In 2018, voters approved a rate of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value to support the Library District’s services. The current levy rate is $0.3039084203 per $1,000 of assessed value. 

“The 2018 library levy is at the end of its life. Through careful stewardship, the Trustees have used public funds responsibly and extended the levy as long as possible. If we did not advance this ballot measure, our Library District would look very different. After careful consideration, the Board has decided to ask voters to determine the future of their library services,” said Board of Trustee President Jennifer DePrey. 

A levy is a voter-approved property tax that helps fund civic infrastructure like schools, libraries, or fire stations. Voters deciding whether to restore the library levy is a normal part of long-term public funding. The levy funding makes up 91% of Sno-Isle Libraries operating budget.   

State law limits the Library District’s annual property tax revenue growth to 1% a year. In 2018, Library Leadership projected the library levy would support services for seven years. The Library District has exceeded its commitment to voters by maintaining the current levy despite rising costs and a greater demand for its services.   

This August 4th, voters will decide whether to restore the library levy to its previous rate. It’s an important decision that will help shape the future of Sno-Isle Libraries. 

https://www.sno-isle.org/levy

The big public hearing for the Planning Commission on the Comprehensive Plan begins next Wednesday, May 20 (see details below). I learned this week that there are over 12,000 subscribers to the Planning Commission’s newsletter. If you are interested in subscribing to that or any other newsletter or notice published by the County, go here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/list.aspx.

Monday May 25 will be Memorial Day. Most County offices will be closed.

• The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, May 12, 2026; video recording here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/0a0802e4-30c2-4397-b3ee-a491e150d9e4.
  • There was no general public comment offered this week.
  • We held a public hearing on bundling curbside recycling services with our regular solid waste disposal contract. Andrew Riggs of Island Disposal brought an informative presentation; this discussion and presentation can be seen beginning at mark 00:13:40 in the video recording. There were two public comments, one in opposition and one in favor. The Board voted 2 – 1 to amend our code to include bundling curbside recycling with household garbage collection on Whidbey; this will mean a monthly increase of $6.50 – $7 to Whidbey citizens’ bills from Island Disposal. We chose the bundling option over elective curbside recycling to keep the cost down—a recent survey showed that citizens would not be interested in curbside recycling if it added more than $10 per month to their bill, and an elective program would cost more than that. The survey also found that an overwhelming majority of citizens want curbside recycling. Citizens affected by this decision include those living in rural Whidbey and in Langley.
  • The agenda for the Tuesday May 19 meeting is here:  https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/993f4b44-e3fc-44d8-8c95-08f26522dce8. On that agenda: the two public hearings shown below.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Procurement   
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Amending Record of Proceedings code
  • Tuesday, June 2:        SE Camano Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Olympic Marine Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Higgins Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Private/commercial dog kennels
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Potentially dangerous dogs
• The agenda for the Wednesday May 13 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132026-1170; the recording is here: islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14714/05132026-WS-Audio.
  • Long Range Planning brought a discussion on the final drafts of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations, mark 0:09:57 in the recording.
  • We had a long discussion on our Budget process and positions held for further consideration. Summary: things aren’t yet as dire as we were anticipating for 2026, but we are concerned about 2027. We are instructing departments to not request new positions or new programs next year. Mark 0:54:30 in the recording.
  • The agenda for the Wednesday May 20 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05202026-1174. On that agenda: Columbia Policy Advisors will present an update on the recent Washington Legislative Session; we’ll discuss the funding amount for the 2027 2% Hotel-Motel Lodging Tax Grant cycle (the amount we’ll make available for LTAC grants); proposed 6-years draft TIP and CWU plan; discussion/review of draft 2027-2032 Capital Improvement Plan spreadsheet; presentations for 2026 Rural County Economic Development Grant funds for public projects; discussion of 2026 Budget Amendments as requested by Departments; Conservation Futures Fund (CFP) Project Applications – Citizens Advisory Board Recommendations.

• Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update:   After two years of in-depth work, this month the Planning Commission will finish their involvement in the development of the 2026 Comprehensive Plan. The Board is very grateful to everyone who served on this essential board during this time. Here 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 final draft Comprehensive Plan is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan.
  • If you want to know details about all the meetings held over the last two years to develop this document, go to Appendices link: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14590/APPENDICES-COMBINED; if you want to know what happened with your public comment, go to the Public Comment Matrix here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14591/Public-Comment-Matrix.
  • Wednesday May 20 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM
  • Wednesday May 27 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM—only if the Planning Commission has more work to do and needs to continue the May 20 meeting to another week.
• SR 20 closure in north Oak Harbor: WSDOT had to reschedule the final night of paving and will close eastbound and westbound SR 20 at West Fakkema Road north of Oak Harbor from 7 p.m. Monday, May 18, to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 19.
• Clinton Community Council will meet on Monday, May 18 beginning at 6 pm at the Clinton Community Hall. Sno-Isle Executive Director Eric Howard will discuss the future of the Sno-Isle Libraries system and how the proposed Levy Lift would provide the resources needed to sustain its financial health and support expanded services for years to come. For the zoom link, go here: https://clintoncommunitycouncil.org/events/.
• Island Senior Resources news: https://senior-resources.org/.
  • Empowering Caregivers: Support and Resources, Wednesday May 20, 10:30 am at the Center in Oak Harbor, 51 SE Jerome Street. Free event; Join for actionable strategies and encouragement to build a stronger support system. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/calendar/caresupport/.
  • Benefit Dinner and Auction, Sunday May 31, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Golf Tournament, Monday, June 1, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Island Senior Resources is actively recruiting for a full-time Executive Director. You can find details on the position here: https://www.facebook.com/prothmanco and here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prothmanco.

• The Port of South Whidbey is excited to sponsor a seasonal “Harbor Hopper” foot ferry offering two Everett and two Langley trip options on Thursdays and Saturdays June 4 – August 29 aboard the Hat Island Ferry. The South Whidbey Record has a nice story about this: https://www.southwhidbeyrecord.com/2026/05/12/passenger-only-ferry-to-connect-langley-everett/.
• On Monday May 18 I will meet with interested citizens at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland at 3 pm and at the Clinton Community Hall at 5 pm. I will not meet on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

Melanie

Today is National Endangered Species Day.

“The only way to save a rhinoceros is to save the environment in which it lives, because there’s a mutual dependency between it and millions of other species of both animals and plants.”                    ~ David Attenborough

In 2018, voters approved a rate of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value to support the Library District’s services. The current levy rate is $0.3039084203 per $1,000 of assessed value. 

“The 2018 library levy is at the end of its life. Through careful stewardship, the Trustees have used public funds responsibly and extended the levy as long as possible. If we did not advance this ballot measure, our Library District would look very different. After careful consideration, the Board has decided to ask voters to determine the future of their library services,” said Board of Trustee President Jennifer DePrey. 

A levy is a voter-approved property tax that helps fund civic infrastructure like schools, libraries, or fire stations. Voters deciding whether to restore the library levy is a normal part of long-term public funding. The levy funding makes up 91% of Sno-Isle Libraries operating budget.   

State law limits the Library District’s annual property tax revenue growth to 1% a year. In 2018, Library Leadership projected the library levy would support services for seven years. The Library District has exceeded its commitment to voters by maintaining the current levy despite rising costs and a greater demand for its services.   

This August 4th, voters will decide whether to restore the library levy to its previous rate. It’s an important decision that will help shape the future of Sno-Isle Libraries. 

https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan

We are transitioning our website documents to a new format to make them all ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, and like most new software implementations we’re finding a few glitches. So if you encounter wonkiness with some of our links for a while (I found two just this morning) please be patient with us while we work this out.

