Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 25th week of 2026. Most County offices will be closed this Friday, June 19 in celebration of Juneteenth.
The big Commissioner news next week is: we will hold our public hearings on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update on Tuesday, June 23rd at 10 am, and continue it to Wednesday afternoon if we don’t get finished on Tuesday.
- The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026; video recording here.
- We heard public comment from seven individuals who want the Commissioners and Sheriff to fill the open Animal Control Officer position.
- We held three franchise public hearings; all three were approved.
- The agenda for the Tuesday June 23 meeting is here. On that agenda: the three public hearings shown below.
- NOTE: two of those public hearings are for the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan that we’ve been working on for over two years. If necessary, that meeting will be continued to Wednesday afternoon, June 24 at 2 pm, using the same zoom link that we will use for the Tuesday Board meeting. To review the final comp plan and code changes being considered, click on the “Related Docs” tab on the agenda.
- Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
- Tuesday, June 23: Establishing a Farm & Ag Committee (Assessor)
- Tuesday, June 23: Comp Plan Adoption
- Tuesday, June 23: Comp Plan Code Changes & Repeal of the moratorium in Mixed-Use LAMIRDs
- Wednesday, June 24: Comp Plan/Code Changes continued (if needed)
– at 2 pm, using same Zoom link as Tuesday’s meeting - Tuesday, July 7: Rockaway Park (franchise)
- Tuesday, July 7: Wiedmann & Fuller (franchise)
- The Board held Work Session on Wednesday June 17. The agenda for that meeting. Audio recording.
- We began with our Budget department, talking about the 2026 Grant Cycle Awards for the Rural County Economic Development (RCED) funds. We will be funding four requests: (1) Parker Road Sewer/Storm Line extension for the Town of Coupeville; (2) Possession Point Dock Rehabilitation for the Port of South Whidbey; (3) Keystone Preserve Access (a left-turn lane on SR 525 and ADA access work) for the Whidbey Camano Land Trust through Island County Public Works; (4) Workforce Parking Expansion for WhidbeyHealth. Documents begin on page 3 of the agenda.
- Public Health gave a presentation on the 2026 Chum Run which will be held on July 3 at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor. The Chum Run is a fundraiser for the Island County Healthy Island Youth Initiative (HIYI). See pp 67-68 in the agenda; mark 1:25:51 in the recording.
- The next Work Session will be held on Wednesday, July 8. The agenda for this meeting will be posted by Thursday July 2 here.
- The Council of Governments (COG) and Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) will meet next Wednesday, June 24 beginning at 9 am. Both meetings use the same zoom link, which can be found in the agendas.
- COG agenda (9 am). On that agenda: Sno-Isle Libraries Programs and Services Presentation; Oak Harbor Creative Arts Foundation Presentation; Island County Jail Presentation.
- IRTPO agenda (10 am). On that agenda: STBG Project Programming; HSTP consultant; Regional Transportation Improvement Plan Update.
- The November general election ballot will include an advisory vote for the County Commissioners regarding consumer fireworks. What the Commissioners will ask voters is: should the Island County Board of Commissioners amend Island County Code Section 9.08A – Fireworks to ban the use of consumer fireworks in Unincorporated Island County? This will be an advisory yes/no vote only—the Commissioners want to know how you feel before we decide whether or not to take any further action on fireworks. I plan to include Pro and Con statements in the Voters Pamphlet, which means I need to form a committee of 1 – 3 registered voters to write the Con statement (a committee has already volunteered to write the Pro statement). These statements are limited to 200 words, and I will provide the committee with template and submittal information. If you are opposed to banning fireworks and are interested in serving on the Con committee, email me at district1@islandcountywa.gov.
- Island Transit news: https://www.islandtransit.org/
- Island Senior Resources news: https://senior-resources.org/.
- ISR is asking the Island County community at large to help shape the future of their services and contribute to ISR’s path to 2031. Please complete this survey to share your vision for senior services.
- I will be meeting with interested citizens on Monday, June 22 at 3 pm at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland. I will NOT be meeting with the public on the following two Mondays—I will miss June 29 and July 6. On Monday, July 13, District 3 Commissioner candidate Satin Arnett will join me at the Freeland Hall at 3 pm to meet with interested citizens. And on Monday, July 20, District 3 Commissioner candidate Matt Van Pelt will join me, also at the Freeland Hall at 3 pm.
Melanie
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”~ E.E. Cummings