2005 - YEAR IN REVIEW

1. Voters approve county charter

San Juan County voters approved Propositions 1 and 2 on Nov. 8, ushering in a new era in how county government operates.

Residents voted 3,480 to 2,056 in favor of Prop. 1, which establishes a commission-manager form of government, makes the County Commission a part-time legislative body, and gives residents the right of initiative and referendum.

Residents voted 3,058 to 2,412 in favor of Prop. 2, which expands the commission to a six-member County Council, elected from new districts established on the basis of population. The council members will be elected by district, rather than at-large.

In doing so, islanders rejected the bureaucratic model of government handed down by the state 116 years ago and ushered in a new era of county government known as home rule.

Local voters had twice rejected home-rule charters in overwhelming numbers, first in 1972 and again in 1983.

San Juan is the sixth and smallest county in Washington to adopt a charter form of government.

The charter will take effect on Jan. 10, 2006, although the six-member council will have to wait a year. During the interim, the three county commissioners will comprise the council and oversee the transition. The trio will continue to work full-time and be paid full salaries until their terms of office are up.

2) Turtleback Mountain goes on the market

Orcas islanders were stunned when they learned in early September that a 1,578-acre parcel that includes Turtleback Mountain would be sold by its current owner, the Medina Foundation. Moreover, the property wouldn't come cheap. Although Medina did not submit an asking price, it was widely believed that it would cost $15 to $25 million to buy it.

Undaunted, the San Juan County Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust sprang into action. Working together, they submitted a bid for the property, with the intention of preserving the land if their bid was accepted. Although the government agency and non-profit corporation wouldn't disclose their bid, the Trust's Tim Executive Director Tim Seifert insisted that it would cover the value of the property.

Early on, the Medina Foundation indicated that it would sell the property by mid-October. Yet at year's end, no buyer had been named, and both the Trust and the Land Bank were left wondering if their bid was being considered seriously.

The Preservation Trust and the Land Bank made other important purchases on Orcas Island during the year 2005. The Trust paid $950,000 in order to buy Carol Clark's 322-acre JBB Farm in Crow Valley. The Land Bank contributed $950,000 toward the purchase of a two-acre parcel in Deer Harbor that is projected to become a waterfront park. The Land Bank also purchased the 74-acre Stonebridge Farm in Eastsound, paying $1.825 million for the land. The farm was owned by the late Burton Burton.

3) Tumultuous Year at Orcas School

The word "stunned" also applies to the Orcas Island School Board's reaction to the news that Superintendent Barry Acker would be leaving in mid-March, long before the end of the 2004-05 school year. Acker had earlier told the board that he would be resigning in June, but he moved up the date after getting what he described as a dream-come-true offer from a school in Maine that prepares students for jobs in the boating industry.

Acker's announcement would be followed by the news that Business Manager Betty Kaiser would be leaving at the end of June.

The news came at a time that board members were studying a variety of administrative structures for the district. Since the study was likely to take a year, it was agreed that a part-time superintendent would be hired during the interim. After Kaiser announced that she too would be leaving, the board opted to hire an interim business manager as well.

School board Chairman Bruce Orchid and High School Principal Barbara Kline shared the superintendent's duties while the position remained vacant.

Things would stay that way until the board hired Phoenix, Ariz. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jeff Van Handel as its interim superintendent, and Kandace Aksnes as its business manager.

But Aksnes didn't work out. She resigned in November. The board then turned to the state-sponsored Educational Service District to handle the business manager function. At year's end, Van Handel and his counterpart in Friday Harbor, Michael Soltman, were discussing the possibility that the schools' two business offices would merge.

Personnel changes weren't the only matters causing turmoil at the school. Just as the district was about to begin constructing a new vocational education building, it received a huge jolt. All public schools undertaking construction are required to have their buildings checked first to make sure they are structurally sound. This was assumed to be a formality, but the check revealed that the middle school, library, cafeteria and music room did not meet state seismic standards. The news prompted the school to consider razing,

then replacing all of the structures entirely, or merely repairing them. The price tag to erect four new buildings could run as high as $10 million. The matter remained unresolved at year's end.

