SEDRO-WOOLLEY — Residents pleaded Wednesday for the City Council to sign a settlement aimed at ending the ongoing lawsuit between Annie Janicki, Deluxe Recycling and Disposal, Skagit County and the city.

Read The Full Story

This is an embarrassment to S-W as well as all of Upriver.
Hopefully Mr. Berg can prove me wrong w/ his settlement proposal.

The real embarrassment is the Janicki family.  The whole thing is a joke and waste of money.  There is no way that the city’s decision will be overturned.  And even if it is and a full EIS is required, it will be the same rehash already done.  Lets get on with life and get new businesses interested in locating in this town.

Timewarp - 14 August 2008 06:13 PM

The real embarrassment is the Janicki family.  The whole thing is a joke and waste of money.  There is no way that the city’s decision will be overturned.  And even if it is and a full EIS is required, it will be the same rehash already done.  Lets get on with life and get new businesses interested in locating in this town.

Okay, so you think the community should come AFTER corporations?

Look, I’m a Rossifarian too but not at the price of our community, not at the price of a zillion dump trucks spewing forth across from a high school’s athletic facility.  Not at the price of wrecking public education that costs way too much as is.  Not at the price of destroying our democracy and becoming another Russia.

Unlike Georgian PM Mikheil Saakashvili, “Mayor” Mike Anderson has crumpled under the local version of the Russian Dragon seizing a crucial pipeline for their own good.

Skagitonian1982 - 14 August 2008 07:02 PM

Okay, so you think the community should come AFTER corporations?

Look, I’m a Rossifarian too but not at the price of our community, not at the price of a zillion dump trucks spewing forth across from a high school’s athletic facility.  Not at the price of wrecking public education that costs way too much as is.  Not at the price of destroying our democracy and becoming another Russia.

Huh? 

- “Public education...costs way too much”?  There isn’t *enough* $$ spend on public education in this state.  Teachers and paraeducators and even some administrators make miserably poor salaries in too many school districts across this state, yet the UW football coach makes over $1m a year.

- Can you explain how you figure putting Deluxe Recycling & Disposal into Sedro Woolley will put us all on the fast-track to becoming “another Russia”?

LivinUpriver - 14 August 2008 07:15 PM

Skagitonian1982 - 14 August 2008 07:02 PM

Okay, so you think the community should come AFTER corporations?

Look, I’m a Rossifarian too but not at the price of our community, not at the price of a zillion dump trucks spewing forth across from a high school’s athletic facility.  Not at the price of wrecking public education that costs way too much as is.  Not at the price of destroying our democracy and becoming another Russia.

Huh? 

- “Public education...costs way too much”?  There isn’t *enough* $$ spend on public education in this state.  Teachers and paraeducators and even some administrators make miserably poor salaries in too many school districts across this state, yet the UW football coach makes over $1m a year.

- Can you explain how you figure putting Deluxe Recycling & Disposal into Sedro Woolley will put us all on the fast-track to becoming “another Russia”?

a) I think there’s way too much administrative bloat and retreats in public education too.  All sports, such as the UW’s (I looked into this years ago), should be self-sufficient too.

b) Because we’re succumbing to a thugocratic bully that wants a pipeline - in this case solid waste, not oil.  Russia is also not really a democracy anymore (it was under Yeltsin, then his protege Putin tossed away the inconvenient teachings of his noble sage mentor) but an oligarchy where you pay, you play.  Corporate power is replacing community power east of the Sterling Bend - I saw this happen w/ Concrete where most Skagitonians asked for their help in getting dam storage, but PSE and its corporate buckos & bullies stopped us.  This is a desperate ploy for more money, not a fair & democratic process where public input is valued.

Frankly, I am just bordering on cynical about Skagitonian politics.

I have from a friend S-W’s press release today:

