Vashon Maury Island Community Council
 
Public Safety Committee
 
December 1, 2006
 
The meeting convened at 10:00 in the court room of Courthouse Square.
 
In attendance: Sergeant Dan Morrow and Deputy Frank Spence of the Sheriff's 
                                   Department
                            Jim Didricksen from the Highway Department
                            Steve Abel and Joe Yarkin representing The Spokespeople
                            Jennie Hodgson, Chair
 
The first order of business was the passage of the Public Safety Committee Charter which
reads as follows:
 
        The Public Safety Committee of the Vashon Maury Island Community Council will be comprised 
        of representatives of the King County Sheriff's Department,Vashon Fire and Rescue,  King county
        Highway Department, The Vashon Preparedness Community, and any Island resident who wishes
        to participate.
        It will be the charge of the Public Safety Committee to address matters which affect the safety of all 
        residents.  Anyone is welcome to bring issues of Island wide concern to the Committee.  Items of
        most interest to the largest number of residents will be considered as a priority with the goal of 
        mitigating, or where possible eliminating the danger involved.
        The Chairman shall be elected in the January meeting each year.  Meeting dates and times will
        be set by the Committee by consensus, or by the Chairman if the situation warrants, and will be
        published ahead of time in The Beachcomber and The Loop.
 
The Charter passed unanimously.
The main business of the meeting was bicycle safety.  Two items came to the Chairman by email regarding the subject and were read into the record.  Steve Abel presented the list of areas of concern he submitted along with the Spokespeople's motion in the November meeting of the Community Council.  The motion will be discussed and voted upon in the
December meeting of VMICC.  Particular road and shoulder areas received attention as
well as the continuing and pervasive concern about speeding vehicles.  Suggestions were
offered including asking again for a "You Speed Is"  sign to be put up in various key places on the Island on an as needed basis.  This would necessitate a citizen who would be responsible for the sign.  Working with our newspapers to keep in the forefront the issue 
of speed as it affects safety not just for cyclers but for pedestrians and other vehicles was mentioned as well.  Sergeant Morrow brought up the danger that occurs on the South End when the vehicles waiting to board the ferry start to move over from the holding lane to the road.  This results in some drivers of vehicles which are through traffic to take a chance and pass using the north bound lane, a very dangerous practice as a clear view ahead is not possible around the curve.  This behavior was noted on Thanksgiving Day and  may have been caused by drivers not familiar with the Island. Jennie offered to contact Scott Sawhill about this situation to see if signage similar to that on the North End could be obtained, and to inquire about getting the "Your Speed Is " sign.  
The next meeting will be January 5, 2007.  We will elect a Chair and plan which issues to address and when we may do so through the year.
The meeting adjourned at 10:45.
 
Respectfully submitted,  Jennie Hodgson, Chairman