4) Ferry fares rose, but not nearly as much as had been proposed

Islanders fumed last February when they learned that Washington State Ferries was planning to place a 30-day expiration date on coupon books, and create a convenience book that would be good for 90 days, but would cost 20 percent more than the coupon books.

Approximately 900 islanders turned out at meetings on the four ferry-served islands to voice their opposition. Hundreds more sent e-mails to Washington State Ferries and their state legislators. County Commissioner Kevin Ranker attempted to charter a bus filled with islanders who would go to Olympia to fight the plan.

Fortunately, Ranker's plan proved to be unnecessary. Ferries Executive Director Mike Anderson said WSF heard the citizens loud and clear, that coupon books would continue to be good for 90 days, and that convenience books would not see the light of day.

This was truly a victory for the citizenry, but several months later, another potential crisis loomed. By late fall, the ferry system was projecting a $35 million shortfall, the result of skyrocketing fuel prices. Ferry officials are hoping that the state legislature will pick up the tab for the shortfall. Even though gas prices have dropped over the past month, ferry riders could still be looking at a substantial increase in ferry fares if the legislature refuses to pay.

Meanwhile, ferry fares continue to rise by five percent every year, as a result of former Washington State Ferries Director Mike Thorne's 5-5-5 plan, which includes raising revenue from other sources and cutting expenses, all by five percent.

5) Meth-related crimes on the rise

Methamphetamine made headlines in 2005; all told, at least 17 arrests were made for meth-related crimes on San Juan Island. The San Juan County Sheriff's Department also believes that meth is contributing to the wave of break-ins and burglaries that have recently taken place on Orcas Island.

The Sheriff's Department hosted meth information classes April 13 in Friday Harbor and Eastsound. Congressman Rick Larsen hosted a forum on Lopez Island.

On April 25, survey results were unveiled at a community forum that showed drug use is rising among island teens.

Meth is apparently costing the county a lot of money. Still more funds may be needed soon.

San Juan County Administrative Services Director Dave Zeretzke believes that the increase in meth cases may be responsible for the $75,000 that the county needed to bail out its public defender program. It's also having a huge impact on the county Prosecuting Attorney's office, according to Randy Gaylord.

Sheriff Bill Cumming, meanwhile, has asked San Juan County commissioners to budget funds so he can hire a full-time narcotics officer. That request had yet to be granted at year's end.

6) Properties secured for affordable housing

There was some good news in 2005, a lot of bad news, and hope that the future would bring enough affordable housing so working families could continue to live on the island.

OPAL Community Land Trust Executive Director Lisa Byers was pleased to report that six households were able to move into affordable houses at Lahari Ridge in Deer Harbor last July, and that two homes are now under construction on Eastsound's Madrona Street (on land given to OPAL by an anonymous donor). Moreover, OPAL has signed a purchase and sale agreement, and is projected to close on a seven-acre parcel across the street from the Orcas Island Medical Center that could house as many as 28 homes. OPAL hopes to make the homes available for both low- and middle-income islanders.

The Lopez Community Land Trust also had some good news -- the purchase from Dick and Barbara Pickering of a parcel that could become homes for up to 28 households.

The bad news is that there are few, if any, properties left on Orcas that could be used for affordable housing. And with real estate prices continuing to rise, working professionals are finding it increasingly difficult to buy a home.

Then where is the hope? It could be with a Housing Bank which, if approved by county voters next spring, will generate revenue from a .5 percent excise tax paid for almost entirely by those buying real estate. County commissioners have endorsed plans to place a Housing Bank on the ballot. But even if it is approved, the problem will continue to exist, according to islander Paul Losleben, a member of the Orcas Island Research Group, which is leading the effort to create a Housing Bank. Losleben says it's just one of many things that will have to be done to solve the problem.

7) Rosario Resort seeks permission to expand

Claiming that its best chance of surviving is to develop "a small-scale, high-end second home community anchored by an ultra high-end inn," Rosario submitted a draft Environmental Impact Statement for review by the San Juan County Community Development and Planning Department.

Rosario's plan includes constructing a mansion annex consisting of 24 inn rooms, plus 104 bungalow-type units and cottages that would be individually or fractionally owned.

The resort projects that its plan will not only turn a profit, it will also create 220 full-time jobs and generate between $1.6 and $1.9 million per year in property taxes, and another $410,000 in on-going taxes or lodging revenues.