• The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, May 5, 2026; video recording here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/742573bd-7eeb-4e0f-8a28-b2661f9d7d1c.
  • There was no public comment this week.
  • We held two sewer franchise public hearings; both franchises were approved.
  • The agenda for the Tuesday May 12 meeting is here:  https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/0a0802e4-30c2-4397-b3ee-a491e150d9e4. On that agenda: the two franchise public hearings shown below.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
  • Tuesday, May 5:         St. Peter Franchise  
  • Tuesday, May 5:         Hellum Franchise  
  • Tuesday, May 12:       Curbside Recycling
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Procurement   
  • Tuesday, May 19:       Amending Record of Proceedings code
  • Tuesday, June 2:        SE Camano Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Olympic Marine Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 2:        Higgins Franchise
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Private/commercial dog kennels
  • Tuesday, June 9:        Potentially dangerous dogs
• The agenda for the Wednesday May 6 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-40c6752ab804bc1b9d8dc968c49a719e; the recording is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14670/05062026-WS-Audio.
  • We had a robust conversation and presentation about the proposed new Jail, beginning at mark 0:1:54 in the recording. The presentation begins on page 5 of the agenda; in this presentation we talked about the issues driving this project and the timeline for next steps.
  • The second part of the jail conversation was a discussion on the selection of the site. We opted to not move forward with the resolution proposed (which selected a specific site); instead we tasked the Facilities Director to work with a jail consultant to perform a comparative validation of the three sites to ensure the County fully understands the known variables, risks, and cost implications before committing to a site.
  • The scheduled Human Services presentation was tabled for a future date.
  • The agenda for the Wednesday May 13 Work Session is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05132026-1170. On that agenda: a discussion on the final drafts of the Island County 2025 Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations, and discussion of budget status, revenue concerns, and Commissioner goals and direction for the 2027 Budget Process.
• On Wednesday the Board also interviewed applicants for interim Superior Court Clerk. We appointed Michelle Schisler who served as the final Deputy Clerk under Debra Van Pelt. Ms. Schisler is not running for the office in the upcoming election, which we feel will provide the office with consistency for the next five months while also placing all of the candidates on an equal footing for the voters. The interviews can be heard here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/14669/05062026-Clerk-Interviews-Audio; one of the candidates scheduled was unable to be interviewed due to a family emergency.
• Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update:   After two years of in-depth work, this month the Planning Commission will finish their involvement in the development of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan. The Board is very grateful to everyone who served on this essential board during this time. Here 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. They intend to hold three Planning Commission meetings in May as shown below, in the Commissioners Hearing Room in Coupeville:
  • The final draft Comprehensive Plan is here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan.
  • Wednesday May 13 – Workshop @ 6 PM (this replaces the usual first-Wednesday meeting in order to give the Planning Commission and public sufficient time to review the final draft Comp Plan)
  • Wednesday May 20 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM
  • Wednesday May 27 – Public Hearing @ 6 PM
• Island Transit news: https://www.islandtransit.org/
  • Island Transit Executive Director Melinda Adams was featured in the People Forward Leadership Podcast, where she spoke about Driving Culture Change: Trust, Growth, and the Power of People:  https://www.carolparkerwalsh.com/podcasts/the-people-forward-leadership-podcast/episodes/2149094287.
• Island Senior Resources news: https://senior-resources.org/.
  • Benefit Dinner and Auction, Sunday May 31, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Golf Tournament, Monday, June 1, Whidbey Golf Club, 2430 Fairway Ln, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. For more information: https://senior-resources.org/benefit-events-2026/.
  • Island Senior Resources is actively recruiting for a full-time Executive Director. You can find details on the position here: https://www.facebook.com/prothmanco or here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/prothmanco.
• Message from WSDOT: SR 20 to close for three nights starting Monday, May 11, for roundabout paving near Oak Harbor
  • OAK HARBOR – Eastbound and westbound State Route 20 will close for three nights beginning Monday, May 11, at West Fakkema Road north of Oak Harbor.
  • These closures will allow contractors working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to remove and replace pavement at the new SR 20 compact roundabout at West Fakkema Road. The project was suspended over the winter.
  • What to expect:
  • From 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly Monday, May 11, through Thursday morning, May 14, both directions of SR 20 will close between Regatta Drive and Ault Field Road.
  • People traveling through the area should use one of the following detours:
    • Eastbound and westbound SR 20 travelers should use West Ault Field and Goldie roads.
    • Local traffic on the east side of SR 20 should use Sleeper and West Crescent Harbor roads.
  • Some of the work requires dry and warm weather and may need to be rescheduled.
  • The new roundabout was designed to slow vehicle speeds near the intersection, calm traffic and help create easier decisions for drivers. The project is expected to finish in June, when crews return to install permanent striping.
• I will meet with interested citizens at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland at 3 pm on each Monday through the month of May.

Melanie

Today is National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which recognizes the significant contributions, support, and sacrifices made by the spouses of the men and women in the Armed Forces. 

“The resilience of our families…and our children…is absolutely what has allowed us to do things that we’ve asked our force to do. The strength of our U.S. Armed Forces, the strength of our nation is in…our military families.”   ~ General Joseph Dunford, retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff