Town of Friday Harbor requesting state loan for water treatment plant

Friday, December 6, 2024
for a meeting held Thursday, December 5, 2024

FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY PREPARED BY THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF THE SAN JUANS’ OBSERVER CORPS

Mayor Jackson was absent. Council member Geffen chaired the meeting. He presented a $15,000 check to the Friday Harbor Food Bank from Harbor Life Ring donations and town matching funds.  Food Bank Director Radonsky thanked the Town for continuing support to food bank programs. The Council scheduled the ribbon cutting for the completed Marguerite Street project for 11:00 am on Thursday, December 19. The street has been open for traffic for the last week.

There was a brief public hearing for the 2025 budget and 2024 budget amendments.  There was no new information presented this week. The next updated budget numbers will be presented at the December 19 meeting at a reopened public hearing.  That hearing and final action on the budget likely will be continued to December 30, to allow the 2025 budget and 2024 budget amendments to take into account the results of the current union negotiations.

The public works department will be proposing an ordinance to amend the town code to add definitions and strengthen standards for noxious vegetation that obstructs pedestrian and vehicle traffic and safe views at intersections and that obstruct streetlights. Once passed the town will be trimming vegetation, including some trees, in line with the new code.

The administrator reported the tree expert recommended further trimming of one of the trees at the waterfront circle. The second tree is fine as-is. Neither tree poses a safety hazard. The lights have been removed from trees as recommended. The public restrooms behind Sunshine Alley are undergoing repair and renovation.

The Town has submitted a request for a state loan for the water treatment plant and requested $250k for the plant in the county public facility program grant round. The request has been recommended for approval by the committee and awaits County Council approval.

The town is working to renegotiate the lease for the transfer station property with the county asking for a significantly increased monthly rental to offset part of the $36,000 annual cost of testing required at the site.

The town has hired a new manager for the waste treatment plant to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of the previous manager.

*The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization, encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.