SJC Postpones OPALCO’s Hearing for Proposed Bailer Hill Solar Project in Favor of Additional Info
San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) is postponing the public hearing examiner meeting (previously scheduled for Dec. 18) for OPALCO’s Bailer Hill micro-grid and battery installation project while waiting for additional information. The future hearing examiner meeting date is to be determined (TBD).
WA Turns Redder, Despite Faulty Media Reports That Said Otherwise
Bellevue—Washington did NOT “turn bluer” in this month’s general election, despite faulty reports from the mainstream media. In fact, by standard political metrics, Evergreen State voters turned slightly more toward Republican candidates in 2024. This continues an incremental move toward the political middle that’s been in place for several years.
San Juan County Seeks Volunteers to Fill Vacant Seats on Multiple Advisory Boards and Committees
San Juan County is seeking volunteers to serve on various boards and committees that help shape daily life in the San Juan Islands. Are you interested in participating in local government and sharing your skills? See if one of the vacant positions is right for you!
More Biden Administration Legacy for Washington State
Senator Murray Secures Confirmation of Rebecca Pennell as U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Washington—Filling Nearly All of WA’s Federal Bench with Biden-Harris Judges
With Pennell’s confirmation, Senator Murray has recommended and successfully secured the votes to confirm ten federal judges from Washington state to lifetime appointments under the Biden-Harris administration—including a Judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, seven District Court Judges in the Western District of Washington, and two in the Eastern District of Washington
Happy Veterans Day!
For many years I thought saying 'Happy Veterans Day' seemed a poor choice in words. Many of us have died from the endless wars, what is there to be happy about? Once I realized that without veterans there would be no country and no day of recognition for those of us who put our live on the line.
So, from the mountain top - HAPPY VETERANS DAY!
State Court Databases Experiencing Extended System-Wide Outage
During the week of November 4, Washington State courts are experiencing a system-wide outage that prevents access to the State case management system and court documents. San Juan County Superior Court and District Court are impacted by this outage.
The state agency that provides superior courts with a case management system, the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), has reported an unauthorized system event that has forced them to remove access to critical systems. AOC also maintains the statewide Judicial Information System, which contains important case information for district courts. This affects all counties statewide, including San Juan County, resulting in a temporary loss of access to these AOC-provided systems. AOC is actively working to restore service, but the disruption is anticipated to continue through the week or longer. Due to this event, the Washington Courts website is also down – a site the public uses to access court forms and other court-related resources.
McVeigh Disagrees with the Republicans [Knych]
County Council candidate Kari McVeigh has stated that she sought the Democrat endorsement in a non-partisan race because she disagrees with the Republicans on a definition of marriage. So, she declines to speak with, or hear the county related concerns of a significant portion of the population even though the county council does not have the power to legislate beliefs.
San Juan County Fair Announces 2025 Theme & Calls on Community for Poster Art
Although it may seem like Fair just ended, the San Juan County Parks & Fair staff are already hard at work preparing for the 2025 San Juan County Fair! As we look ahead at our hopes for the Fairgrounds, the department is pleased to announce this year's theme: " Into the Future, True to Our Roots.”
“The San Juan County Fair Board chose this theme as a continuation of the 2024 celebration of ‘100 Years at Home,’” said Fair Board President Barbara Bevens. “We celebrate our past and our values while looking to the future.”
Now that the theme has been announced, San Juan County residents are invited to enter the annual Fair Poster Art Contest! Details are listed below, and we couldn’t be more excited to see what our community creates!
Kari McVeigh Needs a Fact Check [Knych]
There were several statements made by some of the candidates at the forum on Saturday that deserve fact checking. One statement by Kari McVeigh needs a fact check. When asked why she solicited and got an endorsement from the Democrat Party for a position on county council that is supposed to be non-partisan, she answered that the Republican Party has a statement in their platform that is opposed to gay marriage. She then said she is a gay woman implying that she is a victim of discrimination.
The platform for SJ County Republicans is attached. THERE IS NO SUCH CLAUSE IN THE SAN JUAN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM.
The SJCRP Platform is also posted on the San Juan County Republican website at https://sjcrp.org/about/your-pcos/
Kari’s untrue statement makes it clear that she will NOT represent all SJ County citizens if elected and that she has a bias against a large segment of our population.
Minnie Knych
Friday Harbor
November 5, 2024, General Election. Vote! Sign! Send!
All registered San Juan County voters will receive a ballot for the 2024 General Election. Use this list of key election dates and registration information to plan your voting.
The November 5 General includes races for President of the United States, Governor, Lt. Governor, State Senator, State Representative, additional Washington State government offices, United States Senator, United States Representative, and other local offices. Ballot measures for the San Juan County Land Bank, San Juan County Fire Protection District 3, and Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District are also before voters.
It’s not too late to take part. One can register to vote online or by mail up until October 28. After that, you can register in person at the County Election Office up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Land Bank Impact on Property Taxes
A recent posting argued the Land Bank isn’t the cause of increasing property taxes as there’s multiple nationwide factors. I agree with some of the reasoning, but an important element was missing. Many if not all of those nationwide factors don’t have a Real Estate Excise Tax(REET). Nobody is arguing the LB is solely responsible for inflating property taxes. What is being argued is the LB is a BIG contributing factor in San Juan County.
