The following was provided by Mary Jane Aurdal-Olson
Friends, there is more than one issue that Commissioners Price-Johnson and Homola have scheduled for discussion this week that have a huge impact on Island County residents, our rights and way of life.
Location (Unless otherwise noted): Board of County Commissioners Hearing Room (Room 102B Basement), Island County Annex Bldg., 1 NE 6thStreet, Coupeville, WA
- New Signage and Outdoor Lighting Standards (Public Hearing)
- Commissioners discuss Draft Ordinance on Discharge of Firearms
- Curbside Recycling (Public Hearing)
December 18:
5:30 PM: New Signage and Outdoor Lighting Standards - You will want to look at the new wording – I find it vague and subject to your vision of Island County, my vision, and the
Commissioners’ visions. This is something you need to pay attention to! The proposed sign code can be found by following this link: http://www.islandcounty.net/planning/SignCodeUpdate.htm
PLEASE NOTE THE DATE FOR THE FIREARMS HEARING IS CHANGED TO DECEMBER 20TH!
9:00 AM: BOCC Reconvenes – Regular Agenda – (Regular Agenda Items include continued Commissioners’ discussion regarding draft ordinance on discharge of firearms)
1:00 PM: Public Hearing – Curbside Recycling
You most likely are up to speed on the shooting ordinance but you probably want to hear how the Commissioners will attempt to make it more palatable.
The Commissioners also need to hear from us about Curbside Recycling.
The following email I received (from former IC Commissioner Dick Caldwell) defines the issues very well.
His letter:
“(I have submitted copies as letter to the editor, but do not expect to see them in print. I don’t think many people know about the hearing. Would you notify people on your lists about the hearing? The proposal will not affect people who are not customers of Island Disposal. Dick)
Following is testimony for the Public Hearing on Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 1:00 pm regarding Ordinance C-143-12/SW-21-12 adopting new Island County Code Chapter 13.04.
We are submitting written rather than oral testimony because of the unusual and exceptionally inconvenient time you have chosen for this public hearing. Please have this testimony entered as part of the official record of this hearing.
We are opposed to this proposal to require all single-family residence customers of Island Disposal located in unincorporated Island County to pay for a new curbside recycle program because it is unnecessary and is not cost effective.
Curbside recycling is unnecessary in unincorporated Island County.
Island Disposal currently provides dependable and affordable residential trash pickup.
Recycle centers are conveniently located near most shopping centers in Island County.
Most of us deposit recycle material as part of a trip to a store near a recycle center so there is almost no extra time and travel required.
State Department of Ecology ranks Island County recycle rate for 2010 as better than most other counties (17 of 39), so the current voluntary system is working.
Curbside recycling in unincorporated Island County is not cost efficient.
If the cost of this proposal is $11.00 each month, residential customers like us, with one can weekly service would experience a rate increase of more than 63% for additional service that we do not need or want. And we would still need to take our glass to a recycle park!
The current system allows individuals to collect, separate and deliver recycle materials with almost no added time or travel cost. We rarely spend more than five minutes at the recycle park and drive only a few hundred feet out of our way to reach it.
Instead of minimal extra travel for individuals, this proposal would require large trucks traveling all over the island in order to collect recycle materials, and would require hiring people to separate recycle materials which individuals now do voluntarily. How does this make any sense?
Curbside recycling in unincorporated Island County may have unintended consequences.
If this proposal becomes law, some will discontinue Island Disposal service and will make dump runs as necessary to dispose of trash. If a significant number of residents drop residential trash pickup, the cost for residential service could increase for those remaining since the cost of trucks and drivers is relatively fixed.
We do not want to leave Island Disposal. We think they provide good service at a fair price, but we will not willingly buy a service that we do not need or want!
Please reject Ordinance C-143-12/SW-21-12.
Thank you for your consideration,
Dick and Joan Caldwell”
If you are unable to attend these meetings, I suggest you contact each Commissioner and let them know 1) you want to be updated regarding each issue, and 2) whether you support or oppose their proposed actions.
