City Council - Regular Meeting

Okay. Dana? For members of the public wishing to comment remotely at the board of commissioners regular Monday business meeting during designated public comment times, business and consent agenda, public hearings, and general issues, the following options are available. For Internet users, please click on the raise hand feature to signal that you would like to comment. The sound will be immediate, and the Internet participant is encouraged but not required to identify themselves. The participant will be called upon to speak at the appropriate time. Closed captions have been enabled. Members of the public can view the LinkedIn instructions in the chat. Please note that we will not be able to assist you should you experience technical difficulties. For call in users, please dial 9 on your keypad to signal that you would like to comment.

The last four digits of the call in number will be announced, and call in participants are encouraged but not required to identify themselves. Item two a, resolution appointing David Walner and reappointing Caleb Reese, David Emmons, Jay Christianson or Christian, sorry, and Ryan Wixon to the Central Kitsap Community Council for three year terms ending 12/31/2028.

Mister chair, I move to approve the resolution appointing David Walner and reappointing Caleb Reese, David Emmons, and Jay Christian to and Ryan Wixon to the Central Kitsap Community Council.

Great. I and I second that motion. And we have a little discussion. Okay. This is a big one.

I think this community, the the community has an opportunity to be well represented here, and I'm gonna talk a little bit about the council description, a little background on each and every one of you. The mission of the Central Kitsap Community Council is to, one, facilitate and improve communication among Central Kitsap community and the county commissioners. Two, promote a sense of community. Three, advise the board of county commissioners and government agencies of the desires and concerns of the community. And four, bring the Central Kitsap community issues and projects of the county and convey the community response as requested by the board of commissioners.

Okay. So a little background. We'll start with deputy Warren David Warner. He currently serves as a community resource officer with the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office. He is highly involved with works groups such as the recovery, empowerment, advocacy, and linkage or the real team, and the county's homeless encampment action response and transitions team or HEART program.

Prior to his current role, Dave served for eighteen years as an EMT and five years as a dep as a sheriff's deputy. Having worked with and supported unhoused populations for decades, David is committed to being a part of the organization in groups that have high positive impacts on the overall overall health of the community. He looks forward to bringing his experience and his perspectives to the CKCC. Yes. I have to agree with that.

Just the little bit of time I've been here, I've I've witnessed, David, your commitment to our community is above and beyond, I have to say. So thank you very much. What I'll do is I'll get through I'll get through and then if you want to say a few words, then no problem. Okay? Okay. Did you have I

was just gonna say that two other people who are being appointed are also here. So we'll we'll have them all come to the podium if they wish.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay. Caleb, are you here? Okay. Great. I'm gonna read a little bit about you, and and we'll we'll we'll we'll we'll move on from there. Caleb Reese has been a resident of Kitsap County for over fifty five years and is very interested in making sure people are treated fairly. Caleb graduated from Central Kitsap High School and earned an associates of science degree from Olympic College. He worked for over thirty eight and a half years with Pacific Northwest Bell and US West Quest and Century Lake.

He also served for twenty years as vice president of communications workers of America, local seven eight zero three, and over ten years with the Kitsap Labor Council. Since 2019, Caleb has continued serving the community in the Port Of Silverdale District 1 in district one commissioner. So, Caleb, absolutely, we appreciate you being a part of this. And I'm gonna what I'll do is I'll read all of these out, and then I'll have you guys come up one by one. Probably backwards.

I'll probably do that backwards, we're gonna stay in stay in some type of system here. Next is David Emmons, a long time resident of Central Kitsap and has served as a former president, CEO of the Greater Kitsap Chamber, former director of philanthropy at the YMCA Pierce County Pierce and Kitsap Counties, and former executive director of Olympic College Foundation. David is deeply appreciates being able to continue to serve as a voice for the community on the council. Is David here? Okay.

Is if he's online, can you let me know if he's online, Dana? Okay. He's not. Next is Jay Christian. As a fire chief, Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue holds a he holds a strong interest in public safety and community matters that can that keep Central Kitsap a thriving and vibrant place to live.

He is especially interested in the building relation in building relationship with both members of the community and the CKCC. He continuously seeks to understand more about what's happening in his local government and around the community. In addition to already serving one council term, Jay is an active member of the Kitsap Fire Chiefs Association, the Kitsap Emergency Medical Services Council, and the hospital task force. Jay holds a bachelor's of science in fire command and administration. Next, Ryan Wixon has served as the chair of the Central Kitsap Community Council since last year and has recently joined the community's the the county's planning commission as well.

