Minutes of the September 15, 1997 General Meeting of the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council 1 1. The meeting was called to order at 7:40 PM, Jake Jacobovitch presiding. 2. The Treasurer reported balances of $139.93 checking, $2,463.70 savings. 3. Sharon Nelson presented updated information on the ad hoc committee to investigate planned use of Lonestar's Maury Island gravel pit for SeaTac fill. a) The Lonestar site is 243 acres, and they have a permit for all of it. b) The company's last permit renewal claims that they have been barging gravel to communities and marine construction sites around the sound on an ongoing basis, though neighbors do not recall seeing such activity in many years, and the disrepair of the dock makes recent use seem implausible. c) The proposed 18 to 24 hours per day operation is certainly not a continuation of existing use, which has been at a far lower scale for the past decade, at least. d) The area is identified as a critical recharge area for the island's EPA-designated Sole Source Aquifer, and is a designated Landslide Hazard Area. The Legislature requires counties to consider critical recharge areas, wildlife conservation areas, and geologically hazardous areas as "Critical Areas" under RCW 36.70A.030. e) Penetration of the sole source aquifer could lead to draining of the aquifer, as in Monroe. f) Sharon Nelson moved, and Fred Hansen seconded a Motion requesting a SEPA designation and full EIS for the expanded use of the gravel pit, and requesting all involved parties to keep the Community Council apprised of the project's status. g) Representatives of water companies and homeowners' associations in the area expressed additional concerns about the impact of the expanded gravel pit operation, including: i) Slide hazards for houses on and beneath the bluffs around the pit. ii) Damage to eel grass beds, clams, and commercial geoduck beds offshore, from the reintroduction of barge traffic and from repairs/upgrades to the dock and conveyor system, and from runoff from the pit. iii) Environmental and health hazards from disturbing the arsenic, lead, and mercury accumulated in the soil from the Asarco smelter in Tacoma. iv) Use of groundwater or salt water on the site leading to damage to the aquifer. v) Noise and hours of operation: the pit is in a residential area, and operating heavy equipment 18 to 24 hours per day could produce serious noise impacts on neighboring homes, the protected heron rookery, etc. h) Sharon Nelson moved, and Fred Hansen seconded, a Motion that the Community Council request an appropriate SEPA designation with full Environmental Impact Study requirements, and continue to monitor developments in the proposed expansion of the gravel pit. 4. Anne Herfindahl presented an update on the community appeal against the Sprint monopole permit at the Tahlequah Y. a) The community has retained Kirk Wines, City Attorney of Medina, to represent the community in Superior Court. He has substantial experience already in tower siting cases, including the precedent-setting Medina moratorium case. b) The size of their appeal brief is growing rapidly as they have found numerous additional violations by the County and the Hearing Examiner in the issuance of the permit and the appeal hearing. The County and Hearing Examiner have not required Sprint to comply with existing County regulations and the Comprehensive Plan. c) The community is accepting contributions to their legal fund at U.S. Bank in Vashon: VIABLE, %U.S. Bank, P.O. Box 428, Vashon, WA 98070 d) For more information, contact Anne Herfindahl or Phil Hanson at 463-0962 or Anne Woodward at 463-2177. 5. Karen Ko presented a brief update on the new County Service Center a) Hours are Tuesday, Noon - 8:00PM b) Business, marriage, and pet licenses are available. c) Assessment information is available on-line. d) There are no DDES services at the Center, but the separate DDES staff office on Vashon remains in service. e) Additional services are planned in the future, hopefully including driver licensing. 6. J.P. Anderson presented several updates from the Safety Committee. a) The County staffer handling traffic revisions at the North End dock has been on his honeymoon but should be back soon, and we may see some progress eventually. b) The proposed addition of buttons on the fog lines of various corners, to discourage drivers from cutting these corners, is awaiting input from cycling groups. c) After resurfacing the roads, the County laid out a revised intersection where Pt. Robinson Road turns off of the Portage- Dockton Road. This revision had been developed by Mark Madden after the community requested a left-turn pocket for Pt. Robinson Rd., but included other changes that were opposed by the community, and the Community Council had voted to reject the revision in that form. Rather than provide a turn pocket or make the larger revision, the intersection will be left as it was when permanent lines are painted. d) The long-awaited revision of the intersection at the top of Monument Road and Ellisport Road at 204th street is slated for late October. 