The following link connects to the Land Bank(LB) website with an outline on the LB impact of property taxes. Impact on Taxes. It illustrates a perspective of how removing LB acquisition properties from tax rolls has little effect on property taxes. In the last paragraph is the sentence:
Being near conservation land boosts property values by up to 20% according to multiple analyses
Public Lands are Precious. So are Private Lands. [Carlson]
34 years ago the Land Bank presented a creative solution to the problems facing San Juan County at that time. Land development and the passing of a generation of legacy landowners meant ownership turnover for a large percentage of the County's land base. Few options or outside resources existed for landowners or neighbors looking to preserve land.
Since its beginning, the Land Bank has purchased 5000 acres and controls an additional 2300 acres through easements. That is a remarkable conservation legacy for San Juan County. The Land Bank has fulfilled its mandate.
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OPALCO Still Confused on Climate, Solar and what Renewable Energy Really Is
In OPACLO's blog Why Local Generation Is Important: Part 1 of 3 they seem to believe the hype created by the now debunked climate hoax that seems to only affect California, Oregon, Washington and parts of Canada. Where else on this plant do we see climate change wildfires running amok?
Could OPACLO not find a current supply/demand graf? 2019 was so long ago.
How much has OPALCO spent on nuclear power, the most underrated renewalble green power source we have. With micro nuclear plants coming fast to all corners of the planet we should be looking at that as a better form of local power. Wind, water and solar are nice but have no scalablity and reliance on environment.
Maybe parts 2 and 3 will be better.
Back In Session: Sheriff’s Office Reminds Drivers of School Bus Safety
With school districts around San Juan County resuming classes in early January, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers of school bus safety laws and best practices.
“It is never ok to pass a school bus with the stop-arm out,” said Sheriff Eric Peter. “The Sheriff's Office has received several calls regarding people either disregarding or not being aware of the school buses when they are stopped with the red lights flashing and the stop sign out to load and unload children.”
County Seeks to Address Flooding, Sightlines & Congestion with Douglas/Bailer Hill Rd Project on SJI
San Juan County’s Public Works Department is preparing to advertise to bid the Douglas/Bailer Hill Road Improvements Project this month. The County expects to evaluate bids at the end of January and determine if the project can move forward. In the event the County is able to proceed with the 1.3-mile-long project, the department is pleased to share the preliminary scope, timeline, and accommodations.
Announcing Leo Michael's Retirement
With gratitude and great appreciation for his years of service in San Juan County, we announce that Leo Michael will retire from his role as owner and principal of Safe Harbor Insurance at the new year, January 1, 2025. We recognize his many years of hard work, commitment, and friendship as a long term SJI local. His expertise and personal touch will be greatly missed by his clients, colleagues, and neighbors.
Leo has a hard time thinking about retirement, as he genuinely loves this community, his co-workers, and the local friendly faces who swing by just to say hello!
Reminder: No left turns at Nichols Street & Argyle Ave
San Juan County Sheriff posted this message to the community.
San Juan Island community, it has now been over five months since the "NO LEFT TURN SIGNS" were installed for public safety reasons at the intersection of Nichols St & Argyle Ave. There are still too many people either not being aware of the signs or just choosing not to follow the no left turn signs.
DRAFT North Shore Preserve Stewardship and Management Plan Now Open for Public Comment
The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is seeking public input on its recently completed Draft Stewardship and Management Plan (SMP) for North Shore Preserve on Orcas Island. The purpose of this SMP is to identify overarching goals and management objectives for the Preserve’s natural, historic and cultural resources. In general, SMPs guide decision-making, work planning, and promote transparency. For the 76 percent of Land Bank properties that are open to the public, SMPs also define the level of public access in ways that meet our mission to provide opportunities for low-intensity recreation. These plans are revised periodically in response to changing environmental and social conditions.
You can download a copy of the Draft North Shore Preserve SMP from the Land Bank’s website by following this link: DRAFT Stewardship and Management Plan for North Shore Preserve.
- Public Comment Period: October 17 – November 17, 2024
- Please submit your comments by November 17, 2024.
You're Invited! San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Seeks Community Input
Got questions for Your Conservation Land Bank? We want to hear from you! We will host a county wide public meeting on Thursday – October 24th from 6pm - 7:30 pm.
We’ll kick off the meeting with a brief organizational update from staff. The remainder of the meeting will be open for questions from the public.
Register here to join the meeting: October 24, 2024, Community Conversation
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS A PROPOSAL BY PUBLIC WORKS TO SITE AN ESSENTIAL PUBLIC FACILITY ON SHAW ISLAND
The San Juan Department of Community Development will hold a public meeting on Thursday, December 5, 2024, to discuss an application by San Juan County Public Works to site an Essential Public Facility on Shaw Island. To review the proposal, please visit Essential Public Facilities
The public meeting will be held in person beginning at or after 11:30 AM on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at the Shaw Community Center, 42 Reef Net Bay Road, Shaw Island.
San Juan County: The Next Nantucket? Consider a No vote for the Land Bank
I’ve long been drawn to Nantucket, often compared to Friday Harbor, where I’ve lived as a native islander and farmer. My family has lived in the San Juans for over seven generations. In September 2022, a trip to see fall colors on the East Coast finally brought me there, and I ensured we included Nantucket in our plans.
Though lodging was pricey, we settled on a motel for convenience. Arriving via fast ferry from Hyannis, we quickly discovered that Nantucket is a beautiful yet expensive destination, much like Friday Harbor.
