Island Guardian

Friday, July 21st

Open Letter To Council

Dear County Council:

I am very troubled by your actions regarding ADUs. You are failing to follow the will of the citizens advisory vote on this issue, as well as our past Commissioners' direction on this issue. You also continue to ignore the advice and directives of our county attorney, Randy Gaylord, on this issue.

To ignore these clear and basic facts make it clear that you are following your own wishes and desires. Shame on you. Please: 1.) Take the proper time to make decisions, 2.) Please work for the will of the people, and 3.) Please take advice from our County attorney.

If you continue following your personal wishes and agendas, then you will fail in following the County Mission statement and your sworn commitment to our community. Please consider putting the community above your personal wishes.

Sincerely,

Frank M. Penwell
San Juan Island

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Saturday, July 15th

Property Owners Are "Freeholders"

To the Editor:

I am presently a freeholder. I have been a freeholder since moving here years ago and acquiring real property. We elected a number of freeholders to represent all of us in drafting a charter, and that election empowered those elected to undertake a certain chore. That a group of freeholders choose to co-sign a letter is appropriate and by common usage intends to inform readers that they were part of the group that was elected.

That Madrona Murphy writes "the freeholders cannot submit an open letter because they do not exist" probably indicates what might charitably be called "intellectually challenged." The pity is that we are not yet beneficiaries of her being a "former freeholder."

Albert Hall
Friday Harbor

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Tuesday, July 11th

"Freeholders" Do Not Exist

"The freeholders" cannot submit an open letter because they do not exist. There were twenty-one freeholders elected in 2004 for the period of nine months. Those nine months are over and the board no longer exists.

For fourteen of the former freeholders to misrepresent themselves as "the freeholders" and submit an opinion without contacting the other former freeholders (myself included) is inappropriate. This former freeholder, for one, does not agree with the opinions expressed in the letter nor with the representation of the intent of the board.

Madrona Murphy
Lopez

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An Open Letter to the County Council

We freeholders continually focused on the importance of "separation of powers" during the hundreds of hours we spent in creating our new charter government. The astute voters of San Juan County embraced this principal, when they overwhelmingly passed the charter. The County Council has a new role in the 2006 government – which is confined to legislative duties only. When we freeholders crafted the charter, the intent was to remove the council from any judicial function. With all due respect, you have no legal training and are not qualified to perform this function.

We did provide, however, for a limited "discretionary" review procedure. The intent here was to allow the council to create a narrow exception to the prohibition against interference with judicial functions – as is routinely done with the courts. The purpose of "discretionary review" is to allow minimum and selective intervention under some very unique and special circumstances.

To our dismay you are currently usurping this provision and are rewriting yourselves back into full judicial function, not too different than it was before. Despite counsel from the prosecuting attorney and from the current county administrator, you consistently refuse to accept that the Charter clearly places you in a legislative role and not an administrative or judicial roll. This is another attempt to thwart the will of the people and follow your own self-serving agenda.

Interestingly, you each complain that your job requires 70 hours a week and the Charter has not lightened your workload. That is not surprising in light of the fact that you are so diligently attempting to hold onto all the functions and sources of your past power.

Please embrace the charter for the good of the people. Follow the advice of your prosecuting attorney and let go of the judicial functions. Lead by legislation.

Jeri Ahrenius, Ryan Drum, Mindy Kayl,
David Bayley, Fred Ellis Sr., Stephanie O'Day,
Charlie Bodenstab, Richard Fralick, Bob Querry,
Jeffery Bossler, Greg Hertel, Gayle Rollins,
Lola Dean, George Johnson, Linda Tretheway
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Sunday, July 9th

Thanks, Amy!

I was wandering around your lovely downtown when I asked a passing local for information. That local turned out to be Amy Wynn, who suggested many nice ways to see the Island, and then gave me a card with Internet reference to her columns.

Having read them, I am particularly struck by Mother's Mantra ("Be nice.") and how Mother's little girl has so exemplified them. Thanks, Amy, for your help and your writing.

Ken Maddox
Hood River
Oregon

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