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Island County Commissioner Melanie Bacon’s Weekly Newsletter

Thank you for reading my newsletter for the 50th week of 2025.

Most Island County offices will be closed to the public, except by appointment, beginning December 22, 2025, and re-opening on January 5, 2026.  Should you have a time-sensitive matter, you may phone the office or department in question and arrange an appointment. You can find the information in the employee directory on the county website, https://www.islandcountywa.gov/Directory.aspx.

  • Regular Session, Tuesday December 9.  This is the agenda and recording for Tuesday’s meeting: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/70da7d43-11d8-4727-856d-080e1a4e9fed.
    • We recognized the service of three long-term employees: Anne Nysether, who is celebrating her 20th year with the County; Tamra Patterson, who has been with the County for 25 years; and Ed Wallace, who has been an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office for 35 years now. I am always grateful for and proud of our County employees, but on Tuesday morning as we welcomed three highly-qualified new employees and then recognized and thanked long-tenured employees who have made Island County government their career, I felt profoundly aware of how lucky we who live in Island County are to have public servants of such dedication and character. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who serves our citizens as an employee of Island County.
    • We received public comment from one citizen concerned about code enforcement on a property in Freeland.
    • We discussed and approved Resolution C-65-25, the Land Use and Building Permit Fee Schedule. Mark 00:25:33 in the video recording.
    • My colleagues selected me Chair of the Board for 2026. Mark 00:30:20 in the recording.
    • We held public hearings on two Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) applications; both were approved on a 2-to-1 vote. The Lepla application discussion begins at mark 00:31:08; the Gulick application discussion begins at mark 00:49:43.

The agenda for the last Regular Session of 2025, next Tuesday, December 16, is here: https://media.avcaptureall.cloud/meeting/30ed6d99-84bd-4a1b-9b71-103d44b6d4a2. On that agenda: Adopting the Revised Countywide Planning Policies After Reassessment for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update.

  • Tentative Upcoming Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Public Hearings (held during board meetings, beginning at 10 am):
    • Tuesday January 6:            Franchise Vafaeezdah
    • Tuesday January 6:            Franchise Allen
    • Tuesday January 13:          Public Defense
    • Tuesday January 13:          Franchise Delcoure
    • Tuesday January 13:          Franchise Witham
    • Tuesday January 13:          Franchise Solvang
    • Tuesday January 27:          Part 1 of Speed Study Public Hearing, to be held on Camano Island; public comment only; will be continued to following week
    • Tuesday February 3:          Part 2 of Speed Study Public Hearing, to be held in Coupeville; public comment and possible action
  • Work Session. This is the agenda for the December 3rd work session: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12102025-1089; here is the recording: islandcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12197/12102025-WS-Audio.Reminder: if you want to scroll through the recording to get to one of the times I note below, you will need to download it first.
    • First item was a review of our committee assignments for 2026; there were a couple of changes but most of our committee assignments will stay the same as in 2025.
    • We had a final discussion on our 2026 Legislative Priorities with our State lobbyist. Mark 0:10:35 in the recording.
    • The Executive Director of the Port of South Whidbey brought a request that the Commissioners extend the 2022 Rural Counties Economic Development (RCED) grant for a workforce housing feasibility study at the fairgrounds. The Board moved this to the Consent Agenda. Mark 0:59:20 in the recording.
    • The Board spent the afternoon with our department heads discussing their work plans for 2026. That conversation begins at mark 1:38:30 in the recording.
    • The next work session will be held on Wednesday, December 17th, beginning at 10 am; this will be our last work session of 2025. Agenda here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12172025-1093. On that agenda: Discussion of how Naturopathic Physician (ND) Training & Practice overlaps with the requirements for the LHO role; Human Services work plan; Long Range Planning will present an overview of the key themes and major updates in the draft Comp Plan materials published and the next steps in the process, including how the public can comment and upcoming public meetings; discussion on a draft Interlocal Agreement with City of Oak Harbor on Annexation Areas.
  • The Board of Health will meet next Tuesday, December 16, at 1 pm. Agenda: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_12162025-1090. On that agenda: Community Health Advisory Board (CHAB) update; a presentation and discussion on the 2025 Board of Health accomplishments; a discussion on the administrative process for Board agendas and policy prioritization to coordinate Board policy action by creating a foundational policy framework; and selection of the 2026 Board of Health Chair.
  • Planning Commission and the Comprehensive Plan Update:

IMPORTANT: the current drafts of the Comprehensive Plan elements have been released. We are asking for public comment. You will be able to find those elements here: https://www.islandcountywa.gov/209/Comprehensive-Plan.

Long Range Planning will be meeting with the Board and the Planning Commission to discuss the draft materials for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan update; dates below.

  • December 17 – Overview of Key Topics & Themes
  • January 7 – Housing (Housing and Land Use Elements, Development Regulations)
  • January 14 – Environment (Climate and Natural Resources Elements)
  • January 21 – Infrastructure (Transportation, Parks, and Capital Facilities and Utilities Elements)
  • February 4 – Economic Development and Clinton Subarea Plan

Public meetings will also be held on the following days:

Oak Harbor, at The Center: January 15 from 5 to 6:30 PM

South Whidbey, at the Clinton Community Hall: January 20 from 5 to 6:30 PM

Camano, at the County Annex Building: January 24 from 10 to 11:30 AM

  • I will meet with interested citizens in Freeland at the WiFire Community Space on Monday, December 15 at 3 pm. This will be my last open meeting with citizens in 2025.

Melanie

“Respect is like air. As long as it’s present, nobody thinks about it. But if you take it away, it’s all that people can think about. The instant people perceive disrespect in a conversation, the interaction is no longer about the original purpose—it is now about defending dignity.”            ~ from Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, and Switzler