My name is Victor Garcia , I’m a math and science teacher with the Anacortes school district. You’ve doubtless seen me and my bicycle on the ferry. My wife and I are raising our two children on Guemes Island. I want to serve on this committee to improve ferry service and keep down extraneous costs. Jim O’Neil is an extremely even handed and well educated man. The major difference that I see between us is on the issue of weekday service extensions. I feel that those who would change the hours do deserve a voice but only in proportion to their numbers.

Unfortunately, in cases where there is no compromise possible, for example the recent presidential election, we all have to accept the will of democracy. My solution would be to put a procedure in place whereby if those who want hours extension become the majority, change would come. Despite my strong anti-extension feelings, I feel that we have to trust the process , both now and in the future.

I am currently a member of GIPAC, the group that is working on a subarea plan for the island. I spearheaded the roofing of the Murray Reed Pavillion. Our family has restarted a 4 H club on the island.

I would stand for four things:

The need for a democratic policy to decide on contentious issues such as hours of operation.

The need for the ferry to be managed as cost efficiently as possible.

The need for the ferry to serve the users as well as possible without unduly increasing costs and other negative impacts.

The need for the people of Guemes to take a greater role in ferry planning and the financing of improvements to service. This could be in the form of a ferry district.

I strongly support developing protocols for democratically addressing issues upon which there are diametrically opposed views. As much as many island residents don’t want change, we have to be responsive to changes in the population of Guemes.

Even if an issue didn’t go “my way”, if the majority of islanders wish it, so be it.

It would allow people to commute further and enjoy activities after 6:00 on those 4 days that the ferry doesn’t currently run. I see no other benefits.

Alternatives exist. Lately, my wife and children have used the water taxi service and found it a cost-effective alternative to hotel, but I can see safety concerns or difficulties for the elderly with beach landings. I visualize a pair of floats with a ramp that could be used as a public/walk-on dock that would address these safety issues, make transport safer during the ferry shipyard times and also make it safer for residents to self -transport in the calmer summer months.

Look across the channel to the neighboring islands such as Orcas. My wife’s family lives on Orcas and I hear constant tales of elderly and “old islanders” being consumed by taxes on their ever-increasing land values. Olga residents have been compelled to swap their wells for a more expensive water system, mandated by the increasing population, with obligatory financial drain on those in the scope of the water district.

Large increases in population would require us to consider many services such as a full- time fire department, water systems, public safety and the accompanying expenses. I suspect that we would either have to incorporate or be annexed to Anacortes to cover the costs of significant growth. I do not wish this upon our island. Those who think this is “doom saying” only have to look at Orcas to see it happening where the ferry ride is longer and the runs less often, i.e., an island that is even less accessible.

Are you in favor of expanding the ferry's hours of week night
operation?

For car service after 6:00 pm on weeknights, no. Recently, I have been on many 6:00 runs that didn’t double. I do not see additional late runs paying for themselves. I feel that the late run surcharge in the alternative proposal (seen recently on Linetime) would not be legally defensible for a scheduled run.

In addition, hours extension will bring unanticipated costs as part-time crew members become full-time crew. Increased benefits and the additional costs associated with their change in status will increase operational costs out of proportion with the increased operational hours.

I feel that passenger only extensions would be less expensive and would have less negative effects than auto trips.

The idea of a “trial period” for late ferries is as absurd as “trial sex”, once something is lost, it’s awfully hard to reclaim it. The only way to respect the rights of all islanders is to push for a protocol requiring a majority vote of the island’s registered voters for any and all schedule extensions. As people move to the island, the overall will for extension may become the majority voice.

I am skeptical that the 3 runs per hour will work as planned. A larger ferry carrying 30 cars per run might be more workable than 3 runs with 20 cars at reducing the backlog of autos.

One way of increasing accessibility to the island might be in adding a float and ramp parallel to the ferry slip on each side. This would clear up safety issues involved in using transports other than the Guemes. An earlier weekday run might truly benefit island residents as the 6:30 am run has been leaving cars behind at least three mornings out of five lately. Perhaps a passenger only runs on a contracted vessel at 6:00 am and 8:00 pm would provide a more cost effective way to address those needs.