Rosario also submitted two other options-- maintaining it as a resort and selling it off piece-meal. But consultant Mike Usen indicated that it can't succeed solely as a resort, and that it won't sell off the land unless it is faced with no other viable options. Rosario's preference is to make it a second-home community.

The three options were submitted to local residents on several occasions. Each time Rosario's plan received mixed reviews, with some embracing its benefits, while others claiming that it will adversely affect the environment and threaten future water availability.

The county's review was a disappointment to Rosario, because it concluded that Rosario would need to do more to identify potential environmental impacts and propose mitigation measures. Rosario has since submitted material updating the draft Environmental Impact Statement. Usen plans to review the new material with county officials within the next week.

8) Eastsound, Lopez Village become Urban Growth Areas

After years of haggling, several community meetings, and hearings before both the county Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners, both Eastsound and Lopez Village were formally designated Urban Growth Areas (UGAs).

Local governments that participate in efforts to bring their urban areas into compliance with the state's Growth Management Act are required to channel more housing into these areas while preserving more of the rural areas. They are also required to identify a sufficient amount of land for affordable housing.

In Eastsound, this matter produced a great deal of discussion, and a decision by county commissioners to award density bonuses to those constructing affordable housing.

Not everybody is happy with the document approved by the commissioners. Some feel that the UGA won't adequately solve the need for affordable housing.

Orcas islander Dorothy Austin led an effort to make Eastsound a Limited Area of More Intensive Urban Development (LAMIRD), claiming that it would preserve Eastsound's character and charm.

But the commissioners rejected the LAMIRD idea, claiming that it would be out of compliance with the Growth Management Act, and therefore would be rejected by the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board when it is reviewed in early 2006, particularly since it is all but certain to be appealed.

In a related development, Realtor Wally Gudgell submitted a plan to construct two buildings in downtown Eastsound. One would be 7,500 square feet in size and three stories high. It would be intended to house a restaurant, retail shops and apartments. The other would be made available to non-profit corporations and water-related businesses.

9) County Commissioner Rhea Miller resigns

County Commissioner Rhea Miller resigned June 13 to work with the Waitaha, an indigenous people in New Zealand. She conducted workshops on affordable housing and alternative building techniques, and edited and proof-read a book.

Miller served on the County Commission for 10 and a half years. She gained a national reputation for her work in making San Juan County the first jurisdiction to successfully ban Jet Skis, served on the state and federal Long Term Oil Spill Risk Management Panel, and served on the Board of Directors of the North Sound Mental Health Administration. She was the last of the triumvirate — which included John Evans and Darcie Nielsen — that ran county government since 1997.

Miller's resignation sparked a controversial effort to find a successor. Because Miller is a Democrat, her political party had the right to recommend a successor for appointment. It was Jamie Stephens, but a deadlocked County Commission stalemated, then decided to let voters decide in the primary election.

Bob Myhr, former director of the San Juan Preservation Trust, won the primary over Stephens. That secured for him the appointment. Victory in the general election enables him to complete the one year remaining in Miller's term.

Ironically, Miller returned to Lopez Island after three months. She subsequently became interim director of the Lopez Children's Center. She is also overseeing an effort to transfer the sustainable, organic farm owned by Henning Sehmsdorf and Elizabeth Simpson to a non-profit corporation.

10) Evans to head up Lopez school district; school to submit three levies

Co-superintendent of the Lakewood School District Bill Evans picked up Lopez Island’s educational torch when he accepted the job of Superintendent. He replaced Larry Johnson, who took the job of chief executive officer of the Darrington school district.

Shortly after his arrival, Evans proposed that the district submit three levies to the voters in February 2006. It was endorsed by the school board, which agreed that all three are needed right away.

The four-year maintenance and operations levy, if approved, will cover 24 percent of the school district’s budget. If it fails, the district will be forced to cut its more basic programs, Evans said.

A one-year capital projects levy would allow the district to correct a foundation problem which is causing settling in one part of the building.

A one-year transportation levy would enable the school to replace two 20-year old buses with new ones that contain additional safety features.

A committee has been formed to promote the levies by educating voters as to why all three are needed.

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