The Skagit County Board of Commissioners and the citizens of Skagit County are faced with a critical decision with respect to the future delivery of advanced life support services to those needing emergency medical care. The effects of the “Great Recession” (officially declared over in June 2009) continue to plague local government finances, and the Skagit County EMS Commission has not been immune from the toll this has taken on the local economy. This economic downturn has had a significant impact on local property values that are the primary source of revenue for subsidies to the EMS System in the community. Not only has the revenue from the levy declined, but other sources of revenue such as interest income have also seen significant reductions.

In an effort to ensure sufficient revenues will be available to continue to provide essential, life saving, emergency medical services, Skagit County voters will be asked to approve an EMS Levy referendum this
year. The current EMS levy approved by voters in 2007 at a level of $0.25 per $1,000 TAV (Tax Assessed Value) occurred before the implosion of the real estate market and the downturn in the national, state, and local economies.

Final Report [Pdf]

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Any business or government facility that generates or has the potential to generate small or medium quantities of hazardous waste may apply for no cost EnviroStars certification. Businesses receive recognition with a 2 to 5 star rating for good pollution prevention and waste reduction practices. Certified businesses are listed in the Green Business Directory, the EnviroStars website, and can receive free advertising through the program. Qualified businesses may range from auto repair shops to dry cleaners to dental clinics. There are nearly 800 EnviroStars certified businesses in Puget Sound counties. Join these certified Skagit businesses:

Cap Sante Boat Haven - 5 stars

Chuckanut Valley Veterinary Clinic - 4 Stars

Janette Carroll, DDS - 4 stars

La Conner Marina - 4 stars

Skyline Marina - 3 stars

Businesses may realize many benefits from EnviroStars certification:

EnviroStars promotes waste reduction which can lead to cost savings.

Proper storage and handling of chemicals and waste can help with employee health and retention.

EnviroStars good pollution prevention practices lead to reduced liability from leaks and spills.

Three quarters (75 percent) of residents from participating counties surveyed in 2007 said they are more likely to patronize a business with EnviroStars certification.

Customers will learn to look for the logo when doing business in Skagit County
.

Learn More
To learn more about EnviroStars and how the program can help your business please contact Skagit County Public Health at 360-419-3404, by e-mail at p2@co.skagit.wa.us , or visit the EnviroStars website at www.EnviroStars.org .

Polly Dubbel, Skagit County EnviroStars Coordinator
pollyd@co.skagit.wa.us · 360-419-3404

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As of 5/5/12:
Skagit County has confirmed 270 cases a rate of 226.3 per 100,000 population, the highest in the state.
Statewide 1008 cases have been confirmed including 71 infants, 18 of them being hospitalized, with no deaths.
Links:
Department of Health
Center for Disease Control

Pertussis (Whooping cough) is on the rise in Skagit County and across Washington State. Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread through coughing and sneezing. It causes spells or fits of coughing that make it hard for a person to sleep at night, eat or exercise. It is particularly harmful, and sometimes life threatening, to infants who have no immunity through vaccination. Infants with Pertussis are usually hospitalized. Two infants died in Washington State in 2011. Children and adults become sick enough to miss sleep, school, and work. Coughing fits due to Pertussis infection can last 1-3 months.

The total number of cases reported in Skagit County for 2009-2011 was 17 cases. Just south of us, Snohomish County began to see a rise in Pertussis cases in 2011, with a total of 225 confirmed, including a newborn infant who died in April, 2011.

Anyone with a severe cough, especially if it includes fits of coughing and/or causes vomiting, should seek medical care. The best way to prevent Pertussis is to get vaccinated. Fewer than 10 percent of adults nationwide are current with the Tdap vaccine. If you have regular contact with infants under 12 months of age, and are uninsured or underinsured; you may be eligible for free Tdap vaccine. Contact Skagit County Public Health at 336-9477 for more information. The immunization clinic is open Mon/Wed/Thurs from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

 

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A new arterial roadway in south Mount Vernon will connect the south end of LaVenture Road at Blackburn to the Anderson Road- Interstate 5 interchange in south Mount Vernon.