He is a third generation Central Kitsap resident, works in a small family owned manufacturing business, and manages a local industrial park and other properties. Ryan is a strong advocate for business for local business and property rights and prioritizes being in a conduit for neighbors to wish or to share concerns and successes with county officials. Ryan wants to help oversee the growth, safety, and well-being of the Central Kitsap for his family, friends, neighbors, and small businesses. Wow. What a great what a great team. I I want that in the South. Anybody in the South, come on in. Let's do this.

Well, it's fun because Katie is pointing five at the same time, so you can see the the broad range of the talents.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Dave, would you like to come say a couple words? Sure.

Hey. How are doing?

Well, good to see you.

So thank you for the appointment. It means a lot to me, especially taking over Brandon Meyer's spot as he's moving on to different things possibly. So very excited for this. Highly invested into the health of the entire community through the engagement of the entire community from everyone in the homeless encampments to people in their in their fine homes, making sure that everybody is represented, treated with respect, but also held accountable when needed.

Right.

Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

Caleb?

Hello. I one thing I would like to say is I'd like to thank the commissioners for backing the derelict vessel program with it. I'm I'm on the the group with the county, but it's very important stuff. And I'm I'm really worried about the the legislature taking the money away from them.

So it's Right.

So I wanna thank you guys for that, but and it's an honor to be part of the community council. Thank you.

Great. Great. Welcome aboard. Thank you, Caleb. No pun intended. David Anna MMS, is he on or not still?

No. Okay. He's not.

Chief Christian, nothing? Is he here? No? And Ryan Wixon, welcome.

I'd just like to thank thank you guys for the opportunity to continue to serve the community, and I'd like to also thank you for appointing police presence. Having a sheriff's deputy on the council has been really good having Brandon there, and a lot of the questions are, you know, very helpful for to have somebody like him there. So you might think about your community councils in your regions having having maybe somebody from the sheriff's office on as well.

Great. Great suggestion.

Thank you.

Alright. Okay. Okay. Well, seems like a very, again, robust team. Let's vote. All those in favor, aye.

Aye.

All those opposed? Motion carries. Welcome aboard, everybody.

Alright. Can I say

Yeah? Absolutely. Yeah.

I wanna say for the the four folks, I guess, one, two, three, four folks being reappointed, Caleb and Ryan who are here. Thank you for your service. The CKCC is certainly vibrant, and the meetings that I've attended when Commissioner Walters hasn't been able to have just been so interesting and so well attended by the community. You set the tone for all of our community councils, so thanks for your work. And deputy Walner, you know that you're joining a great group because you've been there multiple times.

Alright. Alright.

Item two b, resolution appointing Joe Dietz to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Advisory Committee to complete a vacated four year term ending 08/31/2029.

Okay. I move to appoint Joe Dietz to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Advisory Committee to complete a four year term ending 08/31/2029.

Second.

Any discussion?

Yeah. I just have one. I have a rule a parliamentary rule. Is it okay for the chair to make a motion or what is and under our rules, great. Thank you. Thank you

for your clarification.

And I seconded it. Okay. Alright. And I have a few words to say. Alright.

This is an appointment to the Bainbridge Island Ferry Advisory Committee. The Bainbridge Island Ferry Advisory Committee is set up by the ferry system under state law to represent respective route ferry riders on the Washington State ferries. And we have FACs as they're called in Kingston, Bainbridge, Southworth, and Bremerton. Members of these three member committees share input from ferry riders and promote improvements to the ferry system through regular interaction with Washington state ferries on behalf of the riders. And the Bainbridge Island Ferry Advisory Committee, I've set up to represent it's got representatives on it from Bainbridge, Squamish, and Poulsbo to really represent the scope of the ridership on that, on that route.

And we're missing a Bainbridge Island residence. So we, I received a number of applications, but I would like to or we have moved. I'm pleased to present Joe Dietz as the Bainbridge Island representative on that ferry advisory committee. He's lived on Bainbridge for twenty six years. He's well acquainted with Washington state ferries and particularly the Seattle to Bainbridge route, and both he and his wife are regular ferry riders.

I know his wife is a commuter. They close he has float closely followed WSF's continued improvement efforts and understands the critical role the ferries play as transportation infrastructure here. He brings practical experience working and coordinating with government agencies because he was a former two term council member for the city of Bainbridge Island. And I think Commissioner Root and I know him well from the committees that he served on, including the State Route three zero five working group, Kitsap Transit, Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, and the Puget Sound Regional Council, where he was an active member of our Fairy Caucus. And so I'm glad he is willing to continue to serve the community in this way, and I think it'll be a great way to utilize his skills, his expertise, and his contacts.