Following an executive session at last night’s meeting where the Council received legal advice from Mercer Island attorney, Mike Tierney, the City Council declined to take action regarding Skagit County’s “settlement” proposal. At the meeting Mayor Anderson indicated that the City remains open and interested in a settlement that includes all of the parties to the litigation and fully resolves the issues. Unfortunately, the County’s proposal to have the City Council short circuit the land use process would not have stopped the litigation or resolved the issues at hand.
At last night’s meeting, Mrs. Janicki handed out informational fliers which indicated that, “This settlement will stop Deluxe from building its garbage facility in Sedro-Woolley across from the high school.” This statement is not true. The proposed agreement would not have ended all litigation, it would not have stopped Deluxe from taking further action to locate in Sedro-Woolley and it would have subjected the City and its elected officials and their wives to potential liability and money damages for violating civil rights laws.
The City has presented all parties with a settlement proposal and continues to support settlement negotiations. In an effort to accept the County’s proposal, the City asked the County to indemnify the City for taking the settlement; Skagit County refused indicating it is unwilling to accept the risk of its own settlement proposal.
Deluxe has filed a building permit application with the City of Sedro-Woolley. Sedro-Woolley has not yet issued a building permit; the issue on appeal is the City’s threshold determination under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The City’s planning director issued a mitigated determination of non-significance (MDNS). The MDNS was appealed by Mrs. Janicki to the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner upheld the City’s MDNS and Mrs. Janicki appealed to the Superior Court. The Court case is scheduled to be heard on October lOth at 1:00 P.M.
Before Deluxe can open for business in Sedro-Woolley, it must get a building permit, address the requirements under the MDNS, and obtain permitting and approval from Skagit County. The City of Sedro-Woolley does not have the authority or power to authorize Deluxe to handle garbage; this approval is from Skagit County Government and the Solid Waste System Governance Board.
What makes America different from other countries is that we live under the rule of law, not the rule of man. Skagit County’s proposal asked the City Council to ignore the rule of law and instead act on popularity. No matter how much members of the Council might want to stand with Annie Janicki and Skagit County by voting on popularity, elected officials are held to the highest standards and must follow the rule of law.

For more information, contact Eron Berg at 360-855-9922.
###

I hope people took their blood pressure & anger management medication.

Skagitonian1982 - 14 August 2008 11:13 PM

I have from a friend S-W’s press release today:

Following an executive session at last night’s meeting where the Council received legal advice from Mercer Island attorney, Mike Tierney, the City Council declined to take action regarding Skagit County’s “settlement” proposal. At the meeting Mayor Anderson indicated that the City remains open and interested in a settlement that includes all of the parties to the litigation and fully resolves the issues. Unfortunately, the County’s proposal to have the City Council short circuit the land use process would not have stopped the litigation or resolved the issues at hand.
At last night’s meeting, Mrs. Janicki handed out informational fliers which indicated that, “This settlement will stop Deluxe from building its garbage facility in Sedro-Woolley across from the high school.” This statement is not true. The proposed agreement would not have ended all litigation, it would not have stopped Deluxe from taking further action to locate in Sedro-Woolley and it would have subjected the City and its elected officials and their wives to potential liability and money damages for violating civil rights laws.
The City has presented all parties with a settlement proposal and continues to support settlement negotiations. In an effort to accept the County’s proposal, the City asked the County to indemnify the City for taking the settlement; Skagit County refused indicating it is unwilling to accept the risk of its own settlement proposal.
Deluxe has filed a building permit application with the City of Sedro-Woolley. Sedro-Woolley has not yet issued a building permit; the issue on appeal is the City’s threshold determination under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). The City’s planning director issued a mitigated determination of non-significance (MDNS). The MDNS was appealed by Mrs. Janicki to the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner upheld the City’s MDNS and Mrs. Janicki appealed to the Superior Court. The Court case is scheduled to be heard on October lOth at 1:00 P.M.
Before Deluxe can open for business in Sedro-Woolley, it must get a building permit, address the requirements under the MDNS, and obtain permitting and approval from Skagit County. The City of Sedro-Woolley does not have the authority or power to authorize Deluxe to handle garbage; this approval is from Skagit County Government and the Solid Waste System Governance Board.
What makes America different from other countries is that we live under the rule of law, not the rule of man. Skagit County’s proposal asked the City Council to ignore the rule of law and instead act on popularity. No matter how much members of the Council might want to stand with Annie Janicki and Skagit County by voting on popularity, elected officials are held to the highest standards and must follow the rule of law.

For more information, contact Eron Berg at 360-855-9922.
###

I hope people took their blood pressure & anger management medication.

That makes sense to me. Why would indivdual elected officials put their own assets at risk for potential civil rights violations? Let the lawful process go and maybe the judge will rule against Deluxe and the majority of Sedro will be happy. It looks to me like the County played the citizens like a harp knowing the commissioners and city elected officials couldn’t legally agree to the offer. Let the process continue.

dan litton - 15 August 2008 12:46 AM

That makes sense to me. Why would indivdual elected officials put their own assets at risk for potential civil rights violations? Let the lawful process go and maybe the judge will rule against Deluxe and the majority of Sedro will be happy. It looks to me like the County played the citizens like a harp knowing the commissioners and city elected officials couldn’t legally agree to the offer. Let the process continue.