Phase I, the extension of LaVenture Road to East Blackburn Road, has concluded.
Phases II and III have been combined to build a connecting road between the Anderson Road freeway interchange and LaVenture Road.
Construction has already begun, and should be completed by the fall of 2013.

More information

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On May 29, 2012, at 10:30 a.m., the Commissioners will make a decision on an updated proposal to make the entire Samish Watershed a Marine Recovery Area (MRA). After several citizens voiced their opposition to the proposed expanded MRA during a public hearing held on December 13, 2011, the Commissioners postponed making a decision until an additional public meeting could be held and additional research completed on the proposed boundaries.

In response to public comments submitted during the public comment period and a meeting held January 24, 2012 at Alger Community Hall, Skagit County Public Health revised the boundaries to reduce and better define the Willard Creek sub-basin. Since a Marine Recovery Area designation applies only to on-site sewage (septic) systems, all timbered parcels are taken out of the proposed MRA.

The State requirement for an operations and maintenance inspection of a septic system is every 3 years for a conventional gravity system and every year for any other type of system. This requirement applies whether or not a property is in a Marine Recovery Area. Skagit County Public Health sends notifications to property owners in MRAs who need to have their septic system inspected.

Written comments will be accepted until Monday, May 21, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. Email comments will not be accepted.

Please send your written comments to:
Corinne Story
Skagit County Public Health
700 South 2nd Street, Room 301
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Related:

Samish Watershed MRA (MAP)
Management Plan Amendment

If you have any questions, please contact the Skagit County Public Health Department at (360) 336-9380. You may also leave a message at (360) 336-9474.

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Skagit Public Works Director Henry Hash has been notified by the American Public Works Association ("APWA") that Skagit County's Anacortes Ferry Dock Rehabilitation & Guemes Island Ferry Dock Repair Project has been selected as one of the American Public Works Association's Public Works Projects of the Year for 2012. In the letter, Hash was informed that "your selection puts you in a very elite group of winners and APWA is proud to have you and your partners on this project epitomize the public works profession and our association."

Hash acknowledged that this achievement for Skagit County was possible due to the continuous support of our County Commissioners and the combined efforts of all Public Works employees, especially County Engineer Paul Randall-Grutter, Project Manager Jennifer Swanson, Design & Construction Manager Dave Walde, and project partners Shearer Design LLC, Widener & Associates, Art Anderson, PND, RAZZ Construction, Mystic Sea Charters and San Juan Enterprise, Port of Anacortes, City of Anacortes, Skagit Transit and the Guemes Island Community.

The award will be presented to Skagit County in conjunction with the APWA International Public Works Congress and Exposition in August, 2012.

 

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March 26, 2012-The State Growth Management Hearings Board ruled today that Skagit County is protecting farmland riparian habitat consistent with the Growth Management Act (GMA), ending the expensive fifteen-year legal dispute that pitted fish against farms. The Growth Board's ruling is based on Skagit County's enrollment in the state's new Voluntary Stewardship Program, which the County sees as a better approach to salmon habitat protection than complex regulations and expensive lawsuits.

"We're just thrilled," said Skagit County Commissioner Sharon Dillon. "This is now about cooperation instead of litigation."

The GMA requires Washington counties to designate and protect environmentally "critical areas," including salmon-bearing streams. Appellants insisted that this meant mandatory buffers hundreds of feet wide should be required along streams across the Skagit Valley. This would have taken away thousands of acres of century-old farmland, without any compensation for the farmers who own the land.