Yeah. Agreed. Is Joe is not here.

Is he

on online. Oh, perfect. And he's unmuted.

Mhmm. Oh, welcome, Joe. Good to hear good as well, I'm about to get to hear you.

Hi. Can you hear me?

Yep. Loud and clear.

Oh, great. Should I speak now? Or

Yes.

Oh, okay. Cool. Thank thank you, commissioner Root, commissioner Rolfes. Thank you so much for this appointment. I am honored to serve on the Ferry Advisory Committee. You know, the Ferry Advisory Committee, it seems to be not everyone knows it exists, I've I've noticed, and including when I was on council, frankly. So I I feel it's an integral part, and we need to make our presence known. And and I am thrilled to provide anything I can to, better communicate with between the community and the ferry service, and thank you so much for this appointment.

Great. I I couldn't really think of anyone else better that would be suited for this position. So, Joe, thank you for volunteering and being a part of your community. You have a lifelong, resume of service, and we're, we're honored to have you on it.

Thank you.

Okay. Okay. Let's vote. All those all those in favor, aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carries.

Okay. Item number four, administrator's comments.

Good morning. No comments from the administrator or assistant county administrator today. Thank you. This

is an opportunity for the public to address the board on regular business agenda, including consent agenda.

Okay. It doesn't look like we have anybody signed up for the consent agenda.

And no one is raising their hand online as well.

Okay. Alright.

I I need a motion to approve the consent agenda. I'll move to approve the consent agenda.

I second the motion. All those in favor?

Aye.

All those opposed? Okay. Consent agenda. Blue? Pass. Pass.

This is an opportunity for the public to address the board on general interests.

Okay. Okay. I have looks like four people signed up. Is there any late late comers? If so, just let us know. First person will be Kim Van Cleave.

Hi. Kim Van Cleave, Alala. I just like to talk about the budget since I know you all are working on that for 2027. And so my concern is the sheriffs who've had their budget cut back in 2026 and also just the comment that I believe you made, Commissioner Rolfs, about putting that to the voters. And I'd just like to suggest maybe hardwiring the sheriffs in first so the voters don't have to make that decision.

That's a basic right that we have in the shrine in the declaration of independence for life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. And I think when the sheriffs are funded fully first, then we can take care of other areas of the budget. And I just like to float one area. There are many, but since my time is limited, last night, I attended a town hall with commissioner I'm sorry, with senator Krishna Dashan. And a lot of the people there commented on just the amount of litter that was all over the place in the county.

And so one way to really take care of that problem would be to fund the sheriffs because all you have to do is take a walk along any of the roads, and a lot of that litter is due to drug paraphernalia, empty alcohol bottles, things that are basically there because the law hasn't been followed or enforced when it comes to things that are dangerous to, public safety. So that's just one place to look. I'm sure the county spends a lot of money on cleaning up litter, speaking of, derelict vehicles that, you know, the taxpayers get have to foot the bill for that are full of trash, probably a hazardous waste issue as well. And so anyway, I would just like to put that out there today as one place to look to fund the sheriffs to, help with the litter problem. Thank you.

Great. Thank you.

Noted.

Okay. Next. Al Van Cleave.

Good morning, commissioners.

Good morning.

Al Van Cleave, president of Alala for twenty two years. I too attended the open house yesterday, and I was disappointed. And here's my concern. You guys have heard me do my financial concern with the county. First of all, I'd like to put it out there. I'm not brand biased. I'm mad as hell at everybody regardless of brand. And I made that clear last night. I was getting window dressing for some hard questions and I my rhetorical was you didn't answer the question. Here's what I'm digging at.

And I pointed out, the average person in our electorate has no idea of finance, where we're really at, where real inflation is at, where the federal government is at, the state government, the county government, they are naive, not educated on these subject matters. You have budget issues. The state has a spending issue as I pointed out last night. You guys know me. I seem kinda hard nosed, and I'm here to help you.

I'm here to sound the alarm. The state has no clue of where they're at in the financial world. And the legislation that they're getting ready to pass in Olympia, you think last year's budget was hell? I would venture to say a 100 x this next year given what they're passing because it all flows downhill. I know dozens of people that are packing their suitcase.

If it passes, my senator last night says we don't know these people are gonna leave. I do. I've been told this. So I'm here just the issue of the friendly we need to put our heads together and maybe talk to the people that are making these mistakes. So thank you.

