New County Veterans’ Advisory Board Formed

The San Juan County Veterans’ Advisory Board (SJVAB) to the County Council will hold their second meeting Friday, January 25, 2008 at 11:30 am – 2:-00 pm in the large conference room (formerly called the Countrywide Room) in the Legislative Building across from the Courthouse, 55 Second Street.

The Board held their first organizational meeting on December 20, 2007. The SJVAB is a state-mandated county board that makes recommendations for the awarding of money that has been collected for a Veterans’ Relief Fund. All counties in the Washington are required by law to set aside one and one-eight cents per thousand dollars each year that is collected from property taxes. This years total budget was $56,000.00 (which included a carry-over from last year).

The money is to be used to help indigent veterans, and families of indigent veterans, who have medical, housing, and treatment needs that they cannot afford to provide for themselves. Applicants in need may make application to a VAB, who will review the application, and based on evidence and testimony, the VAB will make a recommendation for an award of funds.

The state program has been in existence for a number of years, but until now it has been informally administered by local American Legion Posts who made their recommendations directly to the SJC Auditor. While this has served the purpose, it failed to meet proper procedure.

AJC Auditor Milene Henley brought the matter up in a report the Council, and recommended that a formal board be formed as required by the state. Members of the SJVAB must be a veteran, and since Alan Lichter is the only veteran on the board, he took the lead to bring the County into compliance.

Lichter worked with Jerry Pfannenstiel, Veterans Services Coordinator for Washington State Veterans Advisory, to form a local board, and asked the council members to nominate county veterans to be on the board. A total of twelve names were submitted, and from them, a selection was made of the eight that are required to be on the board.
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The members of the board are: Alan Lichter, Chairman (Army); Jack Cory (Army); Roger Salquist (Navy); Brent Johnson (Air Force); Mike Kaill (Navy); Michael Baker (Army); Robert Cook (Air Force); Ron Metcalf (Air Force) , and Susie Teague; (Army)
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John Linde Is The New Judge

Wednesday 2:40 P.M. John Linde has been appointed to be the new Superior Court Judge of San Juan County

Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of John O. Linde as San Juan County Judge, a newly created full-time position. Linde’s appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Previously, San Juan and Island counties shared judges. Past stories on the judgeship question

“As a resident of Friday Harbor for 35 years, John has a history with San Juan County that will be important in this new position,” said Gov. Gregoire. “I’m pleased to appoint someone to the bench with the depth of professional and personal experience that John has in that area.”

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CC Splits Vote, Rejects Fee To Study Stormwater

(Still friends after split vote on Stormwater Ord -Knapp not pictured, Ranker absent)

The County Council subcommittee on stormwater gave it their best shot, but failed to come up with a new funding ordinance for an existing stormwater utility. The interim ordinance was authored primarily by Councilman Rosenfeld, and promoted as a one year quick fix to raise money in 2008 for planning, monitoring, data gathering, and to staff a technical committee on stormwater. (previous story)

The final proposal was for a Basic Fee to be paid by all property owners in San Juan County. The fee would show up on all 2008 tax bills. Part of the money would be used to “measure the actual impermeable surface areas” of all of the commercial, institutional, and industrial parcels in San Juan County. This could then be used to calculate the amount of the fee they may have to pay once a new ordinance is passed in 2009.

Knapp said he was willing to go along with Rosenfeld’s draft, “but I put more of my confidence in the one that will follow next year.” Peterson told the Council the proposed interim ordinance did not fully address the issues that resulted in voter rejection, and Councilman Alan Lichter shared Peterson’s general concerns.

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Here We Go Again? CC Takes Up Storm Water Ord

The .County Council subcommittee on stormwater has agreed upon a first draft -well sort of, Committee Chair Rich Peterson said the three member committee has 2.5 votes in favor of it; which does not bode well for a quick and satisfactory resolution for a stormwater funding mechanism the public will find acceptable. (Previous story & links)

The full County Council will discuss Draft One of the ordinance today (Council Room, 2:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 18) as a part of their normal work session. While the public may attend, public comment is not normally allowed during their “work sessions”.

But according to the County, Tuesday is the last day to start the formal process of adopting an ordinance for 2008. The Draft includes a Sunset Clause that will “terminate” the ordinance one year from adoption.

Regardless of the outcome of today’s meeting, the Council has stated they will work on a new ordinance to replace the one the voters previously rejected by a two to one margin.

the new proposal from the subcommittee is intended to simply generate some money in 2008, and is not being advertised as anything beyond that. The ideal was suggested by Councilman Howard Rosenfeld. The overall content of the draft differs little from the original funding ordinance that was rejected by two to one vote in the last election, but there are some changes.

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Suit Over Ballot Bar Codes Will Go To Trial

Green Party members Tim While and Allan Rosato filed a law suit last year against San Juan County in an attempt to force the County to stop printing unique bar codes on the county’s election ballots.

The suit claimed that the bar codes could be used to trace how people voted, thus violating fundamental constitutional rights, as well as state and Federal laws, that guarantee the sanctity of a secret ballot.

