Next Wednesday is November 11, Veteran’s Day. County offices will be closed in observance.

• The Regular Session of the Board of Island County Commissioners was held on Tuesday, November 3; video recording here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/cc2c2857-8fcb-4235-8f23-c6c249b53eb9.
  • There were no general public comments this week.
  • We held one public hearing this week, on the Planning work plan and docket for 2027. Two members of the public offered comments. The docket was approved, mark 00:04:57 in the video recording.
  • The agenda for the Tuesday, November 10 meeting: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/9212f83f-b8d6-4106-9bf2-9b0c02c8af0d. On the regular agenda: an update from Risk Management regarding the Coupeville Transfer Station. There are no public hearings scheduled for next week.
• Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am, unless otherwise noted):
  • Tuesday, Dec 1:            Public Benefit Rating System update (PBRS)
  • Monday, Dec 7:             2027 Budget & Levies
  • Tuesday, Dec 8:            New Code: Unified Approach to Code Enforcement
• Work Session. This is the agenda for the Wednesday November 4 work session: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter – docaccess-092bb52e8fa6232ea3edccb90de56cb4; this is the audio recording: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/16381/11042026-WS-Audio.
  • Public Health brought an update on their work updating our On-Site Sewage Systems (OSS) and Local Management Plan (LMP) codes (last updated almost twenty years ago). The presentation can be found beginning on page 22 of the agenda. There will be opportunities for public engagement early next year. The discussion begins at mark 0:15:55 in the audio recording. 
  • There will be no more work sessions in November: next Wednesday is Veteran’s Day, the following Wednesday my colleagues will be at the annual Washington State Association of Counties conference, and the Wednesday after that is the day before Thanksgiving. The next work session will be held on Wednesday, December 2^nd. The agenda for that meeting will be posted by Friday, November 27^th on the Agenda Center page, here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter.
• The Executive Board of Island Transit met this morning. The agenda is here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/ac3d33af/files/uploaded/11.6.26+Board+Agenda+-+website.pdf.
  • We heard one public comment, in favor of the expanded Navy route in Oak Harbor.
  • We reviewed the draft budget, which will be approved at our December meeting. The budget materials provided to the Board include a level of granularity the Board has never received before, which we appreciate due to our focus on accountability and transparency.
  • We reviewed a draft of onboarding materials for new board members.
• Public Health Update:
  • Behind the Scenes: A Tour of Public Health on Our Islands, Tuesday, November 10, 3:00pm–4:00pm, Coupeville Library. Ever wonder what your local health department actually does? More than you might think. Join Island County Public Health Director Shawn Morris, ND, MPH for a short, visual talk about the behind-the-scenes work that touches daily life across Whidbey and Camano — from septic permits and safe drinking water you’d expect to salmon recovery, shoreline restoration, and nurse home visits for new families. Come see how it all connects and meet the department working to keep our community healthy. Learn more at https://sno-isle.bibliocommons.com/v2/events/6a721fbc4523092f0034ab9b.
  • November is National Family Caregivers Month. We want to honor the friends, family members, and neighbors who dedicate their time and hearts to caring for loved ones. This journey can be challenging, but you don’t have to walk it alone. Help is available right here in Island County. Through our community directory, Thrive Island County, you can easily search for local caregiver support groups, respite care, and counseling services all in one place: www.thrive.islandcountywa.gov. You can also connect directly with these key programs:
  • Island Senior Resources: Offers a family caregiver support program for those caring for older adults. https://senior-resources.org
  • Island County Developmental Disabilities Program: Provides support for caregivers of children and adults with disabilities. www.islandcountywa.gov/194/Developmental-Disabilities-Program
  • Steps: Helping children with developmental disabilities and their families grow, learn, and thrive. https://takingstepstogether.org/
• There are two informational meetings on El Niño that you might be interested in, both featuring Dr. Ian Miller, Washington Sea Grant’s coastal hazards specialist working out of Peninsula College in Port Angeles.
  • On Tuesday, November 10 from 11 am – 12 pm online, three coastal experts will talk about what this year’s El Niño means for coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest. This discussion is sponsored by the Coastal Hazards Resilience Network and anyone can view and join. For more information and to register: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/3f7a3615-6204-4e34-809b-d61c4b6cb879@11d0e217-264e-400a-8ba0-57dcc127d72d?source=copyLinkLegacyShareEventDialog.
  • On Thursday, November 19 from 6 – 8 pm at the Coupeville Recreation Hall, Sound Water Stewards is sponsoring their first event in a new lecture series program that is free and open to the public and members alike: A Sea Level Rise Update for Washington State and the Influence of Low Pressure and El Niño/Kelvin Wave Events. For more information, go here: https://soundwaterstewards.org/event/new-sws-lecture-series/. Tickets are Free but Reservations are Required for this event! Please go to https://ticketstripe.com/sws-sea-level-rise-update to RSVP for this event.
• I will return to my normal meetings with citizens at the WiFire Community Space in Freeland on Monday, December 7, at 3 pm. Hope you can join us then.

Melanie

“We, too, born to freedom, and believing in freedom, are willing to fight to maintain freedom. We, and all others who believe as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”                 ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Island County Candidate Forum

 Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Candidates Participating in this Forum:

Legislative District 10 State Representative Position 1

Legislative District 10 State Representative Position 2

County Commissioner District 3

County Clerk

Island County Candidate Forum

Monday, October 19, 2026

Candidates Participating in this Forum:

County Auditor

County Assessor

County Sheriff

County Prosecutor

Island County Candidate Forum Videos

October 13, 2026

Legislative District 10 State Representatives

Candidates Attending:

Position 1:

Clyde Shavers (I) (Democrat) Robert “Chili” Hicks (Republican)

Position 2:

Dave Paul (I) (Democrat) Tim Hazelo (Republican)

Island County Clerk

Candidates Attending:

Dierdre Butler (Democrat) Maria Hazelo (Republican)

Island County Commissioner District 3

Candidates Attending:

Grant Shaw (Democrat) Matthew Van Pelt (Republican)

Island County Candidate ForumVideos

October 19, 2026

Island County Assessor

Candidates Attending:

Doug Stults (Democrat)

Island County Sheriff

Candidates Attending:

Rick Felici (I) (Independent) Tavier Wasser (Democrat)

Island County Auditor

Candidates Attending:

Barbara Fuller (Democrat)

Island County Prosecutor

Candidates Attending:

Greg Banks (I) (No Party Preference) Andrew Scott (Democrat)

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