Thank you.

Okay. Mister Korich.

Good morning. Ed Korich of Port Orchard. I just wanted to discuss the DCD requirement letter for KRRC, the rifle club that dated 09/19/2025. The big thing about it is it requires a site development activity permit, level two, and it is required to address unpermitted grading and wetland buffer disturbances, which were in violation of KCC titles twelve and nineteen. Now title 12 deals with stormwater management.

And, basically, when DNR owned the land, the twin culverts that were installed to prevent water flowing onto the property from washing contaminants off of the property, were installed. And so that's something that happened under DNR. Additionally, title 19 deals with the wetlands, and, KRCC KRCC cleared brush from about 10 square feet of bank on a seasonal pond in order to access it for boat access so

you

could practice ingress and egress of a boat with a firearm for safety training purposes. And so that was something also that we've been doing historically while DNR own the land. Additionally, although KRC has applied for the ten twenty five range operating permit several times, the permits were never processed and have expired and are not eligible for reactivation according to that letter. And a summary of items to complete an an SDAP two include the Kinsap County fees, about $10,000 The engineering fees, 25,000. Biologist fees, 15,000.

Surveyor fees, 5,000. That's a total about 55,000, likely more. Those are those are starting points. So we are working on we've got the safety plan existent, and we're fine tuning that facility layout, and we're fine tuning that. And we need to identify a range technical team adviser to evaluate the range, but we're working on that. So just a little bit of an update.

Great.

Appreciate any help we can get. Thanks.

Yep. Thank you. And I just wanna I just wanna couple things on the permits. On two the two in 2016 and the one in 2018, those were all responded to by DCD with no response back from KRCC. I have the documents. I all I'm gonna do is I'm just I want it on the record because Yeah. It was there, so the information was

They didn't accept it because they were incomplete, but they didn't tell us what was incomplete about them. Right?

Yeah. I don't I have them all right here, but I'm we're having continuous meetings with with k with KRC. But I just wanna make that on the record that those permits were they were applied for. They were responded to by DCD, and then there was no response back. And therefore, they lapsed and they expired. So then that's why the second one had to come in and the third one. So we could we're gonna talk a little bit more

about this stuff. Were appealed as well and and appeals were rejected.

Sure. But and I it's not really I wanna just put that on the record. That's all

I'm Thank

you very much. Thanks. Okay. David Peterson, sir. Good to see you.

Well, I'll try it. I'll get there eventually.

Okay.

Okay. Thank you, sir.

Good morning, commissioners.

Good morning.

My name is David Peterson, and you will see in front of you a KPUD graph for the Ritter Lane Class 1 wellhead that covers a twenty year period from February 1990 to February 2000. Please note from February 1990 to June 1999, this is a nine year mean water level period indicating the wellhead never dropped below 5.5 feet and includes approximately 14 readings. As I understand it, Port Gamble sewer system was not constructed to allow potable water to flow into the Ritter Lane Aquifer recharge area at that time. Also note from July 1999 to February 2002, the mean water level never dropped below 42.5 feet. Since April 2002 to September 2019, there have been drops as low as 19 feet below mean water table level for a total of approximately 65 times over a period of seventeen years.

To me, this indicates two concerns which are climate change along with the overuse of available water supply. In summary, you can clearly see this aquifer is running way below the mean system level for a period long enough to indicate we have a serious low water recharging issue going on right now due to the issues I mentioned earlier, climate change and overuse of the wellhead. Approximately ten days ago, channel five stated that in the news, there was a brief comment that average temperature in Washington state now has gone up 3.2 degrees for the entire state. That's the highest level they've ever recorded. And so this graph will actually show you just how serious it is when you get water levels that are down below the mean level for up to seventeen years.

That's consistently showing low water levels. And that's what I wanted to bring to your attention. So I appreciate your time.

Great. Thank you, mister Pearson. Dave,

can I ask you, can we forward this to the PUD to get their response?

Sure.

Thank you.

You bet.

Alright. That's all that I have signed up. Who do we have online? We got one more in the room here. Oh, one more in the room. Okay. Sir, come on up and identify yourself. I'll put you on the list here. This is for general issues. Correct?

I don't know about the general, but

Is it on agenda items? It is not. Okay.

This is regarding my name is Steven Blazina. I spoke with you a couple months ago. I was unable to get there in time for the meeting last month. Barely made it in here today, it looks like. I would like to speak to you about the issue of Kitsap rifle and revolver club.

