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Background and experiences La Conner Town Council 2014-present Employed as an occupational therapist Resident of La Conner 1998-present Residents’ personal safety and security Residents have shared increasing concerns for safety over the past year with specific mention of diminished law enforcement visibility, traffic speed issues and delayed response times. Improvement in law enforcement support is a need and a priority as we discuss budget expenditures. Analysis of criminal activity and law en...
CORRECTION AND UPDATE: This budget meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. today, Tuesday. Thursday Mayor Ramon Hayes notified the La Conner Town Council of a 5:30 p.m. Oct. 12 special meeting to discuss the fire department section of the 2022 budget. The meeting is in person at Maple Hall and via Zoom. The regular council meeting will follow at 6 p.m. Thursday Mayor Ramon Hayes notified the La Conner Town Council of a 5 p.m. Oct. 12 special meeting to discuss the fire department section of the 2022 budget. The meeting is in person at Maple Hall and via...
October is here. It is an odd year, 2021. That is true in a lot of ways. One local fact is town council elections occur in odd-numbered years. For the first time since 2015 council seats are contested in La Conner. Residents are fortunate that they have a choice for each position: Ivan Carlson is challenging John Leaver. Rick Dole seeks to unseat Bill Stokes. Glen Johnson wants to replace MaryLee Chamberlain. Some candidates have been knocking on doors to introduce themselves and discuss their positions. Good for them. In this pandemic year,...
My concern: If I need to call 911 and I can get to my phone to dial I don’t want to have to guess and wonder if or when the police are going to show up. I expect it in a reasonable amount of time. I attended the council meeting Sept. 28 and expressed this concern to the sheriff’s representatives there. They stated that there is an existing contract to provide 80 hours of service … to La Conner? My unanswered question: Is that 80 hours in La Conner or “Zone 1,” which includes Conway, Bayview, etc.? I think everyone at the meeting agreed...
In a sign of normalcy and optimism, the La Conner Town Council Sept. 28 agreed without comment to provide $183,450 to local nonprofits next year from Town Hotel Motel Tax revenues. Councilmember Bill Stokes, speaking for the finance committee, told council “We made full recommendations this year. Everyone got their full budget.” The La Conner Chamber of Commerce’s $80,000 is the bulk of the grants, 43.6%. Seven tourist-focused organizations will get $19,200, with the Museum of Northwest Arts $5,000, the largest request. Grants ranging from...
The Swinomish police department will not bid for providing law enforcement to the Town of La Conner in 2022, Mayor Ramon Hayes told council members at their Sept. 28 budget hearing on law enforcement. Hayes told a full room in Lower Maple Hall that he and Town Administrator Scott Thomas met with Steve Edwards, chair of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Senate and Swinomish police Chief Earl Cowan earlier that afternoon. “We came to the conclusion that this year there is not time to do a transition. There is no time,” Thomas reported. “Th...
How safe is living in La Conner? What calls are Skagit County Sheriff Office staff responding to over the course of a year? How often? What type of crimes, personal or property? How serious are the incidents? What is the final assessment versus the initial call for help? And, what is the response time? Town Administrator Scott Thomas requested selected annual crime categories statistics from the sheriff’s office for most frequent in-town crime calls responded to by deputies. He provided a 2...
La Conner’s Town Council used the development of the 2022 budget to consider law enforcement options at its 5 p.m. budget hearing Tuesday. This often brought up topic at council meetings this year, has the group’s attention, with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office $331,000 contract up for renewal. Councilmember John Leaver has long questioned the value provided and some residents have shared that concern throughout the year. When Mayor Ramon Hayes called the meeting Thursday, the 10 page packet Town Administrator Scott Thomas provided had t...
Here we go again. Whatever the merits of Greg Ellis’ proposal to build six or so houses on the Washington Street lot behind Pioneer Market, he provides the opportunity for town and Skagit Valley residents to again wrestle with the complexity of gaining affordable housing in La Conner and throughout the county. At his permit hearing Sept. 21, Ellis shared his pitch to offer “affordable housing, in the high 500s.” That is pricing affordable only to folks downsizing from Seattle or San Francisco. Ellis is offering the wish, like Dorothy clicking h...
October is coming, with election ballots mailed Oct. 13. In greater La Conner, three town council seats and the Fire District 13 commissioner position 2 are contested. Do you have enough information to make your choices? What are the important issues facing the town? Do you want to ask the candidates questions and hear them explain their positions? You can ask questions and watch candidates for council respond in a pre-recorded online forum organized by the League of Women Voters of Skagit County and the La Conner Weekly News. They have...
Thursday Mayor Ramon Hayes notified the La Conner Town Council of a 5 p.m. Sept. 28 special meeting to discuss the law enforcement/public safety services section of the 2022 budget. The meeting is in person at Maple Hall and via Zoom. The regular council meeting will follow at 6 p.m. The 10 page special meeting packet has a four page memo from Town Administrator Scott Thomas addressing public safety services and how those services may legally be provided: 1) continue to contract with the Skagit County Sherriff's Department for law enforcement s...
The La Conner Town Council started the process for filling the vacancy left by Jacques Brunisholz’s resignation at its Sept. 14 meeting, but the eight week schedule they agreed to means whomever they choose will be approved Nov. 9 at the earliest. That is after the Nov. 2 election and only two council meetings before the 2022 budget will be approved Dec. 14. While the only qualifications for council are being a town resident and a registered voter, council was presented by Town Administrator Scott Thomas with a 14 page packet. The town is requi...
