12_6_67_8_4 cell phone coverage improvement Cell phones are a luxury. Average: 7.11 Overall Ranking: 8

12_12_11_2_7_1_12_8_10_3_7_12_11_9_10_12_9_6_9_4_12_8_2_4_9_6
_7_12_11_6_99_6_1_1_4_5_2_6_12_7_12_12_12_12_7_3_9_2_5_5_11_5_ building bike trails Focus on bike lanes in county roads. Average: 7.59 Overall Ranking: 9

2_12_6_6_7_5_12_12_6_4_3_12_6_11_12_12_12_9_6_3_3_7_7_11_5_10
_2_11_2_12_6_5_8_8_8_99_7_12_7_9_4_12_3_5_9_2_10_10_ 11_8_9_12_12_5_ 4_ protection for orca whales Not a county function. Average: 7.75 Overall Ranking: 10

6_6_10_3_8_11_12_7_3_4_6_10_4_9_11_8_8_12_2_10_12_10_5_4_11_2_8
_11_5_99_5_5_11_10_6_7_4_11_3_4_5_11_6_12_10_8_12_8_12_11_12_12_ increasing the number of trails Focus on making county roads walker-friendly. Average: 7.98 Overall Ranking: 11

_50_12_8_9_9_2_11_10_12_12_12_7_10_10_12_9_9_2_10_12_12_1_7_3_9
_7_12_6_4_1_12_5_49_99_4_11_9_12_12_12_12_8_3_12_12_11_9_76_11_8_11_11_ efforts to offset human-caused climate change Not an issue; not a county function. One respondent suggested that orcas, salmon, oil spill prevention, and global warming should be combined with a collective rating of 4. Average: 9.09 Overall Ranking: 12

If you have additional comments on the questions above, any other issue of importance to you regarding the functioning of the San Juan County Council, or my efforts in particular on behalf of the Second District, please add them here.

My family has been on the island for 50 years; at the current rate of taxation we will lose our homestead in 15 years. Myself and my wife both work for city and county governments full time. We do not make enough to continue living here when we lose our home. We pay our house payment in taxes; the property has been free and clear for the past 50 years. We love it here, we were raised here, and we would love to stay, but I only see multimillionaires being able to live here in the next 10 years. I do not think there is anything the current county council can do about this. I think it is too late. I am glad that I was able to live here. It’s just too bad that my children will grow up somewhere else.

Need to stop “empire building”

The present system has not, nor does it work for the common man.

Silting up of Neil Bay. We must stop it.

Thank you for doing this, Rich!

Cut back on your activities and cost of your own operating. Your expenses are not as advertised in the original concept of this type of government.

It has always been frustrating that those with free time can access the ear of the council while those who are so busy working to keep up do not have the ability to find time to properly understand the concern.

Please see that Public Works does much more for non-motorized transportation, both walking and biking.

Do more surveys like this for all. We can let you know what the rest of us are thinking. Thanks!!!

Think of the pollution the whale watch boats create, More bike trails along our roads, Ferry rates? We pay a premium to live in paradise let the rates be what they are and work on smart schedules.

I think Rich Peterson is doing a fantastic job as Council member; rational, cautious, and focused.

I am not sure how the above list was generated but it seems to have agenda’s behind it. I am concerned about stormwater management, environmental protection, and enforcement of land use laws.

Thank you for listening and asking the questions!

Thank you for all your efforts and accomplishments.

I believe that the council’s duty is to address the issues that affect, locally the citizens of the county. Wasting time taking a position on the war in Iraq is soooo inappropriate. Let DNR worry about salmon recovery. You worry about ferries, the building department, affordable housing and the like.
Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Thank you Richard for asking, this is a creative way to get a sense of what the citizens are interested in and concerned about. You are to be commended for your efforts.

You bill for weed control so do it. Get rid of Shannon.

Though I’m not in the Second District, I’m happy to have you working as a representative – your efforts to attend meetings, if nothing else, suggests to me you take the responsibility seriously.

Your comments and actions that are reported (which, I’m sure are sometimes taken out of context and are probably not always fully reported) are admirable. Thank you for your efforts.

Appreciate your willingness to communicate with your constituents!

I’d like to see fewer executive, closed sessions. Re storm water – if only specific sites are problematical, why does entire county have to go thru time and expense when development occurs?

Can’t the existing transfer site be improved to accommodate the current and future needs?

Salmon recovery plans address very important stormwater concerns, and provide for habitat restoration and preservation. The decline in salmon runs has never been attributed to overfishing on the salmon banks, the State manages the harvest with escapement and run preservation as top priority. Historically, the commercial and sport fishing industry has been an integral part of the county economy. Please insure that a Marine Sanctuary will not eliminate this segment of our economy. Please promote salmon recovery and also protect the opportunity for a continued commercial fishing industry in our county. Thank you for all of your hard work and for providing this opportunity for citizen input.

Thank you ALL for stepping up to work on behalf of the citizenry. I very much respect and appreciate your service!

At a recent Council meeting there was discussion about the process for developing our transfer station. At least two of the Council members referenced the possibility of legal challenges. One expressed the attitude that you probably couldn’t avoid it because the citizens of SJ County are so litigious. Do you really think people want to spend their hard earned money on attorney fees to fight their government? If you examine the last several years and the challenges that have been raised, you will see that the County lost almost every time. It lost the cases and challenges because the clever interpretations from the PA were wrong. In his defense, he was frequently asked / pressured to be clever by the BOCC (such behavior being a primary reason we went for the charter), but you are not done yet. The current leadership of the PW and the PA are left over from the old ways. They are still giving you advice from that perspective. Whether or not they can be retrained has yet to be established. The Council needs to critically consider the advice you receive. It is not just the Nimbys that have agendas.

Return to the once a year docket for changes to the Uniform Development Code.

I am very glad to see you are meeting with your district constituents in this way. You are the minority report right now and you need to do more to raise issues of concern to you about the resilience of our communities in the face of the burdens being borne. We are at the tipping point.
The time period that the new council structure has been in place is too short to have meaningful answers to any of the above except #1.

Regarding #7 – Communication: This is such an easily correctable problem. Specifically, I have noticed far too many instances of the County’s neglect in notifying in advance the citizens volunteering their time as county-appointed members of a county advisory committee. These citizens (I am not one of them) are dedicated to public service in their areas of appointment and ask only that they get an email alerting them to a scheduled discussion of their topic. I suspect this is not an intentional omission but rather a poor communication procedure. The simple solution is to direct staff to make a check list to notify the right people and then follow it. These people should not be reading what happened in the small print of the classifieds – weeks later, or hear it on the street.

Thanks for the survey. Let’s see more of these in the future!

Silting in of Neal Bay – adding a couple of cross draining pipes across the road; should be done this year – it is easy to do.

I think our county needs to stick to the local issues instead of making STUPID IRAQ WAR RESOLUTIONS OR RENAMING BATTLESHIP ISLAND we can’t waste time on this BS!

San Juan County has the highest median price of $563,250 for a single family home. This is for the 19 counties that are tracked west of the Cascades. Excessive taxation is a direct driver of affordable housing. The County needs to start allowing land owners of large parcels the right to sub-divide; this will help with affordability.

Note: In the process of gathering surveys electronically, two were inadvertently lost. If a reader who submitted a survey does not find his/her comments above, please resubmit a form if you would like to have them included.