Guemes Island Ferry Committee Public Meeting of 4 January 2003 Summary

 

·        The meeting was called by the Guemes Island Ferry Committee (GIFC) and held in the Guemes Is. Community Center starting at 7:00 PM. Those attending were requested to register at the door and 156 registered.

·        All the current ferry committee members (Max Benjamin-Chairman, Glen Veal, Steve Orsini, Al Bush, and Dixon Elder) were in attendance.

·        The agenda was projected onto a screen using an overhead projector. Other important documents: 1) meeting agenda, 2) ferry committee charter,  and 3) proposed Skagit county resolution, were provided in the same manner.

·        For those with difficulty seeing, the documents were read out loud. Prior distribution of the information was not available since the Committee was working late for their preparation and the committee’s expenses are not funded.

·        Following Max’s opening remarks Glen Veal presented an oral history of the ferry committee which included: The committee as part of the Guemes Island Community Club until an independent ferry committee was elected by representatives of all Guemes Island organizations at a fire hall meeting in 1980. Since that time the committee has worked with 11 different commissioners and 9 different Skagit County Public Works Directors.  One of the early efforts of the committee was to develop, with the Commissioners, the rationale for funding support of the ferry operation. Identified funding covered 100% of operating and maintenance cost with the then 2-man crew and was later reduce to 88% with a 3-man crew.

·        Benjamin and Orsini presented the frustrations of working with the county on the Anacortes parking issues i.e. loss of the Kiwanis Park parking area and the delays associated with the 6th and J Street parking lot approval. To date the county has spent $557,000 on the project over 5 years with no final decision. A report commissioned by the public works department on the parking situation and the proposed historic brick warehouse on the site has only recently been made available to the GIFC.

·        The ferry committee said that they had recommended to the county, in response to the draft publication of The Guemes Island Ferry Operations Management Analysis done by Berk and Assoc., that the recommendations therein should outline the financial impacts. It was also noted that the last date to receive comments by the Skagit County was April 4, 2003.

·        Benjamin also stated that at the county’s request the Committee provided the county with information addressing the American Disabilities Act obtained from other counties in the state, which operate ferries. The county disregarded this information and that commissioned a consultant to do the same work.

·        Loading Practices—Recent crew interpretation of Coast Guard letters regarding access to fire stations and proper egress of auto passengers has lead to reduced ferry vehicle capacity. The ferry committee made numerous suggestions to the ferry crews and county management on way to mitigate the issues without receiving positive response. Invitation to the Coast Guard by the ferry manager for an onsite inspection has corrected the problems and clarified the issues.  This includes the authorization to use the rope restraints on the stern of the vessel.

·        Max Benjamin emphasized the need for the GIFC to once again have direct access to the County Commissioners. One of the recommendations of the G. I. Ferry Operations Management Analysis report was that the ferry committee should have a charter. The proposed charter, along with proposed language for a county resolution was presented to those attending the meeting. Both document had minor amendments accepted and were unanimously passed by an overwhelming majority.  It was noted that the qualification(s) for voting for the ferry committee members were not in the charter.  This was left to the new GIFC since the current committee was unable to reach a consensus.  During discussion of the charter the GIFC emphasized that the key elements of its mission were: 1) safe, reliable, courteous service; 2) well-maintained facilities; 3) equitable fees; 4) prompt, adequate emergency services; 5) representation by an elected ferry committee to the county commissioners

·        An election of new GIFC members was then conducted. Both Al Bush and Max Benjamin declined to run and it was proposed and passed that they be thanked and commended for their past service.  The Candidates for the new committee were nominated and seconded from the floor: Steve Orsini, Glen Veal, Marilee Fosbre, Dixon Elder, Carl Cady, Fred Wintermantel, Barbara Straus, Howard Pellett, Jim Williams, and Victor Garcia.

·          The election winners[in alphabetical order] are: Carl Cady, Dixon Elder, Marilee Fosbre, Steve Orsini, and Glen Veal.

 

Submitted by;

Carl Cady