A. The September 18, 1995 meeting of the VMICC was brought to order at 7:30,
 Bill Tobin presiding.
B. The minutes of the August 21 meeting were presented in writing. Please
 address corrections/clarifications to Joshua Putnam, VMICC Clerk.
C. Jim Garrison presented the Treasurer's Report:
 1. $543 checking, 801.07 savings, 730.51 SOS, 112.50 Sister Community
 a. Checking balance is before $143 in outstanding checks.
D. Several general announcements were presented:
 1. There will be a sidewalk demonstration project in mid to late October.
 2. Nominations for the Executive Board are still open: call Carolyn
 463-2004
 3. Committee and subcommittee reports are due November 1.
 4. KC Hazardous Wastemobile will be on th island at K2: 296-4692 for info.
 5. The KC Council will vote Sept. 25 on the final transfer of Lost Lake
 land and beach to the Vashon land Trust.
 6. The Misty Isle heliport appeal meeting will be Oct. 2, 2 PM, at KC
 Courthouse.
 7. The second school board candidate meeting is 10/23, 7PM, at the high
 school.
 8. The KC Unincorporated Affairs Committee will meet of the first Thursday
 of each month for the rest of 1995, 7PM at DDES Hearing Room 1.
 9. Household's annual meeting is 9/27 at the Vashon Library.
 10. The General Election Candidate's Forum is either 10/18 or 10/20, 7PM at
 the high school.
E. Nevin Harwick of KC Public Works guard rails program (phone 296-6596)
 appeared to explain the ongoing installation of guard rails on Vashon/Maury
 roads.
 1. The impetus for the installations was a county-wide study of
 run-off-the-road accidents in the mid-1980s. The county tried to
 develop uniform standards based on evaluation of such accidents and
 determine how to make the roads safer.
 2. The county's standards typically require at least a ten foot clear zone
 off of road sides, with more room at higher speeds. Clear zones cannot
 include steep slopes.
 3. Public questions attacked the need for the guard rails on island roads,
 the design of the guard rails, and the difficulty getting clear answers
 about the installations.
 a. Are off-island accident studies applicable to island roads? Island
 driving conditions are clearly different from mainland driving
 conditions.
 b. Are the rails needed to protect the County from liability? In the
 San Juan Islands the county government has taken the opposite
 approach, leaving island roads narrow and without guard rails.
 c. Do the rails encourage bad driving, like the center-line
 reflectors? 
 d. Do the rails pose a serious threat to road users other than
 motorists, e.g. equestrians, bicyclists, pedestrians? They narrow
 the shoulders and trap people and animals against the traffic
 lane.
 e. Is the County prepared to defend itself against lawsuits over the
 creation of new road hazards?
 f. Was any consideration given to the rural nature of island roads
 when deciding to install miles of bright-galvanized rails instead
 of alternative rails or berms?
 4. Nevin harwick responded that the County's concern was almost entirely
 in protecting drivers running off the road, and since there were no
 reliable statistics on the risks to other road users, these risks were
 not considered significant. Regardless of any other concerns, he said
 the Dept. of Public Works would continue to advocate installing the
 remaining 31,000 feet of Vashon/Maury guard rails unless the entire
 program was de-funded.
 5. David Vogel introduced, and Jim Garrison seconded, a motion that "The
 Community Council is opposed to any further guardrailing by the County
 on the Island without rpior consultation with the Communtiy Council and
 its Traffic Safety Committee."
F. Captain David Walker of Precinct 4 addressed the proposed elimination of the
 clerk at the Vashon Precinct.
 1. Newly incorporated areas are demanding better service under their
 contracts with the County Police, and this is creating more paperwork
 on the mainland. The island is proportionately over-served in terms of
 population and calls per officer.
 2. Public questions asked if it was appropriate for the County to reduce
 service to unincorporated areas simply because contracted service
 wasn't paying its own way, and noted the irony of reducing County
 staffing at the Vashon Courthouse at the same time new community
 service centers were being created elsewhere in the County.
 3. Also, it was noted that Vashon is large geographically and depends on
 ferry service, so it takes longer for off-island police to reach any
 place on the island, and longer for on-island citizens to visit any
 off-island offices.
 4. Capt. Walker agreed that the position on Vashon was useful to the
 Island, but hinted that political pressure might be needed to keep it
 as the County was facing a very tight budget.
 5. Marian Fitch introduced, and Prle Mack seconded, an emergency motion
 "To retain the Clerk at the Vashon police station."
 a. Emergency status was approved: 11 Aye 0 Nay 0 abstentions
 b. The Motion was brought to a vote and passed 22 Aye 0 Nay 0
 abstentions.
G. Warren Warfield and Ben Cleveland appeared to give an update on forest
 practices management.
 1. The new Ombudman's position should be created soon.
 2. Depending on land owner's approval, there will be a forest practices
 tour on October 20.
 3. There is a new computerized system for mapping and tracking forest
 practices permit applications, but there was no explanation for paper
 copies no longer being sent to Island reviewers.
 4. A new brochure for land owners outlines regulatory concerns.
 5. Many audience members questioned DNR's chronic failure to follow
 through on most commitments made to the Community Council, and the
 unresponsiveness of DNR agents in response to specific complaints.
 a. It was suggested that people with specific complaints compile
 another list and submit it again, as was done after the February
 20 appearance by Warren Warfield and Derek Poon.
 b. Complaints and questions for DNR should be phoned to 360/825-1631.
H. The vote on the motion for the Forestry Committee to work with KC Surface
 Water Management was postponed.