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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 | Vol. 91, No. 75 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Banks turf war gets more tangled with new motion
Swing and a miss for golf course sale By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record
bits are the ones most commonly seen around Langley, and were likely released by owners and from the fairgrounds decades ago. Rabbit breeding season, according to a Living with Wildlife page about rabbits on the state agency’s website, begins in mid-February and continues through late summer. A 30-day gestation period means a female rabbit can have “several litters” with four to eight young each year. As early as two weeks old, young rabbits begin eating vegetation, and by five weeks they eat alongside their mother. “The number of rabbits in a given area will increase and decrease in a cycle connected with predator populations and food availability,” the state wildlife website states. Steve Layman, a citizen consul-
A two-week window for prospective buyers to make offers on the Holmes Harbor Golf Course has come and gone without a single bid. For Holmes Harbor Sewer District commissioners who are trying to shed unwanted ownership of the golf course’s 50 acres of fairways, that they didn’t get even a nibble was disappointing, but not surprising. “We got no bids, but we didn’t really expect any,” said Commissioner Stan Walker, president of the sewer district’s board. Other than being approached late last year by an unnamed albeit interested party, Walker said the board has heard barely a whisper of curiosity from potential investors or owners. The only known interest was voiced by Kevin Hanchett of Holmes Harbor, LLC. Hanchett said this week he and business partner Mike Hooper had considered making an offer to own the entire golf course, but passed due to restrictions placed on the fairways by the district board. “It just seemed any proposal we’d come up with would be too low for them to accept,” he said. The sewer district owns the course fairways, irrigation system, retention ponds, infrastructure and related equipment. Hanchett and the LLC own the clubhouse, waterfront property and an over-water dock. The divided ownership has been a reality since 2013 when the sewer district purchased the assets from the LLC for
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SEE GOLF COURSE, A5
By JESSIE STENSLAND Whidbey News Group Complicated litigation that’s pitting the Island County prosecutor and the board of commissioners against each other has become even more complicated. The commissioners last week filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit. If granted, it would allow the commissioners to formally join the litigation and argue their case. In addition, the commissioners are asking that a motion for summary judgment be pushed back at least one month. Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said the commissioners felt compelled to intervene in the lawsuit in order to protect their capacity to govern effectively. “This lawsuit is clearly a challenge to our ability to enter into contracts,” she said. Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks filed the lawsuit Aug. 12 in Island County Superior Court against attorney Susan Drummond, whom the commissioners contracted with to provide legal advice on the ongoing comprehensive plan amendment. The lawsuit alleges that she was taking over one of the elected prosecutor’s duties without his consent, which is prohibited by the state constitution. The Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys board unanimously voted to support the lawsuit and authorized its staff attorney to represent Banks. She SEE LAWSUIT, A8
Ben Watanabe / The Record
A few bunnies munch on grass at St. Hubert Church on De Bruyn Avenue. Residents have complained about the landscape damage done by voracious rabbits, prompting the city to engage in talks with other agencies about possible solutions.
Mayoral candidates weigh in on Langley’s booming bunnies Both say juries still out on rabbits’ fate By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record A seemingly runaway rabbit population made national headlines, has Langley city leaders trying to figure out ways to address the issue, and may well become a top election issue in the 2015 mayoral election. Yet neither candidate — Tim Callison and Sharon Emerson — appears ready to support a full-on frontal assault on the furry invaders. Emerson said she was unlikely to pursue a lethal option if elected, while Callison said he would not rule it out. On the heels of a multi-agency meeting about what options may be available for curbing a growing nonnative rabbit population, the candidates shared their take on how they would handle it as the city’s chief executive. A community meeting is
planned in early October to lay out ongoing problems, from damaged fields and landscaping to compromised structures, injuries and the potential for diseases along with potential solution options such as trapping, falconry and sterilization. They offered different takes, from Callison’s wait-and-see approach to Emerson’s reluctance about a lethal option. Neither candidate said they would propose a guns-blazing, Elmer Fudd-esque response. Emerson questioned whether it is really a problem, and if so, to what extent it required a plan from the city. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, there are two native species of rabbits in Washington (Nuttall’s cottontail and Pygmy rabbit) and two that were introduced (Eastern cottontail and domestic rabbit). Domestic rab-