For more than a decade, Skagit County has been embroiled in litigation with the Swinomish Tribe over whether the County's streamside rules for farmers adequately protect and restore salmon habitat. The case, which made its way to the Washington State Supreme Court, racked up more than $5 million in litigation costs for the County. The Washington Supreme Court ruled that counties have broad discretion in balancing agriculture with habitat concerns, and need only protect habitat, not restore salmon habitat to its primordial condition. After the Supreme Court's ruling, the litigation continued on the issue of whether Skagit County's ordinance affords adequate protection.

In 2007, the state legislature imposed a "timeout" on the buffer litigation, directing a joint University of Washington-Washington State University research group, the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, to work on a statewide solution. In 2011, the Legislature adopted the group's recommendation and created the Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP), which creates a state-funded mechanism in each county enrolling in the program that will ensure streams are protected using voluntary measures.

"Skagit County has been the catalyst for resolving this difficult issue on a statewide basis," said three-term County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt. "As I see it, if we work together and stay positive, we can safeguard Skagit County's agricultural economy, at the same time permanently protecting the streamside habitat that matters most for salmon."

After conferring with local tribes, environmental groups and the agricultural community, Skagit County enrolled in the VSP in December. Since then, 27 other Washington State counties have followed suit. Skagit County is now awaiting implementation funding, to be disbursed through the Washington State Conservation Commission.

"Every single farmer in the Skagit Valley wants strong salmon runs seven generations from now," said Commissioner Wesen. "That's ultimately what the VSP program is about, and we're ready to get to work in cooperation with our friends and neighbors, including the Swinomish Tribe."

The County's enrollment in the VSP leaves existing critical areas protections in place. Farmers must still comply with the County's Watercourse Protection Measures, which restrict livestock access to streams and require farmers to manage pastureland to avoid sediment runoff.

For more information, contact Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Walters, ryanw@co.skagit.wa.us or 360-419-3444, or visit www.skagitcounty.net/vsp.

Related: Compliance Order [Pdf]

 

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On Tuesday, April 17th, 2012, Skagit County Commissioners proclaimed May 2012 as "Puget Sound Starts Here" month. This proclamation will help draw attention to the issue of local and regional water quality, and that our Puget Sound is in trouble. We can make many modest changes that will add up to a net positive result of preventing pollution from entering the Puget Sound via stormwater.

The message behind the "Puget Sound Starts Here" campaign is that "here" is where we live. It's our backyard. It's our driveway. It's our neighborhood. It's our home. But what we do here is having a serious impact on our local waterways and ultimately Puget Sound. Our actions pollute local waterways with yard chemicals, oil, grease, soap, and bacteria from pet waste and septic systems. When rainfall is not absorbed by the ground, it flows over roads, sidewalks, driveways and yards and it picks up these pollutants. This contaminated stormwater goes down storm drains and into ditches, emptying directly into streams, rivers, lakes and ending up in Puget Sound. Approximately 75% of the pollution in Puget Sound comes from stormwater runoff that starts in our neighborhoods.

Additionally, the "Puget Sound Starts Here" campaign will improve local water quality protection efforts by providing educational opportunities for the public to learn how it can help clean up the Puget Sound. Educational activities and events* will take place throughout the month of May of 2012 and be advertised on the County website.

*One huge, fun event, during "Puget Sound Starts Here" month 2012, will be an opportunity to join the Seattle Mariners as they team up with "Puget Sound Starts Here" to teach baseball fans simple things they can do to keep local waterways and Puget Sound clean during "Puget Sound Starts Here Night", Saturday, May 5, 2012; Twins vs. Mariners; 6:10pm. Discounted tickets will be available for $11 for "View Reserved" seating (normally $25), as well as, $33 for "Field Level Seats" (normally $40) and these discounted tickets also will be accompanied with a free "Puget Sound Starts Here" t-shirt. Visit Mariners.com/pugetsound and use the code "SALMON" to purchase your tickets. The deadline to purchase tickets through this special offer, is May 4th @NOON.

