Guemes Island Planning Advisory Committee

                                                    June 5, 2023

                                                       Minutes

Members present: Michael Brown, Allen Bush, Kathy Malley, Jep Burdock, Steve Orsini and Patty Rose. Visitors: Tom Bugge, Jerry Ross, and Mark Madden with  Lisa Charnock on Zoom.

Agenda was approved along with the May 1 minutes.

Treasurer’s report: General fund balance is $9,357.35 and Roz Glasser fund balance is $9,156.00.

Public Comment: North Beach resident Tom Bugge continues to work with Skagit County to install a rainwater catchment system. He has encountered numerous road blocks and has been asked to file for 3 variances. Thanks to his persistence and conversations with the Planning and Health Directors, he hopes to go ahead.

Tom has forwarded his correspondence with Skagit County to GIPAC. Thank you to Tom for efforts to make the process of building rainwater catchment systems on Guemes more straightforward.

Updates/New Business

1. Allen Bush reports that USGS doesn’t have a complete report yet, but islanders can visit maps.waterdata.usgs.gov to see preliminary results. GIPAC will post information regarding the Aquifer Recharge Study as it becomes available and use our November Annual Meeting to inform the community of results. We will also conduct a workshop on how islanders can test their well water quality.
2. Michael Brown and Jep Burdock met with Joan Palmer regarding the use of Roz Glasser funds to promote shoreline health on Guemes. It was decided that GIPAC will continue to administer the funds, but that we will work with the Skagit Land Trust and San Juan Preservation Trust to develop and complete projects. Michael and Kathy will meet with SLT and Patty will meet with SJPT.
3. Past GIPAC Chair, Nancy Fox, passed away in May. She will be remembered by GIPAC with great respect and friendship. There was a discussion of what to do with documents left by Nancy, Hal Rooks, Marianne Kooiman and others. We decided to work on sorting documents this winter with an eventual goal of digitizing the records. We will also contact Claudia England, of the island history project.
4. Lisa Charnock asked for GIPAC suggestions for a sign about our Guemes Island Aquifer. Allen Bush will work with GICCA on this.

There was an executive session following the regular agenda and meeting was adjourned at 7:55 PM.

Submitted by Patty Rose, Secretary