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My thoughts about law enforcement in La Conner: • The sheriff is a town “vendor.” If any vendor has complaints regarding provision of contracted services, it makes little sense granting the vendor a longer, five-year contract which, except for commitment to walk First Street twice weekly, is essentially the same. Logic dictates finding an alternative vendor or re-thinking the contract entirely. • Current/ proposed contract provides 80 hours weekly patrolling Zone 1 and “guaranteeing” a ten minute response. • During 2020-20...
The Weekly News’ Nov. 10 editorial assessed the Town as having “Truly a new council.” That was true even before we knew who would take over the vacant seat. First, I’d like to thank John Leaver and Bill Stokes for all the time they spent doing our business. Moving on, I anticipate good things that will come from the deliberations, decisions and foresight of Mary Lee Chamberlain, Mary Wohleb, Annie Taylor, Ivan Carlson and Rick Dole. Each, I believe, has the inclination to be in close contact with the community. And the community has the respons...
Ken Stern, the Weekly News editor, was accused by Sandy Stokes, former editor, of misquoting her in his article about Annie Taylor’s appointment to the Town Council. Taylor won by a 3-1 margin over Bill Bruch. On social media Stokes claimed (speaking to Stern,) “You misquoted me in your story on the Taylor appointment. You inaccurately wrote that I said you “ostracized” Bill Bruch. I said you maligned him with a partisan hit piece and that you continued to malign him with your “where’s Billy” Musings column. Stern’s “partisan hit” piece was tak...
With ballots having been counted, recently elected La Conner Town Council members are now adding input regarding goals they hope to achieve in their upcoming terms. That post-election math includes factors ranging from infrastructure planning and finding solutions to La Conner’s housing crunch to improving access to town meetings and addressing sea level rise and other local environmental concerns. Rick Dole and Ivan Carlson, III, who successfully ran as challengers in this year’s elections and incumbent MaryLee Chamberlain, who won her con...
Annie Taylor was appointed to a La Conner Town Council seat by a 3-1 vote Nov. 9, becoming the third women on council, the youngest – until Ivan Carlson takes office in January – and is the only member who works in La Conner and walks to a wage job. The proprietor of Crescent Moon Yoga, and property owner, she has a seven block walk to her server’s job at Nell Thorn. Last Friday she spoke to the Weekly News. She said that she recognizes and looks forward to the challenge before h...
A public hearing on next year’s budget is on the La Conner Town Council’s Nov. 23 agenda. The hearing is scheduled under unfinished business near the start of the 6 p.m. meeting. The council will discuss the 2022 budget immediately following the public hearing. Mayor Ramon Hayes proposed a five-year contract with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office at the Nov. 8 council meeting with a first year cost of $364,207, a 10% increase over this year. The budget also includes $113,000 for code enforcement, $88,000 in wages, benefits and support costs an...
City of Mount Vernon staff and businesses prepared for near historic flooding of the Skagit River in the downtown area Monday, with the City of Mount Vernon declaring a civil emergency as of 6 a.m. The river measured 35.3’ at 9:45 p.m. at the USGS (United States Geological Service) gauge at the Riverside bridge. It more than doubled in height, rising 18.8’ from its 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10 measurement of 16.5’. Phase 2 flood stage is 32.0-35.6’. The City of Mount Vernon termed it “serious and histo...
Democracy was in action at the La Conner town council meeting Nov. 9. Following robust and diverse participation by residents urging Annie Taylor’s and, alternatively, applicant Bill Bruch’s selection, the council voted 3-1 to place Taylor in the council position vacated by Jacques Brunisholz’s August resignation. Residents did most of the talking: When Councilmember Bill Stokes motion for an executive session to discuss the choice in private among the council failed for lack of a second, Councilmember John Leaver nominated Taylor. Counc...
Mayor Ramon Hayes presented the preliminary 2022 town budget to the council and community two weeks ago, Nov. 4, and all of a sudden there is a surfeit – a lot – of riches and commitment to law enforcement. It is a bit late in the process, with council scheduled to pass the budget Dec. 14, but will the council pause, if not ask for a do over? First, both departing Councilmember Bill Stokes and Rick Dole, elected to replace him, agree on a strong law enforcement presence and filling the long vacant code enforcement officer position....
Dear People of La Conner, Thank you for your support, counsel, and criticism during my recent successful campaign for Town Council Position 3. I met so many people during my door-to-door campaign who inspired and educated me. My goal is to listen to your voices whether you voted for me or not, you will be heard. I encourage you all to become active participants in our local community as well as our government. Again, thank you all. Rick Dole La Conner...
Big changes are coming for law enforcement in La Conner in 2022. The town council will decide about whether to sign a five-year agreement with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office when it agrees on the police contract embedded in the annual budget. Mayor Ramon Hayes introduced the topic at the Nov. 9 council meeting, telling its members that he and Administrator Scott Thomas had a draft agreement following a meeting with sheriff’s office staff. Thomas had provided a two-page memo to the council in their meeting packets. The sheriff’s offic...
Few people enjoy as strong a command of language as John Stephens: In four decades of public speaking gigs representing the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Town of La Conner, La Conner schools and Skagit Valley College he has been aptly described as a walking thesaurus. Or, putting it in more modern terms, Stephens was Google before there was Google. But more recently, in the week since his retirement from Swinomish, where he filled several administrative roles, Stephens is the one who has...
It is certain, but not yet certified: residents have elected Ivan Carlson, Rick Dole and MaryLee Chamberlain to La Conner's town council. With 50 votes left to count, Carlson leads Councilmember John Leaver by 111 votes and Dole is 56 votes ahead of Councilmember Bill Stokes. Chamberlain has maintained her 200-plus margin against Glen Johnson. Her reelection was certain election night, Nov. 2. Nine La Conner ballots were among the 775 tallied by Skagit County elections office staff Nov. 9-10. All greater La Conner area election positions are...