At its first specially called hearing to consider the 2022 budget Sept. 14 in Maple Hall, the La Conner Town Council dived right into the bulk of proposed expenditures: public works and the wastewater treatment plant. The draft budget lists a 15% increase, of $297,000 in the five public works programs parks, facilities, streets, water and drainage, with $2 million for capital water projects: replacing water mains on Channel Drive, $1.6 million, and South First Street from Commercial to Morris, $400,000. The larger project has to happen very...
It was slow going getting new pole-mounted radar speed signs installed along heavy traffic volume on Maple Avenue and North Third Street. But, perhaps that was fitting, since the four digital reader boards are to slow traffic. And they are doing the job – noticeably increasing road safety and driver speed awareness. “I had one resident on North Third Street email me almost immediately after the signs went up and express how grateful they are for them,” Mayor Ramon Hayes told the Wee...
The work goes on to promote leisure activities here. Two local advisory boards collaborated this summer with planner Michael Davolio on initial steps to update the 2013 Town of La Conner parks plan. The planning and parks commissions have jointly reviewed the eight-year-old plan, which includes an inventory of existing and potential future parks sites and Davolio has begun drafting language for submission to the Town Council and eventual inclusion as an updated parks and recreation element in the Town Comprehensive Plan. “The parks element i...
La Conner Town Council members did double duty Tuesday, starting at 5 p.m. with a special meeting to discuss the public works and wastewater treatment plant sections of the 2022 budget. Council was sent a 16 page special meeting packet Friday, Sept. 10, with a five page memo from Town Administrator Scott Thomas addressing near term “necessary” improvements to the Town’s wastewater treatment plant. It had five sections: a. regulatory overview; b. nutrients; c. expansion and replacement; d. next steps; and e. costs. Following were nine pages...
Last night La Conner’s town council met an hour early to discuss the town’s 2022 budget, which they will pass in December. They started with the big-ticket items: the sewer system and wastewater treatment plant and the parks, facilities, streets, water and drainage infrastructure that public works manages. None of this is glamorous, as much as President Biden and Congress have talked about it this year. It is expensive at every level, and more expensive than local and state governments can handle on their own. Last year La Conner budgeted alm...
We are writing in support of Ivan Carlson for Town Council, Position 2. Ivan lives a few doors down from us. In the Sept. 1 issue of this paper, it was mentioned that Ivan advocated for better signage on Maple Street at the Aug. 24 town council meeting. He also provided flags for the crosswalk at Maple and Caledonia. It has already yielded improved safety for our family. It is a great first (but hopefully not last) step. We appreciate folks that listen, but we strongly admire people who act. It is especially admirable since Ivan had no...
Friday Mayor Ramon Hayes notified the La Conner Town Council of a 5 p.m. Sept. 14 special meeting to discuss the public works and wastewater treatment plant sections of the 2022 budget. The meeting is in person at Maple Hall and via Zoom. The regular council meeting will follow at 6 p.m. The 16 page special meeting packet has a five page memo from Town Administrator Scott Thomas addressing near term “necessary” improvements to the Town's wastewater treatment plant. It has five sections: a. regulatory overview b. nutrients c. expansion and rep...
La Conner has many blessings – a temperate climate, its location along a saltwater channel and near the mouth of a scenic river, conifer forests and views of snow-capped mountains. What’s lacking, however, is available land to develop spacious multi-purpose public parks. By contrast, the small community of Blessing, Texas is beset with brutally hot, humid summer weather, is nearly 20 miles from the Little Colorado River and almost 25 miles distant from Matagorda Bay, has no mountains a...
While Town of La Conner leaders say they listen to their constituents, it has been hard for the opposite to happen – the public hearing town council – for those logging into hybrid meetings this summer. Due to technology-related glitches, action taken during recent in-person council sessions at Maple Hall has been largely inaudible to persons attending on-line, leaving Mayor Ramon Hayes and Town Administrator Scott Thomas to troubleshoot sources of the problem. “We’re trying to find the cause,” Hayes told the Weekly News on Thurs...
Town of La Conner Councilmember Jacques Brunisholz’s resignation from town council was read at the start of the Aug. 24 meeting by Town Administrator Scott Thomas. The four term official had emailed his decision to Mayor Ramon Hayes the week before. Neither Brunisholz nor Hayes were present. Brunisholz later declined to comment, stating “My letter of resignation says it all.” Brunisholz expressed a desire to travel with his wife in his letter, his “regret (at) having to take this abrupt decision” and that he believed “the present town leadershi...
All of a sudden the political season is upon us, with the signs of three La Conner council candidates on lawns around town. Voters will decide in November whether to continue with or replace three council members. The pairings are Ivan Carlson versus John Leaver, Rick Dole against Bill Stokes and Glen Johnson facing MaryLee Chamberlain. Well before the election, hopefully, council will pick a town resident to replace Jacque Brunisholz, who announced his retirement Aug. 24 after 12 years on council. Brunisholz leaves just as his colleagues are s...
We are supporting Ivan Carlson for the La Conner town council position 2. We have known Ivan all of his life. He and Tawsha are raising their family here in La Conner. Ivan has deep roots in La Conner. He is the fourth generation in his family to volunteer for La Conner Hook and Ladder. His son is the fourth generation of the Carlson family to attend La Conner schools. Ivan cares about the well-being of this town. He understands the importance of keeping our youth healthy and creating available housing for our young families. Ivan knows how...
Jacques Brunisholz once completed a demanding 500-mile hike on the famed Pacific Crest Trail. Years before he trekked across much of the globe, including a stop in Afghanistan nearly a half century ago. But given his passion for public service it likely was harder for him to step away from the La Conner Town Council last week. Still, the retired La Conner High School foreign language and art teacher hardly broke stride in choosing to resign his long-held council seat, a tenure begun about 2008, during the town’s famed flap over the status of a...
