Saturday, March 22, 2014 • The South Whidbey Record
Langley review board grumbles about port signs The Port of South Whidbey’s expansion of the dock, commonly called Langley marina but officially the South Whidbey Harbor, has one sticking point that Langley’s Design Review Board is keeping an eye on. Part of the deal between the city and the port district, which assumed ownership of the marina several years ago, was that signs would include Langley’s name on them. Rather than just “South Whidbey Harbor this way,” the signs might read “South Whidbey Harbor at Langley this way.” Sign designs brought before the review board, the group of citizens in charge of city aesthetics,
did not include the city’s name. “It doesn’t say Langley anywhere in the signage,” said Bob Dalton, the board’s chairman. Mayor Fred McCarthy said raised the issue with one of the port commissioners who would be “sensitive” to Langley’s desire to have its name included on the wayfinding signs. The Design Review Board approved all of the signage requests from the port district, said Dalton, but he wanted to make sure the port would follow up with the inclusion of the city’s name. “I think a lot of people would be uncomfortable if it didn’t say Langley,” McCarthy said.
Price Johnson discusses priorities in Washington D.C. Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson traveled to Washington D.C. as part of the National Association of Counties’ Legislative Conference earlier this month. County officials from across the nation showed Congress and federal officials that county governments provide the tools for healthy, vibrant and safe communities, according to a news release. More than 1,500 county officials attended the conference, from March 1 to 5, to represent the nation’s 3,069 county governments. The main topic of the conference this year was transportation. Members of county organizations urged Congress to pass a multiyear surface transportation bill that provides long-term funding certainty for transportation infrastructure. A two-year surface transportation bill known as “MAP21” which supports many
county surface transportation priorities expires in September. “Transportation resources are vital for Island County. Whether it is support for ferries, transit or road maintenance, our federal partners need to understand the local impacts of their decisions,” said Price Johnson, in the news release. “It’s important that Congress and federal officials hear directly from county officials about how we can work together to effectively serve the public.” County’s membership and active involvement in NACo makes that not only possible but highly effective, she added. Price Johnson also met with state congressional officials to discuss challenges and to work collaboratively to meet the needs of local communities.
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