Outside the Lines: Ferry Tales XIII

Failure To Communicate

Checked the GIFC information on linetime.org. A roundtable meeting was still scheduled for November 12. Having followed the GIFC calendar and realizing that this would be the first scheduled meeting since the GIFC walk out, I put it on my calendar. It would also be the first scheduled meeting since the GIFC met with the Skagit County Commissioners and submitted various letters and documents to establish guidelines and directives for future Roundtable meetings, public input, and the status and role of the GIFC.

I tried to contact the GIFC, through their website, to confirm time date and place. No response. I left messages on answering machines. No response. I called Public Works, about 10:00 am on Friday Nov. 12, and was told, yes, there was a meeting scheduled between Public Works and the GIFC that afternoon. The time had been changed from 2:00 pm. To 1:00 pm. I thought this was a little unusual and questioned the time change. I was assured the time was 1:00 pm.

I am armed with a slew of questions for the Roundtable since I knew that public input is taken during the first 15 minutes. This means I need to leave the island on the second 11:00 am. I do so.

I arrive @12:55pm for the 1:00 pm meeting. I’m told the meeting is in the Sauk room. No one is there. Sherry @ the front desk checks the schedule again. She phones Steve Flude’s office. Nothing! Chal Martin’s office - Zip. Could I wait until they check out the schedule? Of course, I’m here aren’t I? Finally, at about 1:15 pm, I’m told there is no meeting today and there is no Roundtable meeting scheduled.

I have questions about the construction schedule and the impact on the upcoming holidays. There is a bone of contention about frequent user ticket books not having the expiration date extended even though construction has been extended. I want to inquire about the parking lot status, and subsequent parking tickets issued by the city of Anacortes. {Could the city cut Guemeian’s some slack? We do spend time and money in that town. } I also wonder if the GIFC and Public Works realize that there is a petition with over 100 signatures regarding ferry issues relevant and otherwise.

This makes it obvious that GIFC does not update their own website, Public Works does not confirm and correct their schedule, answering machines can break down, people sign petitions without reliable information. {Because there is no information}

I have attended roundtable meetings regularly, before that I attended Task Force meetings with the goal of facilitating communication between all parties {ridership included}. I jumped through all the hoops, actively reached out with questions and concerns from Guemes full and part time Ferry users, only to get shot down at every turn. I’m open to any and all suggestions!

- MJ Andrak

[11.15.04]

[Mary Jo sent these comments to the Skagit County Commissioners, Public Works and the Guemes Island Ferry Committee. We will post their responses when she receives them.]

Glen Veal, GIFC

MJ,
I am forwarding you the resolution that was just approved by the County Commissioners last week. We had been waiting for this after our appearance before them several weeks ago requesting a 15 minute public comment period be adopted in the resolution. I had to call Flude yesterday to find out the status after waiting a couple of weeks for Chal Martin to put it on the consent agenda for the Commissioners.

I apologize for not answering your email earlier regarding the RT meeting. I assumed that your question was somewhat rhetorical under the circumstances. Only today did I read a copy of your email to Flude and realize that nothing had been done about previously posted meeting dates for the RT on our website or the County's. Again, I thought it was apparent that the RT meeting format had not been resolved after our walkout. While we were waiting for this Resolution, I figured everything was on hold and for these assumptions and my lack of response earlier, I apologize.

As far as further meetings of the RT, it will after the first of the year. That does not mean that we can't have dialogue with PW regarding the ferry service.

[11.16.04]

Steven T. Flude, P.E. Skagit County Public Works

Mary Jo,
Thanks for the message. I will do my best to answer your questions for you...There are no more RoundTable meetings scheduled for this year. The next meeting will occur sometime during the first quarter of 2005, depending upon schedules of GIFC members and Public Works staff.

There is information on our website regarding the sailing schedule through November [Posted November 15, the same day as MJ's email.]. This information is also available, I believe, on the Linetime website.

I am aware that there has been some discussion about providing some relief with respect to the expiration dates on the ticket booklets. And, I understand that there may be some past history of doing something similar during past haulouts. We have this issue under consideration. I expect a policy decision in the future.

We are in the process of preparing a newsletter/press release regarding the parking lot. This will give a detailed project update as well as proposed schedule for its grand opening.

I am not aware of the petition.

[11.16.04]

[Marilee Fosbre and Steve Orsini of the Ferry Committee have also responded.]