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Happy 4th of July! I want to wish you a safe and celebratory holiday as we recognize the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America. Fireworks are only allowed on July 3rd between 9-11 pm and July 4th 9-12 pm. Possession or discharge of certain fireworks, including firecrackers, rockets, M-80s, dynamite and all homemade fireworks, is illegal. In addition to fireworks prohibited by state law, mortar fireworks are prohibited in Island County. Recently, there was a terrible fire on Whidbey that likely involved significant amounts of fireworks on their property. While the investigation of the incident is underway, it is likely this included the storage of illegal fireworks such as those noted above prohibited in our county. The controversial issue of fireworks continues to be discussed in the County. An advisory vote on the possible ban of fireworks is likely to be on your ballot in November. For now, please know and follow the law in Island County. For more information, click here: Fireworks Laws & Safety Tips | Island County, WA
In other events, we want to take a moment to celebrate another significant milestone. The Board of Island County has adopted the 20-year Comprehensive Plan. It is the culmination of three years of work, hundreds of hours of analysis and research, multiple outreach events, and significant public input. I want to congratulate the long-range planning team, the Planning Commission, and the public on this work. Thank you.
Our long-Range Planners did an amazing job with our 2025 Comprehensive Plan Update, whcih the Board approved this week. Photo courtesy of Commissioner Bacon's newsletter.
I will not be holding a Town Hall in July or August. My next Town Hall will be September 3 on Camano Island. I will be hosting Sheriff Rick Felici and our Chief Jail Administrator Jose Briones to share updates on our work to improve and update our justice facilities and plans for the jail.
With holidays and a trip to National Association of Counties Conference, my calendar is quite busy for July. At NACo, I will be presenting a renewal of a national counties’ platform to improve healthcare access for veteran’s and military families. It will be my last NACo conference, and I appreciate my time with the NACo Health Steering Committee as Vice Chair for the last few years.
As always, please reach out if you have concerns or issues. For those on Camano who have experienced issues with the installation and expansion of fiber internet in their neighborhoods, please email me. I have a meeting this week with Ziply where I hope to get timely resolution on any negative impacts. As a reminder, my email is j.stclair@islandcountywa.gov.
Again, have a wonderful holiday weekend. Stay safe.
Sincerely,
Janet
Janet St. Clair, Island County Commissioner
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