BOARD OF ISLAND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MINUTES OF MEETING - SPECIAL SESSION NOVEMBER 9, 2004

           

The Board of Island County Commissioners  met  in Special Session,  Tuesday, November 9,  2004, at Noon for a  no-host luncheon at the Tyee Restaurant (Sun Room), located at 405 S. main Street, Coupeville, Wa. with all Island County Elected Officials invited.   William J. Byrd, Chairman and Mike Shelton, Member, attended.   A number of County  Elected Officials attended the session.  Members of the press attending were:  Eric Berto, Whidbey News Times, and Peter Tomlin, Coupeville Examiner.  Members of the public who attended included:   Reece Rose, Iris Morrow and Sharon Hart. 

 

Bill  Vogler, Executive Director, WSAC, and Debbie Wilke, WACO Executive Director, met with the Commissioners and Elected Officials.  The purpose  was to host the   annual visit  from Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and Washington Association of County Officials (WACO), providing an opportunity for WSAC and WACO representatives to discuss  Island County interests prior to the up-coming legislative session.

 

After lunch, with the consensus to continue on with discussion, Chairman Byrd recessed the meeting at the Tyee Restaurant location, announcing that the meeting would continue at the Commissioners Hearing Room.  The Chairman then   reconvened the meeting  once everyone arrived at the Courthouse Annex Building, Commissioners Hearing Room, 1 N. E. 6th Street, Coupeville, Wa.  

 

Debbie Wilke covered the recommended WACO legislative priorities for 2005 with Elected Officials.   Bill  Vogler,  shared and discussed  with the Commissioners   the recommended  WSAC legislative priorities for 2005:  

 

·         Improve County Financial Health

                                Sustain state public health funding

                                Permanent state funding for low tax-base counties

                                Flexibility for existing revenue streams

                                Sales  tax streamlining that benefits all counties                         

·         Reform Law and Justice Funding

                Indigent defense funding and structural improvements

                                Trial court funding

·         Limit County Civil Liability

·         Reform Mental Health Service Delivery and Financing

·         Enhance Transportation Funding

·         Streamline Growth Management Act Requirements

·         Improve Water Resource Management  

            

Meeting adjourned at  2:55 p.m.

 

                                             BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

                                             ISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON

 

                                            ______________________________

                                           William J. Byrd,     Chairman

 

                                                                            ____________________________

                                                Mike Shelton,  Member

 

                                    [Wm. L. McDowell,   Member, absent]

ATTEST:    ____________­­­­­_________

Elaine Marlow, Clerk of the Board