As I mentioned two months ago, I have not seen any progress in the process of allowing the range to to reopen, if you will. We are looking forward, myself and my grandchildren, to that facility became available to the residents of Kitsap County. That's a wonderful facility. And as I stated before, they have not done anything wrong. This has been a very arduous project going with the county for over ten years, and a lot of the residents of Kitsap County are suffering from not being able to shoot at that range.

It's a wonderful facility. My grandkids enjoyed it when they were tiny, and now the older child is is 18 and still hasn't been able to shoot there. And they live relatively close. It's it's very, very unfortunate. I I really would like to hear some news about the progress of the range being back open for public shooting again.

I will continue to check-in. I check-in with the range on a on a monthly basis, and there's nothing going on. No word from DCD. I I'm really concerned. I I I really believe the county is doing not all they can to help us get that range operational again. Please help us open the range again. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Sir, real quick. Here, I'm gonna give you this. This is this is this is a response. Come on up here if you want. This is a response from DCD, 09/19/2025. It's a checklist of everything that we need to that that needs to be completed. So look that over, talk it over with your colleagues, and and, you know, we're we're we've bent over backwards trying to communicate to because we we I agree. I agree that we need a place safe place to to to shoot safely. But just for your information, there you go. And we we have another meeting today that we'll be discussing a little bit more this afternoon. So okay. Alright. Thank you. What was your last name again?

Lazina. Lazina. Alright. Thank you. Thank you.

Can I ask if anybody knows? Does the KRC have a board of directors, like an organized board, like a nonprofit would have?

Yes. Okay. Executive. It's it's an executive committee. Yes. There's five seven seven members of it.

Is it incorporated, like like a nonprofit would be, like, registered with the state? It's official board? Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah. No

good. Okay. Alright. Thank you. Okay.

I'll see if there's anyone online. Thank you. And no one is raising their hand.

Okay.

Commissioner's comments?

Commissioner Rolfes. Alright.

Thank you. I do have a couple of comments. I wanted to respond to Kim's comments made earlier and just say that we are wrestling and thing and thank you, Kim, for bringing those forward. The county commissioners are currently wrestling with next year's budget. It we have another projected deficit that's the same scale as it was last year, which is actually $4,000,000 in reductions.

Last year, we were grappling with 8,000,000, but this year it's 4. And we are talking about do we bring something to the voters to approve tax increase? Are there changes we can make amongst ourselves? And how do we close the $4,000,000 gap? The sheriff's budget isn't the only major part of the budget related to public safety and law enforcement.

We also have the public defense, the prosecutors, the court system. About 75% of the budget is all related to public safety and the system that keeps us safe and helps people. And so when we have to make reductions in spending to the scale that we're looking at, public safety is part of what we'll be looking at. But please know that we know that's important to folks. Similarly, the Parks Department is a high priority for people, and we don't want to keep draining the Parks Department of staffing either, because that's also a public safety issue, in the end.

So I just wanna I just want to address those, the comments and the concerns about the budget that were made to say we know and we're working on it. And, you know, federal government can print money probably to the detriment of all of us and our great grandchildren. The state government cannot. And the local governments are where the rubber hits the road, and we hope that communities will support either coming forward with volunteerism or helping us make necessary reductions and or helping us to raise more money so that we can continue programs that people think are important. But we're working on that, and I appreciate the involvement that a lot of folks in this audience have had.

Secondly, I wanted to take the opportunity to make the pitch for the litter in our county, on State Route 3, is horrible. The commissioners and public works are teaming up with the Department of Transportation, and we're doing our now annual Gorse cleanup in April. There is a new organization in North Kitsap that's formed that has sign active sign ups and people going out throughout the community on a regular basis to clean up garbage. I'm gonna be in your neighborhood, Dave, on March 15 working with a crew on State Route 104. But the state and the county both have really vibrant volunteer cleanup programs, and we there is very little money for to pay people for cleaning up.

So we really count on neighbors and property owners and community volunteers to pick things up. And this is the time of year that is ripe for cleaning up because nobody's been cleaning up all winter because it's been dark and rainy. So if there if people are interested in participating in that, you can form your own cleanup crew. You can adopt your own part of a county road, and you can adopt a state highway too. So there's a lot going on in that, and it's up to all of us.

It's we've been out engorced. It's very little of it is syringes, to be honest. Most of it is garbage, things that have flown out of people's cars and trucks or things that have been tossed or, honestly, of the haulers, the waste haulers leaking things blowing out of the tops of their trucks. So lots of garbage to pick up this time of year. Thank you.

