Record South Whidbey
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Langley runner competes in Texas See...A8
SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014 | Vol. 90, No. 62 | WWW.SOUTHWHIDBEYRECORD.COM | 75¢
Langley Arts commission considers rotating public art
90th annual fair
kicks off with sunshine, smiles
By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record Instead of shelling out $20,000 on a pair of sculptures the city would own, the newly-formed Langley Arts Commission has a better idea. Rotating sculptures at different sites on Second Street, starting with two different pieces in the plaza for one year from this November to next October. “They felt as a first approach that we should approach it as an outdoor gallery,” said Langley Director of Community Planning Jeff Arango, the city employee assigned to the arts commission. Later, he added: “It gives us more flexibility but also gives more exposure to different artists.” Last month, the sevenmember arts commission met for the first time. Frank Rose, a sculptor and chairman of the Whidbey Island Arts Council, was promptly voted in as the board’s chairman, then came the long discussions about what a publicly-financed arts program could and should look like in Langley. Those talks continue this month when the arts commission meets for the second time. On the draft agenda is a vote on a request for proposals, which some members titled a “call to artists,” for existing sculptures which will fit on the already made and installed pedestals. The sculptures will stand for at least one year, and the artists will get a $600 stipend. At any time, the city has the option to buy. During the year, however, the city has the option to sell the art and take a 20 SEE COMMISSION, A13
County building permit wait times on decline By JANIS REID South Whidbey Record
A total of 24 employees will be laid off, Saturday bus service is being cancelled and five routes will be eliminated or changed due to financial problems uncovered at Island Transit. The first of the community meetings about the route changes is at 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 4 at the Oak Harbor Library.
Numbers released by the Island County Planning Department indicate that wait times for building permits are decreasing for some — but not all — projects. In a memo released last week by Planning Director Dave Wechner, permits for commercial development are, on average, 19 days faster than in 2013 and residential developments are 13 days faster than in 2013. Mobile home permits, however, are only one day faster, and flood development permits are two days slower. The county has been criticized in recent years for delays in building permitting and reopened to the public on Fridays in June to help address the issue. Wechner said a total of 646 building permit applications were filed Jan. 1 through June 30 with 599 issued with an average processing time of 29 days. “To understand the whole of the process, you have to remember that some building permits are subject to land use approval, while some are not,” Wechner said. “Some are subject to health and public works [department] approval – some are not. So when someone asks us, ‘How long does a building permit take to be issued?’ That depends.” Wechner said the length of the permitting process depends on what levels of review the project entails,
SEE TRANSIT, A14
SEE PERMITS, A14
Ben Watanabe / The Record
Cyrus Wheeler, right, gets covered in whipped cream during a pie-eating contest at the fair. The 11-year-old boy from Buckley out-ate his 13-year-old brother, Max, to the left.
By BEN WATANABE South Whidbey Record The Whidbey Island Area Fair kicked off Thursday, bringing lots of sunshine but sparse crowds. Whether it was the 74-degree heat, which felt like 90 when the breeze didn’t blow, or that the start of the event always falls on a workday, lines were short and there was plenty of elbow room throughout the fair-
grounds. It didn’t seem to dampen the moods of those who did attend, however. Much of the day was devoted to animal judging and children’s activities, from the cat and dog showing to hula hoop and pie-eating contests, and smiles were everywhere. For 11-year-old Cyrus Wheeler of Buckley, the pieSEE FAIR, A10
State to audit Island Transit books By JESSIE STENSLAND South Whidbey Record Financial experts at the Washington State Auditor’s Office will be going through books at Island Transit in the next couple of weeks to figure out what went wrong, according to the spokesman for the agency. Thomas Shapley, deputy director of communications for the office, said the auditors’ last accountability
audit of Island Transit covered the year 2012 and nothing appeared to be amiss at that time. “As someone told me today, we’re good but we can’t audit the future,” he said. “I’m really anxious to see what we will find,” he added. The South Whidbey Record story about the financial problems at Island Transit motivated the auditors to start the audit scheduled for this year as soon as possible.