12/21/2006: "Legislative Priorities"

The County Council is preparing a list of "Legislative Priorities". A current draft list is the result of input from Councilman Lichter, Myhr and Ranker, but now that there is a full council, the list is expected to grow. The current listed priorities are:

(1) Environmental: Salmon Recovery Council Programs;
(2) Public Finance: Streamlined Sales Tax; Sourcing Rule;
(3) Open Space Preservation: Lopez Hill, Lopez Island;
(4) Community Health: Support of Community and Mental Health Funding;
(5) Transportation: Restoration of Capron Funding for Both the "5-Cent and 9.5-Cent" Fuel Tax Increases.

The goal is to rank the list, based on agreement from the Council as a whole, but each Councilman may continue to push individual priorities. The idea of prioritizing a list for Council action resulted from Councilman Bob Myhr, who said he was concerned that the Council comes up with issues that they agree need to be addressed, but then they seen to "fall between the cracks", and he felt having a dynamic list would be helpful to the Council.

The Council has also been discussing having a retreat, where, as Councilman Ranker stated, the Council can discuss concerns and issues without interruption and in a relaxed environment, and the original and new council members can get to know each other better. To that end Ranker suggest the Council hold the retreat out of the county. There was discussion that the cost to the County may be too high, since there would be the need to spend the night, and there could be other related costs. It was also discussed that while the meeting would be billed as a retreat, the public would have the right to attend.