Oh, so we should take the word of Sleazro-Woolley’s compromised government.

Tell you what, why don’t you go to page 25 of THIS PDF to find this (after I arrange the e-mails in chron order and OCR’d the doc w/ my copy of Adobe Acrobat 9):

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Snell [mailto:steven.snell@gmail.com]
Sent, Friday, October 26, 2007 11,01 AM
To: Eron Berg
Subject: Re: FW: Sedro Valuation

Thanks Eron.
How did the condemnation conversation go?  Their agent is saying that the city is not planning on moving foward with it. I suspect I’m not getting the whole story from the agent as this was contrary to my previous understanding.
Please advise,
Best,
Steve

From: Eron Berg
Sent: Friday, October 26,2007 12:06 PM
To: ‘Steve Snell’
Subject: RE: FW: Sedro Valuation

Not the whole story—I told them that we would be working with the new owner to move forward and that a potential owner who wanted to use it as-is would be a problem given our road needs.
EB

So let’s take S-W’s word for it.
They want this facility, community power damned to hell, at a site that is turning an entire community against a government that is having a “condemnation conversation”.  I ask, would Mount Vernon act this way?  Would Burlington?  Would Anacortes?  For that matter, how about Everett and Bellingham?
Let me also add that one should remember that many of the Founding Fathers whom signed the Declaration of Independence died very poor after making great sacrifices.  Oh, how far we have gone in 232 years.  We should see this as something to be shameful of - to cower behind corporate power rather than serve democracy in between elections.
It is not the role of government to condemn public property for private benefit, thank you.  This is what Russia under Medvedev and Putin would do; not patriotic, history-studying, G*d-fearing Americans!!!!
We the people of Skagit County have a right to say no and accept the responsibility of doing so, thank you very little.  That’s called freedom!!!!

Wow talk about full disclosure sheesh.  Thanks for posting the pdf it’s going to take some reading, but at a glance I think some people are going to be a bit unhappy with it’s posting on this forum.

rollinfree - 15 August 2008 05:27 AM

Wow talk about full disclosure sheesh.  Thanks for posting the pdf it’s going to take some reading, but at a glance I think some people are going to be a bit unhappy with it’s posting on this forum.

Here’s the City of Sedro-Woolley web site where they have been posting everything regarding Deluxe not filtered by news media. Very open government to me posting all.All e-mails between Will Honea and Eron Berg are posted. Very interesting.Go to City of Sedro-Woolley wed site and check out Deluxe postings. Hopefully I can post it here. Check out: http://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/Home/deluxe_recycling.htm

rollinfree - 15 August 2008 05:27 AM

Wow talk about full disclosure sheesh.  Thanks for posting the pdf it’s going to take some reading, but at a glance I think some people are going to be a bit unhappy with it’s posting on this forum.

Yeah and the kid who broke this wide open is probably expecting a MVP award and a phone call from the CIA for his intelligence gathering ability or the Seattle Seahawks for his ability to run to sunshine or the US Navy for his Maverick attitude…

dan litton - 15 August 2008 01:20 PM

rollinfree - 15 August 2008 05:27 AM

Wow talk about full disclosure sheesh.  Thanks for posting the pdf it’s going to take some reading, but at a glance I think some people are going to be a bit unhappy with it’s posting on this forum.

Here’s the City of Sedro-Woolley web site where they have been posting everything regarding Deluxe not filtered by news media. Very open government to me posting all.All e-mails between Will Honea and Eron Berg are posted. Very interesting.Go to City of Sedro-Woolley wed site and check out Deluxe postings. Hopefully I can post it here. Check out: http://www.ci.sedro-woolley.wa.us/Home/deluxe_recycling.htm

Yeah, but I’ve read things in the paper that don’t show up on the website.  It’s a pleasant surprise though.

Like I said, the kid that broke this wide open is entitled to a MVP award.

Skagitonian 1982,

Guess who put the reconnect of Jameson to Hwy 9 into the City transportation plan?  Any ideas?  Not Eron Berg.

Mayor Dillon’s administration!

Berg had nothing to do with it.

Skagitonian 1982,

The community should come FIRST.  The community zoned the land heavy industrial, probably 100 years ago. The community is given a comment period on an allowed use of Heavy Industrial land.  That is why MDNS factors address the community comments. The community is given an appeal process.  The community is given a LUPA appeal process.  The community is being put FIRST.

