Outside the Lines: Ferry Tales XXIIII

The End Is Near

2005 is coming to an end and so is the Guemes Island Ferry as we know it. We endured unprecedented long lines, frequent ferry outages, unnecessary fences, new ticketing procedures, ferry outages, adjusted hours for school children, ferry outages, and loss of frequent user discounts. Gone is the honor system. In is the ferry cabin intercom system. {BTW has it ever been used?} Gone is the three-person crew. In is the four-person crew. Gone is the balanced budget. In is the million dollar annual deficit.

It appears that as soon as the Inland Boatmen’s Union settles on a contract we’ll have extended weekday ferry hours as well. The IBU has worked for three years without a contract. What message does that send about management?

Our elected Skagit County Commissioners have snubbed the Guemes Island Ferry Committee. They have never acknowledged any of the countless letters from their Guemes Island constituency. The BOCC has ignored petitions and letters signed by more than 400 Guemes ferry users on matters of scheduling, parking, and fare increases. A public hearing about extended hours was an empty promise.

The Commissioners’ policy on the Guemes ferry is also headstrong and costly to the county. After two decades of operating the ferry on a break-even budget, the County is now losing over a million dollars a year. This is not a transient event; it’s a changed policy. Hmm…a million dollar annual loss can be remedied by extended hours?? Not in my book. Of course I’m not an engineer, but I did teach math. Perhaps Chal Martin uses a heretofore unrecognized mathematical formulary.

Guemians are gearing up for a battle. Friends of Guemes Island has slid into the spot vacated by the Environmental Trust. Gerald Steel, noted land use attorney, is representing Guemes this time. FGI’s request to await the sub area planning process is not unreasonable. Don Munks is quoted in the Evening Star as saying, ”I don’t think there is going to be the impact that people think feel is going to happen.” Evidently he did not read the1977 quote from Skagit County Planning saying “changes in ferry sizing will not have a significant effect on population, housing and land use. Ferry scheduling, however, will.”

The new year may bring conflict and hopefully solutions. What happens will affect our island home for years to come. I’m not giving up without a fight. How about you?

- MJ Andrak

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