LWVSJ Observer Corps*: County Council September 8, 2025 council meeting.
The Marine Resources Committee (MRC) will comment on the Opalco Tidal Energy Project application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC). The project is early in the feasibility study stage, so project information is limited. The county will seek to balance energy supply and security needs with protecting the marine environment especially for salmon and cetaceans, and about noise. Similar projects in Scotland should provide useful data.
Going forward they will ask Opalco to engage with the Environmental Stewardship Department and the MRC, then the council.
The Environmental Stewardship Department updated the Council on the need to expand the San Juan Solid Waste Transfer Station, which is Tier One infrastructure in the comp plan. In future years the station will be unable to manage the amount of waste generated on San Juan Island. This is an issue for the town of Friday Harbor, too. They plan to expand the station on a neighboring county-owned property on Sutton Road at an estimated cost of $7 million. Funding options include taking a loan or issuing a bond.
The Environmental Stewardship Department updated the Council Sea Level Rise Backshores Road Project. Sea level rise is projected to put 935 structures at increased risk of flooding, threaten septic systems, and to require relocation or reinforcing ten miles of road. It will be the responsibility of individual property owners to manage the risks for their properties, while the county will be responsible for managing risks to public facilities, with a focus on roads. Right now, they are scoring them on their risk to set priorities in capital planning. FEMA help in addressing these needs is going away.
They are ready to proceed with the next steps of public engagement and getting tribal feedback and anticipate some difficult conversations.
The county management reviewed various bills of interest to the county potentially moving forward in the state legislature’s upcoming session. The council will be working on setting legislative priorities in their next meeting with the county lobbyist. A mosquito fleet, affordable housing and energy regulation are among areas of interest.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization encourages informed participation in government. The Observer Corps attends and takes notes at government meetings to expand public understanding of public policy and decisions. The notes do not necessarily reflect the views of the League or its members.