Record South Whidbey
INSIDE
Falcons sweep Archbishop See...A8
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 35 | www.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.com | 75¢
Hospital followed law buying property without appraisal, state says By JUSTIN BURNETT South Whidbey Record Whidbey General Hospital did not have an appraisal done before it spent $2 million on a property in Bayview valued at $618,000 six years ago, and it turns out they didn’t have to. State officials confirmed this week that while Washington law does require multiple appraisals to be performed before a public agency sells property, there is no such mandate when it comes to buying.
“The answer is ‘No, there is no requirement,’” said Thomas Shapley, a spokesman for the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Shapely was posed the question by The Record in the wake of a recent public records request to the hospital district, which yielded no appraisal for the January 2008 land purchase and a subsequent assertion by hospital staff that one wasn’t legally necessary. When asked to verify the claim, Shapely seemed surprised such a law did not exist and had to check with agency attorneys to
be sure. Also surprised was South Whidbey’s state lawmaker. In an interview Monday, Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, said she doesn’t know all the specifics of the hospital’s purchase, but vowed to look into the broader issue concerning the state’s apparent lack of safeguards when it comes to taxpayer-bought properties. “That is definitely something I’ll be taking back and doing some research on, because if that is indeed the case, it needs to be evalu-
ated and a potential legislative remedy found,” Smith said. The property in question concerns a 4.5-acre parcel of undeveloped property in Bayview, which is located across Highway 525 from The Goose Community Grocer. Purchased from Verlane Gabelein, it was meant to be the future building site of a new South Whidbey hospital clinic, replacing an SEE HOSPITAL, A13
Marina expansion finally floats to finish “The jello is pinned to the tree” — Phil Simon, Freeland
Celeste Erickson / The Record
Port of South Whidbey Commissioner Curt Gordon performs the honors during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at South Whidbey Harbor on Friday, April 25. He is surrounded by local, state and federal elected officials, including Congressman Rick Larsen (left), a Second District Democrat.
By CELESTE ERICKSON South Whidbey Record Friday was a day for celebration and a water show at South Whidbey Harbor, as South End representatives and community members gathered for the grand opening of the two new docks at the harbor. Port of South Whidbey staff and commissioners were all smiles as they presented the long-awaited expansion project to the public. And the crowd enjoyed a demonstration of South
Whidbey Fire/EMS’s new fireboat, which is permanently moored at the harbor. Speakers all pointed to the partnerships between the port, the fire district, Langley and the state of Washington in making the project a success. Congressman Rick Larsen, a Second District Democrat, was in attendance and praised the port’s partnership with the city for pushing the project through to completion. He said one of his major goals is to support long-term investments in local infrastructure for economic growth.
“This is a good example of a recreational asset not just for Langley or for South Whidbey, but for the entire region. We’re all pleased to be part of that,” Larsen said. Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said the project, with its intertwining connections, is a testament of governments working together to achieve good things. “Hats off to the port for working together,” she cheered. SEE MARINA, A14