La Conner residents have likely chosen Ivan Carlson and Rick Dole to represent them on town council in this election. With 4,900 ballots counted Monday by Skagit County elections office staff, the pattern of challengers Carlson and Dole’s substantial leads continue. Carlson increased his margin over Councilmember John Leaver to 108. Dole has a 52 vote lead and 55% of the total with 238 votes, even though Councilmember Bill Stokes took 10 of the 16 La Conner ballots counted this round. Dole led by 22 votes election night. Citizens o...
The votes are mostly counted from La Conner residents deciding on three town council member positions in November’s election. In the first contested elections since 2015, voters elected challengers Ivan Carlson and Rick Dole and returned MaryLee Chamberlain to council. These three won in a high turnout election. Residents and candidates were all paying more attention than has occurred in years. That in itself is a good thing. The existing council chose a new member at their meeting last night. The council representing the community in 2022 w...
Sales tax revenues collected for the Town of La Conner were $62,269 in October, the third straight month above $60,000. Sales tax revenues in 2021 have set records monthly, except for February. Over $521,587 has been collected to date. The town’s 2020 budget projected $328,202, the staff not knowing how tourists would respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The three months of May-July each had collections above $50,000, another first. The total collected the first ten months of 2021 is almost 60% above the year’s projected income of $32...
Procedure trumped philosophy. That’s how La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes explains his decision to not sign a town council resolution passed Oct. 26 recommending Skagit County commissioners not place Fully Contained Communities in the county’s comprehensive plan. The town council had approved the non-binding three-page advisory measure by a 3-1 margin with member Bill Stokes, who sought a delay of the vote, asking to furher consider the issue, dissenting. The county comp plan is designed to provide a vision for the future, including long-range goa...
Rick Dole's lead increased to 56 votes over Councilmember Bill Stokes in their La Conner town council election race after the Skagit County elections office posted totals Friday. Ivan Carlson has a 102 vote lead over Councilmember John Leaver, while Councilmember Marylee Chamberlains 212 vote margin over Glen Johnson ensures her reelection. John Doyle has 1,007 votes, 82% of the total in the Fire District 13 Position 2 commissioner race, the only other local election with a challenger, Eric Day. The La Conner School Board directors, Amanda Bour...
In the closest race for a seat on La Conner’s town council, Councilmember Bill Stokes gained four votes as six of the eight votes counted Wednesday by Skagit County elections office staff went to him. He still trails challenger Rick Dole, 152 to 130 votes. Ivan Carlson took all nine votes, increasing his margin to 22.1% in the contest for Position 2, held by John Leaver. Councilmember MaryLee Chamberlain won seven of the eight votes cast for the Position 5 seat and now has 77.8% of the vote against Glen Johnson. For Fire District 13 C...
Last Tuesday, Oct. 26, La Conner’s town council and residents filling Maple Hall’s small meeting room heard from three candidates applying to fill the seat vacated by Jacque Brunisholz in August. Next Tuesday, Nov. 9, the four council members will choose between Bill Bruch, Rich De Shon and Annie Taylor. Each candidate had 15 minutes, starting with an introduction. De Shon went first. While he and his wife Terri moved here only two years ago, they want to stay here the rest of their lives, he...
La Conner once again showed that it is the little town that can – and does – when its town council last week passed a thorough and strongly worded resolution against the Skagit County commissioners allowing Fully Contained Communities to be included in the country’s comprehensive plan. Bravo for the three council members supporting the resolution. They took an important and necessary step. It does not mean the county commissioners will read the many-pointed resolution. It has 23 “whereas,” enough to choke a horse – or a devel...
The La Conner Town Council passed two important resolutions at its Oct. 26 meeting. On a motion by Councilmember Bill Stokes, council unanimously voted to increase the 2022 property tax by 1% after Finance Director Maria DeGoede reported there was zero banked – or extra – tax capacity this year. No one spoke at the public hearing preceding the vote. Staff and council determined the town needed an increase in property tax revenue from 2020, which brought in $339,196. The tax increase will bring in estimated new revenue of $3,387,...
The aptly titled “Last Minute - Town Hall Meeting,” an impromptu forum for La Conner town council candidates organized and promoted by Linda Clark, organizer of Reclaim Hedlin Field, took place on a seemingly appropriate cold and rainy Thursday night in the upstairs room of La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib House. Half the candidates showed, Ivan Carlson, Glen Johnson and councilmember Bill Stokes as did Clark and six area residents. The small group had a spirited discussion, mostly around the sale of the Hedlin Maple Avenue ballfield, which was...
In the first contested town council races since 2015, La Conner voters have spoken, re-electing MaryLee Chamberlain to Position 4 and giving challengers leads in the other council races. Ivan Carlson leads incumbent John Leaver 167 to 112 votes, a 19% advantage for Position 2. Rick Dole is 26 votes ahead of incumbent Bill Stokes for Position 3, 150 to 124 votes, a 9% margin. The 281 votes counted Tuesday in the Carlson-Leaver contest almost matches the 285 votes Leaver won in his unopposed 2017 election. In the 2020 presidential election 730...
Yesterday afternoon the La Conner Town Council interviewed Bill Bruch, Rich De Shon and Annie Taylor at a 5 p.m. special council meeting, part of the process for filling the seat vacated when Jacques Brunisholz resigned in August. Next week’s Weekly News will report on the interviews. Residents will be able to address council at the Nov. 9 public comment period before council discusses and votes to fill the position. The town code states that the full remaining council must vote on the replacement council position. Taylor has lived in La C...
