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Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 41 • october 9, 2012
Charter review 101 LOPEZ LOBOS Home Games This Week: 10/12 Volleyball 2pm
Weekly takes a look at CRC recommendations and presents pro and con guest columns County residents will decide how much to shake up the current county council structure in this November’s election with a vote on three propositions devised by the Charter Review Commission. The propositions would cut the council from six parttime members to three full-time members (prop. 1); replace the executive county administrator position with a county manager (prop. 2); and mandate that all county council meetings are open to the public (prop. 3). Approved by majority vote by the 21-member commission, the propositions were developed through a series of meetings that included testimony from county officials, former freeholders, and others with a goal to facilitate a more effective governance structure. The propositions do not overturn Home Rule, adopted in 2005. For a variety of letters on the topic, visit www.islandsweekly.com. Included in this story are two guest columns: one for the propositions and one against.
Yes for charter changes By Larry Hendel
Lopez Island member of the CRC
One of the most interesting aspects of the Charter Review Commission’s review process was that the overwhelming majority of the members, with diverse experience, all having a keen interest in county government, and with varied political interests and philosophies, came together with three positive suggestions to make our government work
FILM:6
in a series of 8 showing each Wednesday at 7PM
The Future of Food Wednesday October 10th 7PM Lopez Library
:A” “There’s a stunning revelation in almost every scene. Grade - David Sterritt, Christian Science Monitor ed “…sober, far-reaching polemic against genetically modifi Times York New The n, Holde en foods… ” - Steph
Election
2012
better and more efficiently. The CRC is comprised of 21 members elected by the citizens of San Juan County. Its assignment was to review all portions of the charter and make its recommendations available for voter approval or disapproval. It met weekly for six to seven hours for four-and-a-half months beginning last January, and individual members put in hundreds of hours on their own researching and preparing for weekly meetings. It was obvious at the first meeting that many CRC members had given considerable thought to the charter. Early on, members independently brought to the table sections of the charter they felt needed attention. After several meetings most of us seemed to agree on major issues. We made comparisons between Washington state counties, their size and operations, and had many discussions with their commissioners/councilors. State and county laws were researched, and information received from public testimonies and letters was evaluated. Extensive findings were documented. The three proposed amendments cover sections that most members felt needed revision. They were re-evaluated a number of times throughout the review period and each time the vote showed overwhelming support for them. At our last meeting, 17 out of 19 members voted to have these amendments put on the ballot. Two members voted against it, one abstained and one was absent. The CRC has been criticized rudely and inaccurately by one or two people portraying the process used as flawed, coming to conclusion too quickly and implying that our members met “behind closed doors.” Not true. CRC members put a huge amount of thought and effort into the review process both before and throughout the meeting period. Those who voted for CRC candidates last November obviously wanted people on the CRC who had given a lot of thought to the charter. It is unbelievable after living with this experiment for six years that anyone would come unprepared and empty handed to the very first meeting. Apparently, those critics objected to, or couldn’t understand, members being prepared. They still can’t. We accomplished a lot and it is because of members having a great deal of practical and managerial experiSee CHARTER, page 5
Lopez Center
Steinway Piano Series
Thank You
T
hank you to all the sponsors, audience members and artists for your enthusiasm in helping our 2012 Steinway series a huge success. Thank you Phyllis Nansen, Julie VanCamp, Richard Singer and Meg Singer without your visions and support our Lopez Community would have gone without 3 wonderful piano concerts. Lopez Center