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Resident urges ecosystem services in new ag advisory group; commissioners note $100,000 CIP planning funds for septic solutions
Summary
During public comment, Marnie Jackson urged that a proposed agricultural advisory committee include ecosystem services expertise and warned that tax and land‑use rules are forcing some farmers to operate at a loss; commissioners said the CIP contains a $100,000 planning set‑aside and offered to connect the commenter with the assessor for clarification.
A public commenter told the Island County Board of Commissioners the county should pair a new agricultural advisory committee with ecosystem‑services expertise and integrate environmental perspectives into agricultural and tax policy.
"Farmers in Island County are already telling us that county policy forces them to farm at a loss in changing landscapes," Marnie Jackson said during the meeting. She asked the board to avoid structuring an agricultural committee in a way that forecloses collaboration with environmental advocates and climate‑resilience planning.
Jackson also raised infrastructure concerns tied to the county’s draft six‑year capital improvement plan (CIP), saying the plan lacks funding for larger on‑site septic systems or sewer alternatives needed to support higher residential densities in targeted areas. She cited the Island County Natural Resources "water year 2024 surface water quality report," saying, "In 2024, only 7 of 25 tested streams in Island County met water quality standards, down from 14 in 2023," to underline urgency for integrated planning and funding.
In response, a commissioner suggested connecting Jackson with the assessor (Kelly Mogg) to clarify that the proposed advisory committee will primarily review tax‑exemption programs and land‑use implications. The same commissioner also noted that the county’s CIP includes a $100,000 set‑aside "for planning to do investigative work around the appropriate location for certain septic systems," intended to support identification of candidate projects before capital dollars are allocated.
Commissioners did not adopt any new policy in response to the comment; instead they directed staff to follow up: staff were asked to connect the commenter with the assessor's office and the CIP planning set‑aside remains available as a next step for project identification and study. The meeting continued with other agenda items, including adoption of two ordinances.
