UPDATED: GOVERNOR ORDERS $1.5 MILLION IN STATE ‘EMERGENCY FUNDS’ FOR LOCAL FERRY & BARGE SERVICES & WEEKEND INTER-ISLAND SERVICE THROUGH WINTER 2025

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at 3:04 p.m.
UPDATE1 at 5:13 p.m.

by Jeff Noedel

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA–In a 1:00 p.m. meeting today at the Brickworks meeting space, Washington Governor Jay Inslee announced that he has ordered $1.5 million in state emergency funds to help the San Juans cope with canceled sailings in the Washington State Ferry system.

Almost two months ago (Monday, July 22), San Juan County Council Chair Jane Fuller made a big gamble by circumventing WSF leadership and our state legislators and going straight to the Governor with a request for emergency funds.

In the ensuing weeks, the County crafted a request for nearly $1 million to augment and expand private water taxi and small barge services here that spring into action when the inter-island service stumbles.

But on Wednesday, August 21, things looked bleak. The Governor’s Office conveyed to San Juan County leaders that the proposal was not approved. However, the Governor immediately scheduled a trip to Friday Harbor for the following Saturday. In that closed door meeting, Inslee told the group there was still hope. He said the problem was in how the request was structured. He implied there was a way it could be done, but made no promises.

Things got quiet again, until Fuller received a call from the Governor’s Office last Thursday. Inslee was coming back, and this time the meeting could be public.

Today, Fuller’s big gamble paid off. Inslee came to Friday Harbor with a decision to grant emergency funding in an amount equal to 1-1/2 times the County’s original request.

Building up to the announcement, Inslee told about 20 community leaders and media that approximately 20 percent of San Juans inter-island trips were canceled in the past five months.

One million dollars will support privately run water taxi, charter, and small barge services when Washington State Ferries cancels service here. Details were not available, but it appears the County will receive the funds, which will be triggered by a declaration of emergency by the County Council. The $1 million will come from an emergency budget maintained by the State Commerce Department.

The use of those funds may contour closely to a proposal to the Governor crafted this summer by Fuller, and WSF Ferry Advisory Committee Chair Justin Paulsen.

Additionally, $500,000 will come directly from a budget for emergencies run by the Governor’s Office. That money will fund the extension of inter-island service on weekends throughout the winter. Historically, inter-island service does not run on weekends in the winter. But Inslee — joined by Assistant Secretary for WSF Steve Nevey — explained that extending inter-island service on weekends through the winter will make it a more attractive route for WSF workers, making “the third shift” more attractive. Inslee and Nevey said they believe extending the third shift across the year may lead to more WSF employees who live in the San Juans, which would theoretically reduce cancelations due to crewing.

In total, the $1.5 million emergency funds are $500,000 more than the County proposed this summer. Extending the weekend inter-island service through the winter seemed to catch everyone by surprise, and it was warmly received.

The local audience broke into applause twice during the meeting, and there was a lot of hugging afterward. Local boat captain Tom Bridge, who was lauded by the Governor for his work, was seen hugging Council Chair Fuller after the meeting.

Over the past 13 months, Bridge — a Coast Guard licensed Captain and owner of Island Water Taxi and Rupali Barge — has provided more than 750 passenger trips between islands in his small boat when WSF inter-island service goes down. Toward the end of the meeting, Bridge told the group including the Governor that he had received a phone message asking for a ride at 5:30 p.m. today.

Bridge’s effectiveness has been bolstered by the tireless work of Orcas Island-based Community Water Taxi, a group that includes

• Ed Andrews, Community Liaison and Public Relations
• Carey Eskridge, Executive Director of the Orcas Chamber of Commerce
• Justin Paulsen, Ferry Advisory Committee Chair
• Sandy Playa, EV Land Transportation Liaison 

After the meeting, Inslee told SanJuans.Today (formerly known as CNL2), “We figured out a way to do it.” He said it was easier to justify toward the end of the State’s biennial session as some budgets still have balances. He said people in the San Juans have been “totally frustrated, but are also very understanding.”

FAC Chair Paulsen credited Fuller for bold leadership telling SanJuans.Today, “Bringing impactful resources to our County is not a simple process.  I applaud the effort and energy that Councilperson Fuller has invested in meeting our County Transportation crisis head-on.  Having worked directly with her on these issues, I can confidently say that her leadership is what brought us meaningful results.”

In a news release distributed after the meeting, the Governor’s office stated, “The funding is available immediately and WSF anticipates the funding will support the supplemental services through next spring. Continuation will depend on legislators supporting new funding during the 2025 legislative session.”

Numerous times in today’s meeting, Inslee stressed his opinion that the relief that five new vessels will bring in four or five years depends on the defeat of Initiative 2117, which would repeal the Climate Commitment Act. The CCA is budgeted to pay for half the cost of the five new vessels.

Both Inslee and Fuller commended the State’s 40th legislative delegation for helping pass the funding for the five new vessels. Members of the 40th delegation are State Senator Liz Lovelett, and State Representatives Alex Ramel and Debra Lekanoff.

Some observers have been surprised at the high level of personal attention Inslee has paid the San Juans ferry anxiety in the past two months. County leaders, business owners, and residents had tried every kind of lobbying to move the needle with the State. At the end of his previous meeting here with County leaders on Saturday, August 24, Inslee was presented with a tub of fresh baked “blondie” cookies from San Juans Islands’ Laura Jo Severson. She encouraged the Governor to associate the gift of her signature cookies with the County’s urgent ferry needs.

This afternoon, after hearing of the Governor’s $1.5 million announcement, Severson told SanJuans.Today she is always willing to share the recipe.