More information [Pdf]

 

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April 30, 2012, is the closing date for the second round of 2012 ranking for the Farmland Legacy Program (FLP). The FLP takes applications throughout the year and scores them twice a year in order to rank them for available funding for purchasing development right(s). April 30, 2012, will be the closing date for taking applications to be ranked for the second half of 2012.

Applications already submitted and are not yet funded will be placed back into the ranking unless applicants have given other notice. The two times during the year that applications are ranked are after an April 30th and October 31st closing date. If you have any questions please contact Kendra Smith, Program Director, (360) 419-3303.

 

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SKAGIT COUNTY -Skagit County Public Health has announced that their free Septics 101 presentation is now available on line at the following link: http://www.skagitcounty.net/septics101online.

Septic 101 class topics include:

How septic systems are designed to treat sewage

How septic systems need to be used so that they can treat sewage effectively

Why septic systems need to be maintained

What the public health and environmental benefits from function septic systems are

How to save thousands of dollars in unnecessary septic system costs

What financial resources a homeowner should know about if their septic system needs repairs or replacement (rebate, grant, and loan programs)

The on line class is very similar to the in person class. The video is 34 minutes of audio and slides, followed by an on line test and completion certificate, which is recorded with Skagit County Public Health.

Homeowner benefits of taking September 101 (in person or on line) are:
1.) Save money on operational costs and reducing the likelihood of having to replace a failed septic system,
2.) Improve the chance that their septic systems are working properly so that they do not contaminate groundwater and surface water, and
3.) help our community improve surface water quality in streams, rivers and the Puget Sound for shellfish and other living things that need good water quality to live. Taking either the in person or on line

Septics 101 class meets the class attendance requirements to apply for a $100 rebate for professional inspections and riser installations as well as to sign up for the Septics 201 homeowner septic system inspection class.

For further information, contact either Wade Bessett or Corinne Story in the Skagit County Health Department, Telephone 360-336-9380.

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Skagit County today released a new webpage and brochure to help raise awareness of pipeline safety issues throughout the county.

In 2010, Skagit County was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to develop pipeline safety land use regulations. The resulting ordinance, which the County adopted last December, requires landowners within 100 feet of a transmission pipeline to consult with the pipeline operator before the County will issue a permit for a construction project or land division.

The webpage and brochure include a map of those transmission lines and information on how to use the County's interactive iMap tool to find out if your property is near a transmission line. Both media pieces emphasize the importance of calling the 811 utility locator service before any digging project, as required by state law, to avoid damaging distribution or transmission pipelines. Skagit County TV21 is also running 811 "Call Before You Dig" pipeline safety videos at frequent intervals.

The County's adoption of its pipeline safety ordinance last year put the County in compliance a year early with RCW 19.122.033-a new state law that directs all agencies that issue building permits to require, by 2013, any applicant constructing or excavating to consult with the operator of any pipeline within 100 feet.

The County's pipeline safety website is available at www.skagitcounty.net/pipelines. The brochure is available at Skagit County Planning & Development Services, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon WA 98273.

For more information contact Kirk Johnson, kirkj@co.skagit.wa.us.

 

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On Monday, December 19, 2011, the Board of Skagit County Commissioners adopted an ordinance to enroll the County in the state’s new “Voluntary Stewardship Program” (VSP) created by the Legislature earlier this year.

The ordinance enrolls the entirety of unincorporated Skagit County in the VSP, which will make the County eligible for state and federal funding to encourage and assist agricultural landowners to be good stewards of their property. “I really believe that moving forward with this program and rewarding landowners who are voluntarily being good stewards of their property will get us to where we need to be faster than regulations,” Commissioner Sharon Dillon said.

The County received letters of support from environmental and agricultural organizations, including the State Department of Ecology, Futurewise, and Western Washington Agricultural Association.

