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GUEST EDITIORIAL |
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Email this page to a friend Related pagesEDITORIAL: Termination of Arnold wrong move |
Guest EditorialStephanie Buffum Field posted 08/15/03
Nielsen and Evans think, among other things, that this maneuver will solve the county's budget crisis. Not only does the decision fail to solve the county's budget crisis, it ensures that a more expensive crisis will be with us for years to come. The Growth Management Act not only directs counties to use their natural resources wisely, it enables every affected citizen to sue the counties that don't. Weakening the county's planning and permitting departments may save a few dollars now, but it will surely cost the county more both in and out of court as development proceeds 'efficiently' across the rural landscape we value. Miller recognized this when pointing out that San Juan is "the most litigious county in the state regarding land-use, and a lot of our revenue is based on building and land-use permits.". We need people like Arnold in this county who know their way around our landscape and the GMA. Arnold is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and effective, working tirelessly and wholly within federal, state, and county land-use laws. Arnold has an incredible institutional memory and total recall and grasp of all of the regulations that govern our county. She is a true public servant in every respect. We, as a County cannot prosper without her intelligence and guidance. Dismantling the planning department will prove to be an expensive mistake for all the citizens. When you hire advisors who tell you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear, we end up paying for it in court and in lost productivity from county staff. Nielsen and Evans have openly snubbed state land-use regulations. Nielsen has called shoreline management regulations "silly" during a recent BOCC meeting and Evans asked the prosecutor's office how he can legally reduce planning and permitting to a minimum. Permit Center Director Joseph McKenna-Smith [who may oversee the newly consolidated department] lacks both experience with GMA and planning guidelines. Nielsen claims that a streamlined community development office will protect the environment by increasing communication between planning and permitting. But this will be true only with a knowledgeable and experienced director who can manage growth efficiently and keep the county out of court. As it stands the decision simply reverses a decade of citizens' grassroots planning efforts without providing a real solution to either the budget crisis or the county's need for sensible growth management. San Juan County needs experienced planners more than almost any county in the state.
These are the problems effective planning and permit departments work to solve. Consolidation can effectively link essential public services such as water, sewer, transportation, information and capital facilities, but the BOCC's decision simply downsizes the departments without necessarily making them more efficient. Downsizing the planning department will not solve the budget crisis. The county needs resources to manage its growth, and the BOCC needs to be bolder and more creative in securing those resources. San Juan County, for example, has the third lowest tax rate in the State of Washington, and yet the current levy proposal by our BOCC would increase taxes minimally (approximately $60 for a $300,000 home). Downsizing the planning department simply streamlines the process for developers while weakening the state mandated mechanisms to ensure that developers pay their fair share of the real costs of development. The GMA states that cities and counties must provide the infrastructure that accompanies growth; as neighborhoods grow, so does the need for fire protection, waste management, storm sewer maintenance, parks etc. Developers are expected to share these costs through compliance with local regulations, permitting and/or impact fees. That is why a long-term solution to the budget crisis includes maintaining effective planning and permitting procedures, and that is precisely why we need people like Laura Arnold. At a time when our BOCC should be calling on the community and county department heads, such as Arnold, to help solve our budget crisis, and take the challenge to plan for growth in our community, the BOCC chose to isolate itself and attempt a quick fix. Many cities and counties have struggled with the issues of consolidation and how to pay for public services. The budget crisis has put San Juan County at a historic crossroad. It seems that we have some clear choices before us: cut some services, consolidate some services, or increase funds through new revenue sources to pay for public services which benefit us all. These decisions need to be discussed in a public forum, not made during a closed BOCC meeting in the middle of our County Fair. What you can do:
Stephanie Buffum Field is Executive Director or Friends of the San Juans, a local member supported non profit dedicated to protecting the San Juans through science, education, law, and grassroots citizen action for 25 years. Mrs. Buffum Field holds a MS in Public Administration and an MPA in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. She can be reached at stephanie@sanjuans.org or by calling 360.378-2319. |
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