In what ways would you improve communication between the Ferry
Committee and Guemes Islanders?

How do you see improving the role of the Ferry Committee as intermediary and advocate for ferry ridership?

How do you see the Ferry Committee helping islanders understand the
complexities of issues and assess impacts of policy decisions?

Let’s face it, this ferry is not as big a priority for the county at large as for Guemes residents. How is the ferry less important than the cemetery or volunteer fire department? Isn’t it time for a ferry district? We need more say in ferry operations than those in other areas of the county. We need to take more responsibility for the operating costs of the runs so that Ted Anderson and the other citizens of other districts have less stake in the operations of the ferry.

I appreciate the impact of the internet and Linetime in getting the information out. Perhaps we could also film the meetings and get them broadcast on public access TV.

A post office box and website for citizen input for discussion during each meeting would serve, along with a scheduling a portion of each meeting for same. I also feel that the election of committee members by ballot will improve the “fit” of the committee to the population of the island; this is more democratic than just the vote of those who came to the hall on a given meeting day. How do you see the Ferry Committee helping islanders understand the complexities of issues and assess impacts of policy decisions?

These issues and the compromises that come out of committee processes are indeed complex. As mentioned above, publishing minutes on the internet, putting the meetings on public access TV and holding regular meetings would all help. Additionally, Ferry Committee members are available at large to the community .

Walking on is an obvious way to extend the usefulness of the current ferry, making way for more vehicles to cross. We need to:
Fix the parking shortage on both sides, including the proactive purchase of properties on both sides. (When it’s necessary, it’s already too late.)

Make a useable drop-off lane on the Anacortes side with a turn around. After the loss of parking spots over there, the walk is getting too far for the elderly or those with small children or groceries.

Rearrange the ramps and vessel so that pedestrian traffic isn’t crossing traffic lanes. The current system puts walk-ons at risk and slows loading operations. Also, currently a person in a wheel chair cannot get out of the weather if they roll on.

Increase management efficiency to hold operational costs down. Use savings to reduce walk on fares. I’m in favor of a yearly commuter pass that would have a picture of the walk-on user and wouldn’t require punches or little tickets.

I walk (or bike) on almost daily. The beauty of it is that I get on any run of the ferry I can make it to.

Stimulate progress, not promises on developing all weather parking on both sides.

Make walking on more attractive to extend the life of this vessel.
Automate the ticketing system to eliminate the fourth crew member, decreasing costs and increasing the speed of through-put.

Improve ferry management to contain costs.

Let’s face it, this ferry is not as big a priority for the county at large as for Guemes Residents. How is the ferry less important than the cemetery or volunteer fire department? Isn’t it time for a ferry district? We need more say in ferry operations than those in other areas of the county. We need to take more responsibility for the operating costs of the runs so that Ted Anderson and the other citizens of other districts have less stake in the operations of the ferry.

This is a topic that has me greatly enthused! As I read the county’s plan for the parking lot, it seemed like another case of people in Mt. Vernon telling us what we needed. The idea that the reader board was a “need” seemed universally absurd to all of the islanders that I talked to.

The idea that there were alternatives to their proposed McShelter, Stalag 17 lighting ,and gray box of a parking lot, haunted me.

After going to the presentation at the hall by Mark from the Urban Repair Project from Portland, I felt empowered by the idea that communities should shape their public spaces since they are the ones who use it. The ferry arrival area is the first impression for visitors to the island and as our recent outage has shown, the bottle neck that puts us all in proximity as we head off to the other side. As it stands, it is neither inviting nor pedestrian friendly.
This could be the gem of the community. I envision getting local artists, designers, builders and landscapers to create an alternative design to the county’s plan, one that incorporates art and beauty with function, one that invites people out of their stuffy cars on summer days, one that gives people a place to wait for their loved ones arriving on the next boat in the drizzle, one that speaks to the unique character of our island. I want possibility, not just utility.

With local expertise and the island spirit of volunteerism, I think we can have more for the budget the county wants to spend on these lots. Elected or not, I will be determined to work on this project.