NOTICE
OF PUBLIC HEARING
On
October 14, 2009 at 6:00 p.m., the Board of Island County Commissioners will
hold a public hearing at the Island County Annex Building, Basement Meeting
Room, 1 North East Sixth Street, Coupeville, Washington, to consider whether to
accept, modify and accept, or reject the Whidbey Island Conservation District’s
and Snohomish Conservation District’s proposed system of special monetary assessments
on land. The proposed monetary special
assessments would be charged to all parcels of land in Island County, including
parcels in the unincorporated area of the county as well as the incorporated
cities of Oak Harbor and Langley and the town of Coupeville, except for parcels
of land not subject to property taxes and land zoned Rural Forest under the
County’s zoning ordinance. The proposed
special monetary assessment would be collected for ten consecutive years in the
amount of $5.00 dollars per parcel of land plus an additional 5 cents per acre per
year. The Conservation District programs
and activities that would be financed with the special monetary assessments for
2010 would be natural resource planning and technical assistance, low impact
development, preserving sustainable farm and forest lands, and outreach,
education and partnerships. A special
monetary assessment is not a tax.
Conservation districts are not authorized to impose a system of
taxes. Instead, in order to accept, or
modify and accept, the conservation districts’ proposed system of special
monetary assessments the Board of County Commissioners must make findings that both the public interest will be served by the imposition
of the special monetary assessments and that the special monetary assessments
to be imposed on any land will not exceed the special benefit that the land
receives or will receive from the activities of the conservation district.
The full text of the proposed
Assessment Proposal Package will be provided upon request to the Whidbey Island
Conservation District at phone numbers (360) 678-4708 or toll free (888)
678-4922.
Interested persons may appear at the
public hearing and give testimony for or against the proposed conservation
districts’ system of special monetary assessments. Persons requiring auxiliary
aids/services should call Island County Human Resources at 678-7919, or
321-5111, Ext. 7919, or 629-4522, ext. 7919 (use whichever number is applicable
for the area) at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
ELAINE
MARLOW
CLERK OF THE BOARD
Post Office Box 5000