Timewarp - 15 August 2008 03:31 PM

Skagitonian 1982,

Guess who put the reconnect of Jameson to Hwy 9 into the City transportation plan?  Any ideas?  Not Eron Berg.

Mayor Dillon’s administration!

Berg had nothing to do with it.

I never mentioned this, spokeshole.

Timewarp - 15 August 2008 03:39 PM

Skagitonian 1982,

The community should come FIRST.  The community zoned the land heavy industrial, probably 100 years ago. The community is given a comment period on an allowed use of Heavy Industrial land.  That is why MDNS factors address the community comments. The community is given an appeal process.  The community is given a LUPA appeal process.  The community is being put FIRST.

As they say in Britain, I genuinely appreciate a true spokeshole like you.  Sometimes I wonder if you’re my alternative universe counterpart…

#1. “The community zoned the land heavy industrial, probably 100 years ago.” Res ipsa loquitor - Latin for “the affair speaks for itself”.  This is a 100 years different with higher environmental and community standards, plus a whole lot more people.  One should also ask: Was S-WHS there 100 years ago?

#2. “The community is given a comment period on an allowed use of Heavy Industrial land.” Thanks much - because the community said NO.

#3. “That is why MDNS factors address the community comments.” The MDNS did not (see above) hence the appeal, the SVH outcry, the Coalition litigation and more, and more community fury.

#4. “The community is given an appeal process.” The very same appeal process S-W and Deluxe have wanted to shut down.

#5. “The community is given a LUPA appeal process.” Again, S-W & Deluxe wants to shut this down and the latter demands the same site almost nobody else wants the facility at.

#6. “The community is being put FIRST.” See above.  Oh and, how so?!?  “The community” you speak of wants an EIS, if not this facility relocated.  Yet you oppose even this.

So, do you oppose democracy?  Do you think George W. Bush and his ideological ilk like Bud Norris and Don Munks who believe in democracy or Dmitri A. Medvedev and his ideological ilk like Larry McCarter and Steve Snell and their puppets Eron Berg & Mike Anderson ought to rule the world?

The community is American, remember that.  Oh and in America, we have a way of demanding - and getting - democracy in between elections.  We will never surrender to puppets or bow to corporate power or appease aggressive, unwelcome invasions into sovereign territory to seize a pipeline of valuable materials for blatant greed.  No, this slice of America formed a Solid Waste Governance Board in the wake of the Cimarron disaster to democratize the revenue stream & responsibility as well as give diplomacy a chance.  We believe in community - you just outright don’t.

Oh and… G*D BLESS AMERICA!

I used to be an appointed official in Sedro-Woolley, and I live here.  I am not commenting on the merits of the Deluxe proposal, though I would rather not have it 3 blocks from my house. The Deluxe application was filed after I left the City.

The seeds of this controversy were sown before Deluxe made its application. 

The land at issue has always been used for industry.  When I was in high school (a long time ago), the site was a lumber mill.  It was always noisy, had truck traffic, and ran 16 to 24 hours per day.  Sedro-Woolley has always been a town with a lumber mill at one end of main street and a steel mill at the other end.  But people have changed.  Sedro-Woolley is becoming “gentrified” and what was once acceptable is no longer tolerated by local residents.  But the Industrial zoning survived the lumber industry for specific reasons.

Sedro-Woolley has very little land zoned Industry, and much of it is used for residential development, as that use was more profitable.  When it was proposed to restrict the uses allowed in Industrial zoning, the local owners of industrial land opposed these restrictions.  This unrestricted category of zoning allowed liberal industrial development for its owners. 

While several developers have proposed or inquired about using the site for non-industrial uses, none were willing to replace the industrial capacity with other industrial land.  The city was concerned with providing a place for local industry and local jobs.  You just can’t build schools and apartments on all your industrial land.  Someone has to “make things” in this country.  Having local industrial jobs is a good thing. 

This zoning is exactly what the local community wanted at the time.  People may not have realized the consequences of less restricted zoning classifications.  But it was a deliberate decision to promote industry & local developers.  It was not an oversight or accident.  The issue has come up more than once, and the answer was always the same.  Only Concrete and Hamilton have less strict zoning. 

