Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon’s Weekly Newsletter

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 13^th week of 2025.

• Regular Session.  The agenda and recording for the Tuesday March 25^th Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners is here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/f5c59ace-b32c-4418-b623-f5141cf04a0d. As short as last week’s session was, this one was even shorter at just over 3 and-a-half minutes. Very soon we will start having quite long meetings, so let’s just enjoy this quiet time while it lasts.
  • There were no public comments, no regular agenda items, no public hearings.
  • The next regular session will occur at 10 am on Tuesday, April 1. The agenda for that meeting is here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/e45c5084-5ac0-45a8-8bc9-7ce96472bcb6. On that agenda: adoption of a drone policy for Public Works.
• Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during Tuesday board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
  • April 8:       2024 Budget Amendment
  • May 6:       2025 Budget Amendment 
• On Wednesday, March 26, the Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) I do not yet know why one group uploaded an audio recording while the other chose video—I’m just grateful both recordings are available.
  • COG agenda: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03262025-921; recording here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9653/03262025-COG-Audio. We heard presentations from Kristina Hines of the EDC and Inge Morascini of Embrace Whidbey and Camano Islands (the Tourism board). Tourism is the 3^rd largest industry in Island County, and EWCI collects an amazing amount of data associated with it. If you would like to access any of their reports, contact Inge.
  • IRTPO agenda: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03262025-920; video recording here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9655/03262025-IRTPO-Video. We approved a resolution stating our goal to work toward zero traffic deaths and serious injuries, but we did not yet vote on the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan due to a lot of concern expressed about the fact the plan does not (cannot, for reasons explained in the video) include road fatality data from the past year. Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes expressed her frustration particularly eloquently, at mark 0:31:44 in the video. At mark 0:58:17, I instructed Public Works on the importance of preparation to avoid this same type of frustration and derailment when they hold their public meetings on the plan.
• Work Session.  The work session scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, 2025 has been CANCELLED. The next work session will be held Wednesday, April 9^th. The agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday, April 4^th here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter.
• Island Transit.  The Board of Directors for Island Transit will meet next Friday, April 4^th at 9:30. Agenda page: https://www.islandtransit.org/Agendas-and-Minutes; zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89604483654. 
• Clinton News:
  • Tomorrow, March 29^th, the Clinton Community Council will be hosting another cleanup at Dan Porter Park. Join the Council from 10 am to 12 noon to work with the Island County Parks Department to clear paths and clean the park. Bring your gloves and small gardening tools if you have them. They’ll bring extra tools and have refreshments for volunteers.
  • The Clinton Community Council will hold their monthly meeting on Monday, March 31^st at 6 pm at the Clinton Community Hall. Marnie Jackson, Executive Director of Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN), will be the guest speaker. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93965587031?pwd=ZPafPJKZsI2wEtRCDnTuQKPugg2jkO.1.
  • The Clinton Community Hall is holding a celebration on April 19^th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm to celebrate recent improvements and to kick off their community fundraising campaign for new windows & doors. For tickets and more information: https://www.clintoncommunityhall.org/energize-the-hall/april-2025-energize-fundraiser.
• April is Whidbey Earth and Ocean Month. To stay abreast of the many events happening on Whidbey to recognize and celebrate our relationship with our planet, go here: https://whidbeyearthday.org/. Whidbey Island groups can advertise their events on that webpage for free, by emailing sami@goosefoot.org.
• Registration is now open for the 2025 Chum Run, a fundraiser for the Healthy Island Youth Initiative scholarship, https://www.islandcountywa.gov/1035/Chum-Run-2025. The 5K Chum Run will be held on Saturday, May 3^rd at Fort Casey State Park, and includes a run for adults and another for kids.
• In 2026, the United States will mark our Semiquincentennial: the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone. America’s Field Trip is a contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of America’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the opportunity to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?” Submissions will be accepted until Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific time. For more information, go here: https://america250.org/fieldtrip/
• The job posting for the Island County Chief of Staff position is live, https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/islandcounty/jobs/4867208/chief-of-staff. This posting will be up until April 9.
• The Department of the Navy has prepared Draft Amended Analysis to the 2018 Final Environmental Impact Statement and 2019 Record of Decision for EA-18G Growler Airfield Operations at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Complex, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the orders of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The analysis is available online for public review at the project website located at nepa.navy.mil/growler. The Navy will accept comments on the Draft Amended Analysis during a 45-day public comment period beginning on Friday, March 14, 2025, and ending on Monday, April 28, 2025. The Navy will hold two in-person and one virtual public meeting on the analysis.
  • Tuesday, April 1, 4 – 6 pm; Oak Harbor Elks Lodge
  • Wednesday, April 2, 4 – 6 pm; Nordic Hall, Coupeville
  • Virtual meeting Thursday, April 3, 7 – 8 pm; broadcast on the project website. The Navy will answer questions submitted in advance to growler_amended_analysis@us.navy.mil. After this initial broadcast, a recording of the virtual meeting will be posted to the project website.
• South Whidbey Fire & EMS is holding a Preparedness Conference Call to Action on Earth Day, Saturday, April 19 from 9 – 4 pm at South Whidbey High School. This is a free conference, for people who want to learn what they and their neighborhoods can do to prepare for emergencies. You can register here: https://www.swfe.org/register-today-for-the-2025-preparedness-conference.
  • This week the Seattle Times published a nice opinion piece on the importance of Washington State continuing to invest in community fire prevention: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/wa-must-keep-commitment-to-fire-prevention-on-forestland/.

• Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update: This is a link to the Planning Commission page:  https://www.islandcountywa.gov/235/Planning-Commission. You can find details on their meetings and minutes, including Zoom info, here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/Planning-Commission-4. The agendas are published at least a week in advance. The Planning Commission usually meets at 6 pm on the first and third Wednesday of each month in the Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville.
  • Next week’s Planning Commission meeting has been CANCELLED.
• The Department of Ecology is taking public comment on the County’s draft Shoreline Management Program (SMP). Public Comment Period ends Monday, March 31, 2025 5:00 p.m. The draft SMP can be found here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7770/Ordinance-C-13-24-PLG-004-24-SMP. Email your comments to: Stephanie.barney@ecy.wa.gov.
• I will NOT be attending any community meetings (Coupeville, Freeland, or Clinton) this upcoming Monday, March 31. But:
  • On Monday, April 7^th (besides my usual Freeland meeting at 3 pm), I will be holding a joint community gathering with Jesse Levesque, Executive Director of the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association (CHWA), at Cedar & Salt in Coupeville from 1 – 2 pm. Please join us to talk about CHWA, its mission and activities.

Melanie 

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”           ~ Jane Goodall