And I'll add on to that is that we worked really hard last year and we're working hard this year on the Secure Your Load campaign, and that's to get a net over pickup trucks, major haulers to try to contain some of that in there. But also to talk to our neighbors and really kinda hold each other accountable and, you know, talk to help each other out. And, you know, a basic trash receptacle or a bag inside your vehicle when you roll down your windows, you know, the the the it it it seems to just find its way out the window, and then by that time, you're already halfway down the road. But that's something that campaign that really got a lot of traction last year. And I think if we keep that up, that'll really help with securing your load.

We even have a special fine or special fee when you get to the transfer station is that it's an extra fee. If you don't have your load secured, there's a $10.10 dollar fee, I believe. So if you wanna avoid that, that's probably a good good thing to do. But, yes, it was it was challenging, and we have some beautiful pictures of six foot, seven foot high piles of garbage just for one eight hour session of working on one side of the road. So if we could do that a couple times a year or volunteers could it'd be beautiful.

Yeah. I also wait. And can I say something else about this? Since deputy Walner is there staring at us, I do I do also want to acknowledge that people camping in the woods and along the highway do leave a lot of garbage in their wake, and that is something that taxpayer we pay hazardous waste specialists, professionals to come and clean that up. And so to Kim's point earlier, the more that we can do the heart program and move people along and help keep people from needing to live or wanting to live in our woods, the better off we are in terms of litter and garbage too.

Yeah. Absolutely. I just have a couple going back to the budget and looking at a couple a couple items to note. For the Kitsap County specifically, and really every county, every all 39 counties in the state of Washington are experiencing the same issues, just at different levels. A lot of this and unfortunately, a lot of this is coming from the state level.

A lot of unfunded mandates come down from the state down onto the counties, and then it forces us to have to make really hard decisions on our local populace, on our neighbors, on you and I. Right now, I mean, some of the most of the deficit that we have is because of things like the jail medical issue, which I think a lot of us have heard about. And if you don't know about it, it's you know, we provide jail medical coverage for people that are incarcerated. And that's to a detriment of of probably $6,800,000 a year, and that that is continuing to rise at a cyclic rate because we have one insurance carrier in the state of Washington. That's out of our hands.

We have no choice. We have to do that. It's almost I would I won't say twice as much, but it's it's if we do it ourselves, we're it's gonna be it'll be twice as much, if not more. So and so there's a bunch of other things that we're looking at trying to get the state to help us with funding. State has been helped us with our with our aggravated murder costs over the past five years, ten year five to seven years, which is a, you know, shout out to our state legislature and to our senators to really help us with that.

And the governor's office made sure that we got reimbursed for that for that trial, which was badly needed. But that's one out of ten cases that we've we were able to get some type of relief from. So we're working really hard with with with Washington State Washington Association of Counties. And they're we are all talking about the same thing to the state level trying to maybe slow this down a little bit. But that has a big contributing factor in our budget and decisions we have to make as a as a as a board count as a board of commissioners.

So I just wanted that to be kinda out there. I thank you for mentioning the derelict vessel, Caleb. That was that's a huge campaign, and we're still pushing really hard on that. It is a community effort. It is a regional effort. All of us that have shoreline really recognize that. And I personally testified to the state committee about this, and I think we're getting some good traction on it. And hopefully, after the session's over, we'll have we'll have some some good news, hopefully. That's about it, really. Yeah, please. Yeah,

on the derelict vessel, that's a what's that called? Ounce of prevention is pound a cure. Is that how you say it?

Ounce of paint.

I mean, cleaning those derelict vessels up is so much more expensive than just getting them out of the water when you realize they've been abandoned. And the legislature has some good proposals for helping us move faster on those before they become problems. I had one more thing I wanted to say. I'm on the board of trustees for Olympic College, and it's a big week for Olympic College right now because we are holding interviews for the new president this week, which there's a lot of community activities associated with that. I don't know if people listening are interested, but there are different events throughout the campuses all weeks for people to meet the candidates.

So exciting times, hopefully, we will have a new leader of that institution, that important institution in the next couple of weeks. And that is because Marty Cavaluzzi, the former president, retired last summer. And so the board has been in a recruitment process. And we had, I'm going to say, 60 qualified applicants, many of whom were from out of state, which I just think is a real testimony to the quality of life and the quality of our community that people are interested, so interested in working here in that role. We're all pretty hopeful.

Speaker: Good. Good. All right. All right. Okay. I think that's it, All right. Well, meeting adjourned. Thank you all.