[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6688675,"mediaKeyId","2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878","parentId",2157829,"title","Public commenters urge county stance on federal immigration enforcement; shoreline restoration under discussion","audioSeconds",192,"startMs",3201000,"endMs",3393000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878&start=3201&end=3393","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878/thumbnail_3201000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6688675/Skagit-County/Washington/Public-commenters-urge-county-stance-on-federal-immigration-enforcement-shoreline-restoration-under-discussion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688675-4b17d180d9a0a0a1119a7d0543d3a673/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440257&Signature=LH2uMmJEPnuQvRNNO~-~fXGsQZACz~6e5aEgKKR6Wb1AWWlbF5AitUXLDaYYrJnGh38ThNlz748lOfY~A4Px52~HouzOv4zKyEY0ObFjcvS7vyg5g96~HATr7GNsJ9OxsBvheFs21M2c27udGtuc3qmsrWIRMfRwwW~NrOYLFiaP2DaJS0m9ch5aBztWQViyFPABBtGCDdBiv5Cr8Sl54cvSjijtrJjNxfgp3dtTPJlf~-7x02ytkALQn99PYy00t-hAg6wBTnHEPr0CFLKCiAHw3jAvqLt1h7jdN1h743GOtddYZbN2E5EpCMBcRnVtB0lYZwBLbInzD7RaHiRZ4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Skagit County","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","At the Jan. 28 public comment period, members of the public addressed the Skagit County Board of Commissioners on immigration enforcement and a shoreline-restoration proposal.

Rebecca Peck of Bow urged the commissioners to issue a statement opposing local-law-enforcement assistance to federal immigration enforcement efforts. Peck said the county's economy relies on agriculture and that roughly one in five residents is Hispanic. \"We are a county of a 131,000 people, 19.7% of which are Hispanic,\" she said, and added that families and farm labor could be harmed if local law enforcement assisted federal agents.

Chair Janicki acknowledged the comment and noted the sheriff is an elected official; commissioners nevertheless control portions of the sheriff's budget. No formal board action or direction was taken during the meeting. Commissioners reminded speakers that public comment does not itself change law or policy and that further action would require separate deliberation or requests through the appropriate channels.

Loretta (identified in the record as Lori Humble/Tweedy of Lake Cavanaugh) began a brief presentation about NorthShore shoreline restoration and said she will provide additional parts of her submission at a future meeting. She referred to a past March 15, 2022 special meeting presentation by a private company (RediRock) and said she would email the commissioners the original quote and a hard copy if weather permits.

The board did not take action on the items raised during public comment. The public-comment period was followed by routine commissioner remarks and adjournment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Skagit County - Record of the Proceedings - Tuesday Session - Jan 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Jan. 28 public-comment period, a Bow resident urged Skagit County commissioners to oppose local-law-enforcement assistance to federal immigration enforcement; another commenter previewed a multi-part shoreline restoration submission.","taxTitle","Skagit County, Washington","taxId",5125,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6688685,"Skagit commissioners hear closed-record appeal over unpermitted Eager Beaver Tree Service",1717,60000,1777000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878&start=60&end=1777","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878/thumbnail_60000.jpg","/articles/6688685/Skagit-County/Washington/Skagit-commissioners-hear-closed-record-appeal-over-unpermitted-Eager-Beaver-Tree-Service","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688685-bfc393d7aae6d0a4d3cd18276f60e118/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440257&Signature=gfpFbl~~5A1fAUzYcDFzR~oRbV34Zj4SuyZp~uvxSimIpgjjZ7yQybT9TWA7ElXG4ZMVI81LiWTBrcAsCuNzHOdrJU1Jsj21y6vnGE7GUKbZCC1-rPTYI-aSC14MPrCOcLzBnrZ19uAvnxas0V9B5v-cfv6njVHwn40mV-HoQ5f9If4pjGXopH8lEBDzxff6nBVP84EULrTgsSnmXIPCUtUK~Qelj8AS8-MSWGq0GoZEFmBU~usqfQWhCi2U2lSDThT13wifLQn2R6O5d3~ik93qNrwZQCdwD9NWxC9MpJeD-izrOPF-dkteH8IbPw6UajpIFgmBIxU0Qii79OUu5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Janicki presided over a closed-record appeal hearing Jan. 28 in which the owners of Eager Beaver Tree Service asked the Skagit County Board of Commissioners to reverse a hearing examiner's decision upholding an administrative order to abate an alleged unpermitted business at a residence. The appeal concerns administrative order CE22-0175 and hearing examiner decision dated Sept. 14, 2024; the board said it will render a public decision on March 11, 2025, at 11 a.m.

The appellants, represented by an attorney identified in the record as Mister Miller, said Eager Beaver was founded in 1991 and has operated as a family home-based arborist business for about 34 years. \"This is big brother beating up on a small business in Skagit County,\" Miller told the commissioners, urging them to apply the Jefferson County v. Lakeside Industries case and reverse the hearing examiner.

Jason De Avion, civil deputy prosecutor representing the planning department, said the county does not dispute the business's long history but contends it was not lawfully established because, under the applicable code in 1991, a special use permit would have been required for this type of home-based business. \"What is clear from the record is, this was not a lawfully established business,\" De Avion said. He pointed the board to a September 30, 2022, letter and permit-tracking notes that refer to a received request for investigation, or RFI, which triggered county compliance action.

Co-owner Ashlyn Dennis and owner family member Paula Longnecker addressed the board during the parties-of-record portion. Dennis said neighbors did not complain to the owners and alleged the RFI may have been initiated by a county employee. Paula Longnecker said she did not know a special use permit was required when the business began and expressed surprise at the enforcement action.