7. Jake Jacobovitch presented several updates from the Land Use Committee. a) A meeting is scheduled to iron out details on the proposed Portage Restoration Project next week. b) The request to waive the $125 DDES appeal fee has been circulated to DDES and the County Council for comment. c) The request to provide phone service to the North End ferry dock has been supported by Ron Sims in a letter to Sid Morrison and by Greg Nickels in a letter to Dow Constantine. d) The County Council's GMC appears set to postpone the proposed repeal of the majority of the Vashon Community Plan, with County staff expected to discuss the Community Plan items with the community rather than pressing for blanket repeal of the Community Plan. 8. Enid Dolstad reported the Forestry Committee is set to meet with forestry groups from other islands to discuss implementation of new state legislation on forest conversions. 9. Douglas Mesney's motion regarding the Bunker Trail sewer system was brought forward for debate. a) The Motion asks the Community Council to write a letter to King County asking them to "Complete the original survey of Vashon's north-end beaches by including the beaches not previously tested, survey the Bunker Trail beach again - including shellfish tests of the clam beds - to determine if there is still a problem, suspend the proposed, limited sewer system until the new studies are completed and analyzed, and consider alternative solutions to Vashon Island problems, for example: an expanded sewer system to include more households, or individual solutions using new, State- approved technologies." b) Mr. Mesney presented a 23-point attack on the current plan (see attached copy). c) Other Bunker Trail residents expressed mixed opinions on the plan and the County Health Department's priorities in addressing sewage contamination of the North End. d) Gordon Clemans of KC Public Health addressed many of the concerns raised by Mr. Mesney and others. i) The initial study did in fact cover more than the 22 houses on Bunker Trail, and did not find elevated coliform levels in runoff from higher on the hill. ii) The initial study determined that on-site solutions were not available for the majority of the failing septic systems on the Bunker Trail. While there are viable alternatives to septic tanks, there is not sufficient room for drain fields to dispose of treated effluent. iii) Only sewer districts may dispose of treated effluent via outfalls into the Sound. iv) The estimated cost of $27,000 per unit is made possible by zero-interest loans and grants from various agencies, and can be paid via a 20 year assessment. v) If the proposed sewer does not go in, the Health Department will still have to deal with the known failing systems, and property owners on Bunker Trail will be left without approved septic systems needed for other permits. vi) Waste water from laundries, showers, etc. does have coliform levels as hazardous as those in sewage, and must be treated. vii) While coliform bacteria are quickly killed in cold salt water, they remain hazardous in sediments and shellfish. Human illness from sewage-contaminated shellfish is well demonstrated and was a major reason for the creation of the County Health Department. Known health hazards cannot be left in place. e) The motion was put to a vote and passed. i) Aye 18 Nay 8 Inappropriate 0 Abstain 4 10. Jake Jacobovitch's motion requesting the County to publish all required notices affecting Vashon/Maury Islands in the island's only local paper of general circulation, the Beachcomber, was brought forward for debate. a) The Beachcomber provides local coverage of island issues. b) Notices affecting Vashon are lost in the mass of County-wide notices in the Seattle newspapers. c) Publishing notices in the Beachcomber would not be a significant expense to the County and would provide much better notice to island residents. d) The motion was put to a vote and passed. i) Aye 29 Nay 0 Inappropriate 1 Abstain 0 11. Cindy Trocha presented information on proposed ferry system rule changes that could put the Vashon Shuttle Service out of business. a) As a private, unscheduled shuttle, the Vashon Shuttle may face restrictions on priority loading, deadheading, and passenger quotas that could make it uneconomical. b) Ms. Trocha requests the Community Council to support continuation of the rules that make this service viable for islanders who cannot use Metro bus service or taxi service, e.g. elderly/handicapped residents who cannot walk down the dock with luggage to catch a taxi on the Seattle side, people who need rides outside normal Metro hours or routes, and group charters. 12. Adjourned.