La Conner's Town Council voted to transfer a surplus fireboat and its trailer to a volunteer group calling itself the Henry Island Fire Brigade, setting the package value at $3,401 and authorizing the mayor to sign the sale agreement.

The sale, discussed at length during the council's June meeting, followed a presentation from Robbie Johnson, who identified himself as a seasonal resident of Penner Island and an organizer for island volunteers. Johnson said the brigade has been training with the county fire department to provide advanced medical and firefighting first response for islands that are about an hour by water from the nearest full-time fire service. "We already need fire protection on the Howard Islands around San Juan," Johnson said, describing plans to use the boat to pump water from the sea and to expand the group's response radius.

Scott (staff) gave a short memo about the asset and its condition and reminded the council of procedural limits on disposition of surplus property. "The rule is that we can't give it away," he said, noting that town staff must set a value and proceed through the surplus-property process. Council members and staff discussed the boat's age, corrosion on the pump and spray monitor, and the fact the trailer had relatively new components; residents said they were prepared to invest time and money to make the boat operable.

Council members debated an appropriate price for the package; the council ultimately set the package value at $3,401 and authorized the mayor to sign the sale agreement subject to a standard "as-is, where-is" transfer and a sale/transfer agreement prepared by town staff. The council approved the motion by voice vote; the meeting transcript records the council answering "Aye" when asked for those in favor.

Johnson told the council the brigade already has training buy-in from the county fire department and a place to keep the boat. He said the group will use its own dock space and expect to repair corroded equipment before returning the vessel to service.

The council directed staff to prepare the sale paperwork and an agreement that documents the transfer terms. The transfer is intended to be executed by the mayor once the paperwork is complete and the buyer demonstrates arrangements for transport and restoration.

The agreement and any follow-up inspection or registration steps will be handled by town staff; the council did not place additional conditions in the public record beyond authorizing the sale and setting the value.

"It will be a huge benefit to our group," Johnson said after the vote, noting that the boat would expand the brigade's protection radius along the islands near the Canadian border.

The sale closes a multiweek effort by staff to market the boat; council members said bids had previously produced no takers and that the package is uniquely suited to a small number of island buyers who can use a fireboat that requires refurbishment.