The other seed was planted when the Skagit County Board of Commissioners pushed through the Cimarron Recycling and Transfer MDNS over Sedro-Woolley’s objection, and unilateral entered into an agreement permitting the activity to which they now object.  It is really hard to get toothpaste back into the tube.  The County got what it wanted, just not where it wanted it.  There is an element of institutional hypocrisy for the County to now oppose what it approved when it was the perceived beneficiary.  (Granted, Commissioners Dillon and Dahlstedt were not then supporting Cimarron; Commissioner Dillon was then Mayor of Sedro-Woolley.  But policies survive office holders.  Once the toothpaste tube is squeezed....)

From the County’s perspective, the problem is not the location of the transfer station next to the high school.  Rather, it is the reduction in the revenue of the County’s garbage collection program that is an issue.  I remember very clearly the arguments made by Skagit County and Sedro-Woolley at the Cimarron MDNS hearing.  I don’t believe there is a civic thought in anyone’s head about this permit.  The only issue from the County’s perspective, historically, is who gets the revenue - whether the County gets revenue from the waste stream, or the city gets revenue from taxes.

The Jameson Street arterial was planned before the Deluxe application was filed.  A city engineer anticipated a need to route industrial traffic away from the high school, and the SW School District has been trying to close off Third Street for years.  This is a good thing, regardless of who develops the site.  Sedro-Woolley really needs to get industrial truck traffic off Metcalf, Third, and State.

The County “settlement offer” is disingenuous.  Skagit County is unwilling to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Sedro-Woolley from the lawsuit by Deluxe, if the City accepted the offer.  Also, the County and Port could offer an alternative site to Deluxe, off Farm to Market Road.  Its not going to happen.  The point is, its about money, not location, to the County.  While the City could probably have put the brakes on this project at one time, the City cannot ignore its own land use laws and enter into the settlement agreement over the applicant’s objections, without great risk, once the permit has issued. 

I admire Mrs. Janicki for walking her talk.  But the school district and other neighbors did not appeal the MDNS application, or participate in the civic discussion at the beginning of the process when it would have been much easier to affect the course of events. 

This project would have been easy to stop 4 or 2 years ago.  Skagit County could have denied the Cimarron application, a necessary precursor.  The City could have restricted development on industrial property.  But decisions were made to permit this development.  And no one objected at the time.

pmhayden;

Very interesting and intriguing thoughts.

That said, to boil this down to $$$ and $$$ only is incorrect.  S-WHS students and their families have said no to this.  Also to say that county gov’t cannot change policy after an election in which one of those elected officials said she would is to deny a fundamental tenet of democracy - that the people have a right to choose their leaders and the direction of their community, state and nation.

The school district does not have tons of money to fritter on lawsuits (especially after the previous superintendent had to resign because he missed a deadline on litigation - that’s put a chill down many S-WSD staff) - and it also doesn’t help optics with the County Prosecutor and a Janicki on the school board as they could be seen as their tool.  But many S-WSD employees have chimed in about this anyhow… and I say good for them.

It seems to me as if you’re just another spokesperson/excuse machine for S-W’s failed administration, mouthing many of the same lame excuses and inconsideration of a growing majority of Skagitonians.  Yes, to some extent, S-W collecting special revenue at the expense of other muincipalities and rural Skagit County is an issue.  But the siting of this facility is a serious issue - the public/community has said NO and in a democracy: NO MEANS NO.

Skagit County Gov’t should protect S-W, yes.  But Skagit County Gov’t will most likely, if it comes down to it, deny the permits and demand an EIS.  Which will result in more litigation rather than a solution that is fair & equitable to the environment, to S-WHS students, to the S-W community and to Skagitonian taxpayers.

That said, to concede a very strong point of yours, industry should be placed on the outskirts of town - such as along the Highway 20 flanks of S-W.  NOT next to a high school.

Thank you again for your comments.

I agree that it should not be only about money.  But I want to point out that the interests of the County are largely financial at this stage, as was the purpose of the City a year ago.  Skagit County has a large investment in the garbage collection system that is compromised by this application. 

There are some real solutions to this problem.  Skagit County could make a realistic offer of settlement that would shift the risk of loss to the County, since the County is also getting the economic benefit of their proposal.  Skagit County could also support the project at a different site.  These are both meaningful solutions that would locate the Deluxe project outside of Sedro-Woolley.  But the County will not do these things because it is not in the County’s financial interest.  This is not bad.  It is just the reason for the decision.

I agree that the County can change its position when new people are elected.  I am just making the point that it is hard for the County to do so.  It is like reversing an aircraft carrier.  And decisions by previous office holders still have long term effects: I do not believe we would even have this issue in Sedro-Woolley, if the County had not previously approved the Cimarron MDNS and associated agreement.