Washington counties are required to designate and protect “critical areas,” such as streams. While some other counties protect critical areas using mandatory buffers along streams where agriculture is not allowed, Skagit County’s “Critical Areas Ordinance for Ongoing Agriculture” (the “Ag-CAO”), instead requires farmers to “not harm or degrade” critical areas, and comply with specific measures to avoid harm to streams. Although Skagit County has spent years and millions of dollars defending its ordinance, in 2007 the state Supreme Court ruled the County’s approach was not compliant with state law. Although the Court held that Skagit County need only “protect” and not “enhance” critical areas, it also confirmed that the County’s ordinance lacked important details to ensure it could effectively protect critical areas.

For the last four years, agricultural, environmental, and tribal representatives have worked with the state to develop the VSP as a new approach to critical areas protection on agricultural lands. Under the state law that created the VSP, a county that enrolls in the VSP need not update its regulations for compliance with prior state law. If the voluntary program ends up not sufficiently protecting critical areas, however, the County may have to leave the program and establish new regulations to ensure protection.

“The Legislature and the stakeholders put a lot of time into developing this program,” County Commissioner Ron Wesen said. “We are going to have to set goals, do a lot of hard work, and be ready to make adjustments, but it is always a better first approach to work with private landowners through incentives.”

The ordinance also nominates the Samish and Skagit watersheds as statewide priority watersheds. If confirmed by the State Conservation Commission, these two watersheds will be eligible for more funding than other enrolled watersheds in the state.

While the ordinance makes minor changes to Skagit County’s Ag-CAO, the Ag-CAO is still in effect. Farmers must still comply with the Ag-CAO’s Watercourse Protection Measures, which restrict livestock access to streams and require farmers to manage pastureland to keep enough vegetative cover to avoid contributing sediment, among other requirements.

For more information, please visit www.skagitcounty.net/agcao or email Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Walters at ryanw@co.skagit.wa.us.

 

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SKAGIT COUNTY - The Skagit County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Skagit County Planning Commission from County Commissioner District 2. Applicants must live within County Commissioner District 2, which includes the greater Mount Vernon area extending south to the County line, east to Lake Cavanaugh, and west to approximately Best Road. A map identifying the District's boundaries is available here.

The Planning Commission works with the Planning and Development Services Department as the Planning Agency and advises the Board of County Commissioners on the direction of future growth and development in unincorporated Skagit County. The Board of County Commissioners will make the appointments to the Planning Commission; the District 2 Planning Commission position will remain open until filled.

Current Planning Commission members have backgrounds including real estate, agriculture, business, education, environmental planning, and others.

The Planning Commission consists of nine members, three from each County Commissioner District. On average, members attend one meeting per month. Meetings are in the evenings and last approximately three hours.
Planning Commission terms last for four years and may be renewed by mutual agreement. Service on the Planning Commission service is unpaid; however, members may obtain reimbursement for travel expenses to and from meetings.

To apply, please send a letter of interest and statement of qualifications to:

Skagit County Board of Commissioners
Attn: Linda Hammons
Re: Planning Commission Vacancy
1800 Continental Place
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

For more information, contact Linda Hammons at lindah@co.skagit.wa.us or at (360) 336-9300.

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Planning & Development Services is developing a proposal to enroll the County in the statewide "Voluntary Stewardship Program" for protection of streams and other habitat in areas of agricultural activity and make other changes to the Critical Areas Ordinance for Ongoing Agriculture. You may send questions, comments, and suggestions to Senior Planner Betsy Stevenson at agcao@co.skagit.wa.us. More information is available at www.skagitcounty.net/agcao.

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In an effort to provide a more thorough and dedicated response to water quality issues in the Samish basin and throughout the county, Skagit County Public Works has developed a hotline number and Water Pollution Report Form for citizens to report water quality problems.
Citizens can call (360) 336-9400 to report a problem, or visit www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater to fill out a report form. Citizens are encouraged to report any form of water pollution, including failing septic systems, manure management, livestock in streams, dumping down storm drains, stormwater problems, or any kind of suspicious discharge.

