After 18 years on the Ferry Advisory Committee, Ed Sutton has stepped down.

“It was time,” said Sutton, who lives on Orcas. “After a while you get worn down. As you get older you get tired of battling.”

He said county council member Patty Miller (Orcas East) recently expressed to him a desire for “new faces” on the FAC.

“When I thought about it, I couldn’t disagree with her,” he said.

State code provides that each ferry-served community creates a FAC to advise Washington State Ferries. The San Juan County FAC consists of four members representing the four ferry-served islands, plus three additional members representing the county council, commercial users, and tourism-related users. Together the committee seeks public input and works with WSF to optimize schedules, service and fares and make sure the needs of riders are adequately represented.

Sutton says he got involved in the ferry system around 1978 and was part of the group that helped introduce express boats, interisland ferry runs, and the commercial loading program.

“We really did something that was worthwhile,” he said.

In the future, Sutton hopes to see the Washington State Ferries planning department personally visit the San Juans to talk with FAC members about scheduling and community needs.

Sutton is currently president of the ViewHaven Homeowners’ Association and serves on the county charter review commission, the WSTC’s advisory committee on tariff review, and the Eastsound Sewer and Water District Board.

The county council is now seeking a new member for the Ferry Advisory Committee from Orcas Island. The committee meets monthly in addition to periodic special meetings. For anyone interested in applying, visit www.sanjuanco.com or call 378-2898. The FAC website is www.sanjuanco.com/fac