Waldron Island residents have started the process to join the San Juan County Public Hospital District #1.
In 2012, representatives of the Waldron Community Meeting, the property owners association on the island, inquired about joining the hospital district.
After four years of budget and employee reductions, including a 2013 budget that is $2.3 million less than 2012, the San Juan County Council wants ideas from its citizens about future priorities and projects for the county.
Two candidates seeking election to the three-person San Juan County Council have raised more than $17,000 each. The other four candidates competing in the Feb. 12 primary race have collectively raised about $20,000, according campaign reports filed with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
Claiming that the contract with PeaceHealth violates state law and the state Constitution, the ACLU of Washington is urging the San Juan County Public Hospital District to renegotiate its 50-year agreement with the Vancouver-based regional hospital and medical center conglomerate.
The executive committee of the Marine Resources Committee has been asked to meet with three members of the county council to discuss a division of responsibilities and the authority of the council to set policy, according to Council Vice-chairman Rich Peterson.
Before Frank Mulcahy came to San Juan Island to be director of Public Works, he managed and planned military and civilian public works facilities as a U.S. Navy commander in Kosovo and Iraq.
The weather was wet, windy and cold. The work was dirty, stinky and heavy. No way to spend the holidays.
Removal of creosote debris begins this week at Neck Point, Jacksons Beach
The assessed value on all properties in San Juan County went down by about $1.7 billion for 2013, an average of 21.4 percent, according to initial reports released by San Juan County Assessor Charles Zalmanek.
County Administrator Bob Jean will become interim county manager on Nov. 27, the effective date for Proposition 2 that eliminates the county administrator position, according to County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord’s Nov. 20 presentation to the council.
Gaylord briefed the council on each of the three propositions approved by voters at the Nov. 6 election, but told the council that “no action” was needed on Proposition 1.
Mark De Tray, Executive Director of ORS, gave credit to “the people on Orcas who supported us tirelessly and people from Lopez who helped us put together our final proposal and budget.”
The long and winding road to private operation of the Orcas Island and San Juan Island solid waste transfer stations may be about to take some sharp turns at the Nov. 20 county council meeting.
