Minutes of the April 20, 1998 General Meeting of the
 Vashon-Maury Island Community Council
1

1. The meeting was called to order at 7:30PM, Craig Beles
 presiding.
2. The Treasurer reported balances of $620.78 checking and
 $1,898.39 savings.
3. The Public Safety Committee reported that the County has
 made some changes to the lighting at the North End and is
 awaiting evaluation from residents and commuters.
4. The Transportation Committee is looking into the shortage of
 parking at the North End and in town, and considering how to get
 commuters from Vashon to the North End when the North End lot is
 full.
5. The Land Use Committee had several updates:
 a) The County still has not passed a revised cell tower
 ordinance, but has not agreed to a moratorium, either.
 b) The County is supposed to codify the process for amending
 the Comprehensive Plan, rather than engaging in an ad-hoc process
 each time.
c) A final draft of the Portage restoration project study is
out for evaluation by property owners, then by the general
public.
 d) The Ground Water Management Plan that has been stalled at
 the County is supposed to be heard in committee on May 7.
6. The Forestry Committee reported that the state Forest
 Practices Board committee on island-specific rules began work
 April 2.
7. The Social Services Committee reported that a luncheon with
County officials may have found more funding for island services.
8. The Governance and Policy Committee had several updates:
 a) The Committee has a new Charter.
 b) The Committee has again looked at, and rejected, the
 suggestion that non-residents be allowed a vote in the Council
 and its Committees. Requiring residency is consistent with all
 other public voting, from local offices to the Presidency, and
 there has been no compelling argument for allowing non-residents
 an equal voice in local affairs.
9. The ad-hoc Signage Committee reports that island realtors
 may be willing to implement a voluntary ban on realty signs if
 all agents agree.
10. The ad-hoc Gravel Pit Committee had several updates:
 a) The first stage of the Sea-Tac runway fill has been awarded
 to a different company.
b) Lone Star has not yet applied for permits but is preparing
to argue against an EIS.
c) There is still no local operator for on-island gravel use,
but this is expected in the future.
11. The Motion from the Safety Committee requesting a study of
 visibility issues on 99th near SW 280th was brought up for a
 vote.
 a) This is really an issue for the Traffic Committee, but came
 up in the Safety Committee before the Traffic Committee was fully
 functioning.
 b) The Motion was put to a vote and passed.
 i) Aye 31, Nay 0, Abstain 25; Inappropriate 12.
12. The Motion to request the County to extend the lease of
 Vashon Sand & Gravel, subject to environmental conditions, was
 brought up for a vote.
 a) There was some concern about monopoly pricing with no on-
 island operator at the Lone Star pit, but this is a temporary
 situation.
b) Vashon Sand & Gravel is more expensive than mainland pits,
but that is largely because it is a small operation with higher
labor costs and high quality gravel.
c) The pit's operation is not visible from the parts of the new
park planned for development, and its noise is not objectionable
in the park area.
 d) The Motion was put to a vote and passed:
 i) Aye 100, Nay 3, Abstain 0, Inappropriate 1.
13. Michele McFadden and Ken Dinsmore presented information on
 the pending update of the County Code Enforcement Ordinance.
 a) The code governing enforcement of County regulations has not
 been updated in more than two decades, so the current update has
 taken several years.
b) The County Council had concerns about County agents' right
of entry onto private property for enforcement purposes, which
has complicated the process.
 c) Under the new system, complainants will be able to appeal
 what they consider inadequate County responses.
 d) Innocent Owners will be responsible for remediation of
 damages on their lands, but will not face fines or other
 penalties for infractions they did not cause.
 e) The full report will be on file at the Library.
 f) The County Council is expected to hear the ordinance next
 month.
14. Jane Wentworth of the King County Noxious Weed Board gave a
 brief presentation outlining common noxious weeds in the County
 and on Vashon.
 a) Officially noxious weeds are those that are both exotic and
 hazardous. Hazardous plants native to the area do not qualify.
 b) The Board is seeking funding through an additional property
 tax assessment County-wide.
15. The Safety Committee's Motion to endorse Rick Frye for FEMA
 training as a CERT trainer was brought up for debate.
 a) Rick Frye has excellent credentials and experience already,
 and this training would enable him to train other emergency
 response team members on the island.
 b) The Motion was put to a vote and passed.
 i) Aye 36, Nay 0, Abstain 0, Inappropriate 0.
16. There being no other new business, the meeting adjourned.