You are right that industrial land should not be near schools and residential neighborhoods.  However, historically, this has been the pattern in Sedro-Woolley.  Further, it is easier to preserve existing industrial zoning where such uses already exist, as the mills did at the time, than it is to relocate industrial zoning to other property.  SW school district owns property on the edge of town which could be traded and rezoned for this property next to the high school, for example.  But the school district is unlikely to do so (and probably should not do so if it has to bear the entire cost of the solution).

There is a price (in public resources) to preventing or modifying the Deluxe application.  But no one wanted to pay it 4 years ago, and no one wants to pay it now.  It might be a good idea, and it is a choice available to the County (and probably the School District), but its not going to be cheap.  And this is one of those public issues where the cost of any remedy would be imposed on a single entity, but the benefit is distributed broadly to all. 

I agree with several of your points.  But we are dealing with the consequences of decisions that were made some time ago.  By the time SEPA review is completed for a specific application, a lot of options no longer exist.  I just wonder where people were a year ago when this was in the papers.

It seems to me as if you’re just another spokesperson/excuse machine for S-W’s failed administration, mouthing many of the same lame excuses and inconsideration of a growing majority of Skagitonians....  But the siting of this facility is a serious issue - the public/community has said NO and in a democracy: NO MEANS NO.

No, I only speak for myself. 

But by the time land use applications get to the planning department, they are not really subject to popular vote or administrative whim.  While both the City and County could have done something a few years ago when the rules were being made, Deluxe now has a right to have their application processed by the same rules as anyone else.  It does not mean I like it.  But it is a fact.  I just wish the process had been more transparent, the public had been more involved, and people stood by what they did.

pmhayden - 15 August 2008 08:26 PM

I agree that it should not be only about money.  But I want to point out that the interests of the County are largely financial at this stage, as was the purpose of the City a year ago.  Skagit County has a large investment in the garbage collection system that is compromised by this application. 

There are some real solutions to this problem.  Skagit County could make a realistic offer of settlement that would shift the risk of loss to the County, since the County is also getting the economic benefit of their proposal.  Skagit County could also support the project at a different site.  These are both meaningful solutions that would locate the Deluxe project outside of Sedro-Woolley.  But the County will not do these things because it is not in the County’s financial interest.  This is not bad.  It is just the reason for the decision.

I agree that the County can change its position when new people are elected.  I am just making the point that it is as hard for the County to do so as it is for the City to do so.  It is like reversing an aircraft carrier.  And decisions by previous office holders still have long term effects: I do not believe we would even have this issue in Sedro-Woolley, if the County had not previously approved the Cimarron MDNS and associated agreement.

You are right that industrial land should not be near schools and residential neighborhoods.  However, historically, this has been the pattern in Sedro-Woolley.  Further, it is easier to preserve existing industrial zoning where such uses already exist, as the mills did at the time, than it is to relocate industrial zoning to other property.  SW school district owns property on the edge of town which could be traded and rezoned for this property next to the high school, for example.  But the school district is unlikely to do so (and probably should not do so if it has to bear the entire cost of the solution).

There is a price (in public resources) to preventing or modifying the Deluxe application.  But no one wanted to pay it 4 years ago, and no one wants to pay it now.  It might be a good idea, and it is a choice available to the County (and probably the School District), but its not going to be cheap.  And this is one of those public issues where the cost of any remedy would be imposed on a single entity, but the benefit is distributed broadly to all. 

I agree with your points.  But we are dealing with the consequences of decisions that were made some time ago.  By the time SEPA review is completed for a specific application, a lot of options no longer exist.  I just wonder where people were a year ago when this was in the papers.

Wonderful post this time around.

Personally, I think the county gov’t ought to buy the land from Deluxe and sell it back to S-WSD on an installment plan in return for some S-WSD land becoming industrial.  Then let the Solid Waste Governance Board (one of Commish Dillion’s bright ideas - and I’m a Rossi Republican) take over all or almost all strategic management of this contentious resource.  The problem is there are too many knuckleheads - many of them pro-dump - in this mess.

Also, I agree, a lot of the blame falls on the former Commish of District 3 for igniting this unnecessary series of conflicts and disregarding our democracy in between elections.  But at least the current one has the IQ to think of a solution - the problem is the governance board needs to be able to function.  That’ll be impossible until the Deluxe facility is relocated and the process is restarted (if not reset) under the board’s input and involvement.