LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SKAGIT COUNTY (Unit-at Large)

March 2007 Newsletter

Think Spring and GRAB YOUR CALENDARS.
Along with the daffodils and tulips, League has lots coming up.

Note from Nancy: In writing this, my theme seems to be "If… let me know!" Please do. Your thoughts and ideas are important to League. nbj

Now for your Calendar!

• Our March meeting is next Wednesday - the 21st at 1:30PM at 104 Heritage Place, West Fairhaven Blvd in Burlington. The LWVWA GMA questions (see #2 below) will be the focus of our discussion. Ellen Bynum, with Friends of Skagit and a League member, will be there to provide background information.

• The April meeting needs to be changed from the third Wednesday to the fourth Wednesday- April 25. Our guest will be Jeanne Youngquist, our new Skagit County Auditor. If you would like to help plan this meeting, let me know. This will be our opportunity to share our views on voting and to hear from Jeanne what her goals and positions are. (see # 3 below)

• The Annual Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 19th. We will meet in the morning, have lunch and finish our planning in the afternoon. Details later! Please save the date and plan to come and help us chart our future.
(see #1 below)

• June- The State Convention is scheduled for June 21-24 at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, WA. We are allowed two delegates. Please let me know if you are interested in going. Our regular Skagit meeting is June 20th. Do we want to postpone it June 27th so that we can have a report on the Convention or should we have it before and discuss what we would like our delegates to do at the Convention.

• July - We hope to plan something special. Where, what and when will be decided in the next few weeks. If you would like to volunteer to help plan, let me know.

# 1. My LET ME KNOW! Topics for the Annual meeting

• 2007-2008 Program - We need a committee. If you have ideas or would like to help plan, let me know!

• Our July Event

• Email Messages- How many and what should I forward!

# 2 - Growth Management Act Discussion Questions for local Leagues:

Please bring a copy of these to the meeting next Wednesday. (They are In the February Skagit Voter or just print out these.) Note that Ellen has been asked to provide information on a number of the questions. Also bring your LWVWA Study for GMA if you have one.

GMA and its Process:
1. Is your county, your community required to fully plan under the Growth Management Act? Yes ( this was the easy one!)
If so:
a. Have citizens in your area actively participated in that planning? Ellen
b. Has GMA contributed to density and growth in downtown areas? Ellen
c. Is there any change in patterns of growth and development in the outer areas since GMA panning
began? Ellen
d. Are there problems that aren’t being addressed? If so, what? Group Discussion

The following doesn't apply to Skagit:
If your local jurisdiction is not required to fully plan:
e. What level of planning is it doing, who is doing the planning, what standards is that planning
based on, and are citizens actively participating?
f. Are there problems that aren’t being addressed? If so, what?

State Role: Overview from Ellen
2. Do you think the state should take:
• A greater role in review of comprehensive plans and development
regulations to ensure greater consistency in levels of compliance with GMA?
• A lesser role?
• Why?
3. Should more state funds be allocated to local governments to meet GMA goals?
If yes, for which goal/s, from what income source/s?
Group discussion

Hearings Boards:
4. How have your hearings board decisions affected your area? Alberta's list -Group discussion

Affordable Housing: Group discussion with overview on Raspberry Ridge from Ellen

5. Should affordable housing targets be established so that each jurisdiction is responsible for planning for its fair share of housing for all levels of income?
a. If so, what level of government should establish those targets? How should housing for low-
income be financed?
b. Would those targets resolve the statement that “no one local government can solve the affordable
housing problem”?
c. If targets should not be established in all jurisdictions, how should the affordable housing problem
be dealt with? Is it a problem in your area?

Concurrency:
6. Currently, transportation is the only infrastructure required to maintain given levels of service as an area is developed. Do you agree with that requirement? Group discussion with overview from Ellen
a. What infrastructure facilities, if any, do you think should be covered by concurrency
requirements? Group discussion with overview from Ellen
b. Are developer impact fees the appropriate way to at least partially fund the needed infrastructure? Group discussion with overview from Ellen
If yes, how much of the total requirement should they fund? What other funding sources might be
appropriate? Why?

League Positions:
7. LWVWA and local Leagues have used land use and transportation positions that relate to the Growth Management Act.
a. Do you think we need a position specific to the Growth Management Act? Group discussion with overview from Ellen
b. If you think we do, what further information do you think necessary in order for us to prepare for consensus?
Group discussion with overview from Ellen

For question 7- I hope to form a committee to discuss come up with a statement to be apporved at the April meeting to be sent to LWVWA.

#3. The following is an email request I sent to the lwvwatopics list after my conversation with Jeanne Y. this morning. If you have a position on this, LET ME KNOW! I will pass along the responses to Jeanne.

lwvwatopics list:

In a conversation with the Skagit County Auditor this morning about another subject, she asked me what the League thoughts were concerning the Presidential Primary in Washington State. Our Auditor pointed out that this would be coming up for a vote soon. She also pointed out that it would be very expensive (several million dollars- I think she said 9) and that it probably would not be a meaningful decision ( my words not hers).

Our Unit-at-large has not discussed it. I would appreciate hearing from Lwvwatopics so that I have your excellent perspectives to help me and the Skagit members have a reasonable understanding before taking any action.

Thank you for all you do.

In League, Nancy B. Johnson