You may email the Commissioners at:
Kelly Emerson district3@co.island.wa.us
Angie Homola district2@co.islalnd.wa.us
Helen Price-Johnson district1@co.island.wa.us
Or by phone:
Office: (360) 679-7354
Fax: (360) 679-7381
Camano: (360) 629-4522 x7354
South Whidbey: (360) 321-5111 x7354
Camano Island Courthouse Annex:
360-387-3443, Ext. 0
Frankly, I find it really crappy that Price-Johnson and Homola have decided to address these very important issues during the week before Christmas. If I was in a poetic mood, I’m sure I could come up with some verses about how the “Grincheners” behaved the week before Christmas trying to have all the ordinances “tied up in a bow” before the end of the year. That ain’t no way to treat your taxpayers – no way
Thanks for your time and I apologize if you receive this more than once. Have a great week!
Mary Jane
Mary Jane Aurdal-Olson
REPUBLICANS OF ISLAND COUNTY
Founding Member/Board of Directors
Membership Chairman
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This is sort of like how an upcoming meeting about Coupeville NOLF is not going to be open to the public… http://www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/183579451.html
Sort of like how the Commissioner going there I think many a Navy Leaguer has concerns about…
Overall: I wish Commissioner-elect Johnson would start getting a bit vocal about the grand royale mess her and Commissioner Emerson are going to have to clean up. The voters of Island County gave her that right, methinks.
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What is your source for claiming that this OLF-related meeting “is not going to be open to the public”? I did not see that stated in the WNT article.
I would agree that not having had a time and place delineated might make such a meeting less accessible (if one has to ferret out that information on one’s own), but that is not the same thing as claiming that the meeting will bar the public (or the press).
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Just a keen perception. I do think you and I need to be raising a stink to our network of friends demanding access… we are after all unquestionably NAS Whidbey Island’s top fans!
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Jim Slowik reportedly has intentions of running for Mayor of Oak Harbor again (after being previously ousted from the position). Apparently, he as already finagled himself a “seat the the table” (as per the WNT article). Slowik is presently neither an elected official nor a representative of NAS Whidbey. He is a private citizen (i.e. a member of the public). Has your Navy League buddy Slowik already been demanding that other members of the public be allowed to attend / participate at this meeting?
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I think somebody needs to call his local chapter President and demand an EWO’s wings to ride in the back of a Growler…
Yes, GrowlerNoise.com is back.
Yes, I want in.
Yes, I want to be there obviously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Bill, is it only because of this or is it because he is a professional politician looking for more than being just a “BIT” player??…
…Oak Harbor businessman and former mayor, Jim Slowik, was sworn in as president of the Oak Harbor Area Council of the Navy League, March 8, at the 35th Change of the Watch and tenth annual award ceremony at the Officers’ Club on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
http://whidbeycrosswind.com/blog/navy-league-welcomes-new-president/3858/
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Navy League falls into the category of something like “public cheerleading group” for the Navy, but, regardless, the position of “head cheerleader”, whether Navy League-elected or self-appointed, as Josef seems to be, it’s still a bunch of private citizens who only speak for themselves. I find it interesting that Josef suspects this meeting “is not going to be open to the public”, knowing full well that Slowik, a member of the public, is already a named attendee.
When Justin Burnett called me last week asking about the existence of some “save OLF Coupeville” petition last week, he mentioned to me that Jim Slowik had already been named as one of the attendees of this planned meeting.
From where I sit, Jim Slowik is a perennial political opportunist, like Ken Pickard. Maybe Jim Slowik is planning to claim that he helped “save NOLF Coupeville” when he next runs for Oak Harbor Mayor?
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I’m a self-appointed advocate, then just your stereotypical Navy Leaguer. I also don’t care who the Mayor is of Oak Harbor is as long as it’s not a pot-smoking progressive, Ken Pickard, Becky Shitzar or worse yet Garrett Newkirk.
I care that we have a NAS Whidbey Island.
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All is not lost yet with the curbside recycling. The matter still must be presented to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and approved. I would encourage anyone against this matter to address your concerns to the WUTC @
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