De Avion noted the department attempted to work with the Longneckers for over a year to find a zoning solution or permit path and that the hearing examiner concluded the administrative order to abate was appropriate. The county cited the code provision for home-based businesses and said the property's shop, equipment storage and other observable features in the record did not meet the home's residential-character requirement exempting small home occupations.

No final decision was issued at the hearing. Chair Janicki told participants the board would consider the record and render its decision in public session on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 11 a.m. The board instructed parties not to contact individual commissioners before that time and directed questions to the senior civil deputy prosecutor representing the board.

Background and context: the appeal was filed under case PL24-0362. The administrative order to abate is numbered CE22-0175. Appellants requested reversal of the hearing examiner's Sept. 14, 2024 decision. County counsel referenced the earlier case Jefferson County v. Lakeside Industries to explain the court-created grandfathering principle in that distinct factual context and said it does not apply here because Skagit County's zoning was not invalidated at the relevant time.

The record included written exhibits and testimony; county staff said a permit-tracking note and a Sept. 30, 2022 letter documented an RFI and inspection. Appellants said they submitted a public-records request and found no neighbor complaint in the materials provided to them. Appellants also said they had experienced insurance cancellations they attributed to public notices about the complaint.

The board did not take further testimony and limited remarks to the administrative record, consistent with closed-record hearing rules under Skagit County code.

Commissioners' next steps: the board will deliberate and issue a written decision at the announced March 11, 2025 public session. The hearing record, as presented, will form the basis of that decision.","Chair Janicki presided over a closed-record appeal hearing Jan. 28 in which the owners of Eager Beaver Tree Service asked the Skagit County Board of Commissioners to reverse a hearing examiner's decision upholding an administrative order to abate an alleged unpermitted business at a residence.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6688680,"WSU Skagit County Extension outlines outreach, SNAP‑Ed and farm support programs",3160,1997000,5157000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878&start=1997&end=5157","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2157829-7df7a6985328db8a68e3e56ad63e8878/thumbnail_1997000.jpg","/articles/6688680/Skagit-County/Washington/WSU-Skagit-County-Extension-outlines-outreach-SNAPEd-and-farm-support-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688680-759bee60fc5cff218d56fab47a4a9629/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440257&Signature=FVHPHFYhOgmp~3MjwJOzD3G00gfNQG-IXsGKgryVObS9aQ3ZS9jro8-jdyqkRAk3pddaVkKyCRJV24PEciv5peAaC17tApH7fl1NOoj0iiT~RqgNpTo-mn2nB3WkfpDzkplzwRl0Q3lcfxeG-kcOmeZFyMKJBimdJ7jWaor3GCrjU7F~2gDwZqzqcJzWjcLcr0lNKwiTIp2QtrjYHn5WLCUkxaRUdC18dVYYRq6uKsVkBz2Pswj2W6uif1RvBGvDGinsbhg-OznECMGpD0GqrnhLrgOMGuq0N4FZjGHcJZqoputL0jinSy~Q2Y93Pb7AFtb1PPNgTm0Amd2VSaxEqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WSU Skagit County Extension staff briefed the Skagit County Board of Commissioners Jan. 28 on a suite of county-supported programs spanning agriculture, nutrition education and community health. Don McMoran (WSU Skagit County Extension) led the quarterly update and introduced staff and collaborators who described programming and funding needs.

Shauna Beese of Whatcom County Extension described a rural neighborhood development project that adapts tools used in urban and suburban research for rural contexts; she said the work studies \"how trust is built within that community\" and that a core survey and interviews are being tested across six counties including Skagit.

Don McMoran and staff highlighted staffing changes (the retirements of long-time employees Beth Meengan and Dorothy Elsner and the addition of grants coordinator Rosa Cantu) and thanked the commissioners for full funding this year, including for a forestry program featuring Kevin Zobris.

Esther Carpenter, SNAP‑Ed program coordinator at WSU Extension, gave details on SNAP‑Ed activities in Skagit County. She described direct education in elementary and middle schools, indirect education such as resource events and food demonstrations at food banks, and policy-systems-environment (PSE) work to make healthy food and physical activity more accessible. Carpenter said SNAP‑Ed is federally funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through Food and Nutrition Service and implemented at the state level by Washington State University and the Department of Health.

Ebert Rivera described bilingual technical assistance for Latino and Spanish-speaking farmers. Rivera said extension staff help producers apply for grants and loans (including USDA and state programs), assist with organic certification paperwork and reporting, provide on-site interpretation, and support farmers participating in soil-health trials and market connections. He said the program is managing roughly 25 cases and helping farmers access about $35,000 in funding through various grant programs.

Diane Smith, family and consumer sciences specialist, summarized public health and food-waste prevention initiatives, including a worm-bin pilot, community education that reached thousands, and a planned April food-waste prevention week. Smith also said Skagit County is among two Washington counties selected to pilot a climate steward certificate program from UC California.

Don McMoran closed by inviting commissioners and the public to upcoming events including the Skagit Ag Summit on Feb. 7 (WSU Northwest REC), workshops through February and March, and outreach tied to farm safety and farmer support. Several presenters noted a temporary USDA grant freeze affecting grant timelines.

Commissioners thanked the extension staff for programming that supports agriculture, small farms and community health and noted the outreach and translation services that improve access for Spanish-speaking residents and producers.","WSU Skagit County Extension gave a quarterly update to the Skagit County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28, describing staffing changes, farm stress and safety events, SNAP‑Ed nutrition and food‑access work, Spanish‑language assistance for farmers, and pilot projects including a pasture management grant and a Peruvian \"popping\" bean crop study.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge county stance on federal immigration enforcement; shoreline restoration under discussion

Skagit commissioners hear closed-record appeal over unpermitted Eager Beaver Tree Service

WSU Skagit County Extension outlines outreach, SNAP‑Ed and farm support programs