RESOLUTION NO.__________ RESOLUTION ADOPTING A TEMPORARY, INTERIM SCHEDULE FOR THE GUEMES ISLAND FERRY WHEREAS Skagit County operates the Guemes Island Ferry between Fidalgo Island, Washington and Guemes Island, Washington; and WHEREAS, on May 30, 2006, Skagit County adopted Resolution R20060184, which amended the ferry's schedule for a two year trial period, effective July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2008; and WHEREAS Resolution R20060184 modified the "last ferry of the day" policy, made changes to the daytime schedule, and added ferry runs between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday evenings; and WHEREAS, as authorized under Resolution R20060184, Public Works evaluated the results of the first year of the trial period and, under Resolution R20070581, made adjustments to the ferry schedule; and WHEREAS Resolution R20060184 provides that Public Works shall provide a summary of operational and financial data collected during the trial period to the Board of County Commissioners by October 1, 2008; and WHEREAS the trial period described in Resolution R20060184 expires on June 30, 2008, and Public Works needs the time provided in that resolution to evaluate all of the data that they have gathered and to present it and their recommendations to the Board of Commissioners; and WHEREAS on May 6, 2008, Planning and Development Services issued the Guemes Island Ferry Service Schedule Changes: Environmental Assessment (EA) and SEPA Non-Project Checklist and the final report provides preliminary evidence on ferry usage and data and strongly indicates that there is an existing demand for additional evening runs during the week and that this demand is generated by existing residents and property owners and not by new development; and WHEREAS on May 8, 2008, a SEPA threshold determination of non-significance (DNS) was published that addressed several ferry schedule alternatives, under which this action has been contemplated; and WHEREAS the EA concluded that expansion of ferry capacity through additional weekday evening runs would not result in a significantly increased rate of growth on the island and therefore the DNS concluded that there would not be any probable, significant adverse impacts on the environment of Guemes Island; and WHEREAS on June 11,
2008, the Planning and Development Services Department issued its Responses
to Comment Letters Received on the Guemes Island Ferry Service Environmental
Assessment, SEPA Checklist and Threshold Determination and its decision
to retain the determination of non-significance issued on May 8, 2008;
and WHEREAS the commissioners realize that growth and environmental issues are of significant interest and concern to island residents; and WHEREAS the most appropriate place to address these issues of growth and development is through the Guemes Island subarea plan. The commissioners have placed that subarea plan on the 2007-08 Comprehensive Plan Amendment docket, which will allow further public review and comment, and will be considered by the Planning Commission at a public hearing later this year. WHEREAS the Board
of Commissioners desires that the public, including ferry riders and residents
of Anacortes and Guemes Island have the opportunity to review the subarea
plan and the operational and financial data and to express their thoughts
and concerns before any permanent changes are made to the ferry schedule;
and WHEREAS adopting a new temporary schedule through the summer will provide time for the reviews and comment necessary for any decision on a permanent schedule to take place. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, THAT the temporary, interim schedule set forth in Attachment A is established for the Guemes Island Ferry. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THAT this temporary, interim schedule is valid until December 31, 2008, at which time, absent further action by the Board of County Commissioners, the ferry schedule will revert to the schedule in effect on June 30, 2006. |