"In order to make substantial changes to the Samish and throughout Skagit County, we need to target problem areas. With the hotline and report form, we hope that the community will help keep us informed of areas where they witness water quality pollution so we can follow up and correct the problem," said Dan Berentson, Skagit County Public Works Natural Resource Division Manager.

High fecal coliform levels in Samish Bay continue to threaten our health, shellfish beds, food production, and quality of life in Skagit County. In 2011, Skagit County will be dedicating about $473,000 towards cleaning up the Samish; $152,504 will come from the Skagit County Clean Water Fund, with $320,659 from an EPA grant leveraged by Clean Water Program dollars.

Skagit County will also enhance its response efforts and engage more personnel in water quality correction measures by increasing landowner contact, enhancing its media campaign, installing waste facilities for both pets and humans within the Samish watershed, and continuing its ambient and storm monitoring, along with continued outreach and education.

For more information, contact Skagit County Public Information Officer Emma Whitfield at emmaw@co.skagit.wa.us or at (360) 419-7667. Also visit www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater.

HOTLINE FORM

More than 20 non-profit groups, businesses and government agencies formed Clean Samish earlier this year to speed cleanup in the river, bay and nearby streams. Several of these water bodies do not meet state clean-water standards for fecal coliform, bacteria from digestive systems of people and animals.

Other Clean Samish participants include Samish Bay shellfish farmers, the Samish Indian Nation, the Western Washington Agricultural Association, the Puget Sound Partnership, and the state departments of Health and Agriculture.

“Clean Samish represents a community-wide commitment in the broadest sense,” said Ecology’s regional director Jeannie Summerhays, who chairs the Initiative. “If you’ve ever had questions about the Samish cleanup, many of the organizations working on it will be under one roof at this open house.”

Summerhays added that owners of septic systems and farm animals can make very significant contributions. “When managed properly, none of these uses represents a threat to water quality,” she explained.

Teams from the county Health Department and Ecology have been visiting homes and farms in selected sub-basins to provide information and assistance on meeting local and state requirements to prevent contamination from reaching Samish waters.

Fecal coliform bacteria indicate the likely presence of disease-causing organisms in the water. Elevated levels of this pollutant have led to Washington Department of Health closures of commercial shellfish harvests in Samish Bay for a total of ten weeks in 2008 and 2009. Bacteria levels frequently reach levels too high for safe non-commercial shellfish harvesting and for recreational water-contact activities such as swimming and fishing.

“A clean Samish adds a critical value for farmers, especially those who irrigate from surface waters or grow shellfish” said Mike Rundlett of the Western Washington Agriculture Association. “Consumers need to be assured their food products are safe.”

Marine monitoring is conducted by the state Department of Health. Freshwater monitoring is conducted by Ecology, Skagit County and the volunteer Skagit Stream Team.

The Clean Samish Initiative has developed a plan to coordinate its members’ cleanup activities, based on an Ecology water-quality improvement strategy for the Samish, approved last month by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under the federal Clean Water Act. In addition to proper management of septic systems and animal waste, the plan addresses other pollution sources, including:

• farming operations that spread animal manure as fertilizer;
• various human recreational activities, including boating, hunting, fishing, hiking;
• marina live-aboard boats;
• waterfowl attracted to fields planted in grain.

For more information, or to get involved with Clean Samish, please contact:

Corinne Story, Skagit County Public Health, 360-336-9380, corinnes@co.skagit.wa.us

Steve Olsen, Skagit Conservation Education Alliance, 419-3161, steveo@skagitcleanwater.org

Kristi Carpenter, Skagit Conservation District, 360-428-4313, kristi@skagitcd.org

Rick Haley, Skagit County Public Works, 360-336-9400, rickh@co.skagit.wa.us

Related: Clean Water Web Site: www.skagitcounty.net/cleanwater