At the time of filing they explained they had made repeated attempts to resolve the problem “by presentations to the Board of County Commissioners, the new County Council, the Elections Department, the County Elections Canvassing Board, and the County Prosecuting Attorney". Those attempts failed, so ”as a measure of last resort,” they filed the suit.

These things take time, and by November of this year they found themselves fighting motions brought by Prosecuting Attorney Randy Gaylord to have the case dismissed, “because the county legislative body has no role” in how or what type of ballot audit system is used. It is the auditor that has that power, he told the court.

Gaylord also stated the “procedural due process” should be dismissed. White and Rosato’s attorney, Jerome R. Cronk had argued that the system being used by the county “deprive Plaintiffs of their due process right to the sanctity of the secret ballot under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”

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31 Million -Or More- For A Hospital

(Red line shows property currently owned, the blue line shows various properties that need to be purchased or acquired - Note: "P" is parking, "S&R" is Shipping & Receiving)

Approximately 40 people showed up on Wednesday night to hear a presentation on the costs of two options that were presented as a part of an ongoing study to build a hospital on San Juan island.

Option-1: would convert the existing medical center into a hospital and build a new “occupancy space” and a new clinic.
Option-2: constructing a 30,000 square foot hospital, while sprucing up the existing 10,000 square foot medical clinic to complement the look of the new hospital.

Option one would upgrade the clinic to a hospital, with a total estimated project cost of $33,956,143.
Option two would leave the clinic as is, and build a new hospital. Total cost is estimate to be $31,283,339.

And for additional quarter million dollars a helo pad could be provided on the roof, or on the grounds of the new site.


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Stormwater Sub-Committee Reports Disagreement

The SJC Council Sub-Committee has reported back to the full committee that, while they were unable to reach full agreement on what to do, they did amass a large amount of material, and received valuable input from the two public meetings ; out of which they were able to draw the following conclusions.

• A flat rate alone is not appropriate for funding capital projects.
• Significant vegetation removal or altering the natural landscape should be considered development.
• A standing Citizen's Advisory Committee should be part of any new funding ordinance. The Committee should make recommendations with respect to which projects should be accomplished annually. Members of the original Stormwater Advisory Committee should be invited to continue with the new Committee. Consideration of a broader county-wide representation should be made when creating the new Committee.
• A sun setting clause should be part of any new ordinance.
• The current system for evaluating storm water problems on new development is problematic and needs to be examined.
• The utility should be county-wide with specific problem area emphasis.
• Credit for self mitigation should be given, perhaps as a percentage discount off the utility fee, but not the base rate.
• Undeveloped property should be charged a base rate.
• The storm water drainage plan for the Eastsound UGA needs to show how the storm drainage facilities will be provided over the 20 year planning period.

Committee member Howard Rosenfeld submitted a draft of a “Stormwater Basic Fee Concept for ‘08’” that would, if adopted, set a basic fee amount of $10.00 to be levied against all properties in the county -unless on an island without county roads.


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County Gains Some Important Support For Priorities

The WSAC Legislative Steering Committee has voted to endorse San Juan County’s legislative priorities to improve ferry service; renew funding for the “Salmon Recovery Lead Entity Program”; support funding the year-round operation of the Neah Bay Rescue Tug; and may support legislation providing state protection for Orca Whales.

Four out of six is not bad. For the past year the County Council has debated what should appear on a list of “County Priorities” that could be presented to the state legislature in hopes of gaining some state support.

The County Councils decision that what was needed was a list of legislative priorities took then off on debate of what should be included, and what not, that has been an on going topic for the last year, and now, at last, some success in gaining support from the Association of Counties (WSAC) Legislative Steering Committee, which has voted to endorse at least some of the items on the list.

The list has been dynamic, starting off in January with Salmon Recovery, streamlined sales taxation for internet sales at the point of delivery, mental and public health issues, Lopez Hill, and Capron funding. Holding the top spots.

Over the year the list lost, gained and retained items, including Orca protection and ferry “issues”.

By April, some of the Council members (Rosenfeld, Lichter, & Peterson) had traveled to the mainland for some face-to-face meetings with at the state capital testifying on behalf of the county; and it has now started to pay off.

What the final outcome will be is yet to be decided, and while San Juan County may be “the jewel of the state”, it does not have much worth in buying support from the state legislators; but hope springs eternal.

The WSAC Draft 2008 Position Statements are:



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Council Sub-Committee Formed on Stormwater Issue

(L-R Ray Bigler, Pauli Gavora, Alex Gavora, Gordy Petersen, Lori Petersen, County Community Dev & Planning Director/ County Administrator Pro Tem Ron Henrickson, Council Clerk Laura Tuttle listen as County Council conduct telephone conference call -County photo)

As promised, the county council moved quickly last Friday to explore new ways to fund the storm water ordinance, and not wanting to wait the three weeks until the council meets again, they held a meeting by phone to discuss setting up a Council Sub-committee that would report back to the full committee; perhaps as soon as they hold their next scheduled meeting on November 27.

After everyone was on the phone, and Chairman Bob Myhr called the group to order, Councilman Alan Lichter proposed “That the Council establish a sub-committee, to review the issue of funding the stormwater situation.”


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