Frequently Asked Questions

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If you have purchased a Washington state-titled vehicle or received one as a gift, you are required to transfer the title within 15 days. After 15 days, a monetary penalty will be assessed. You need to take the following documents to your local license agency: the current title with the signatures of the previous owners releasing interest; a bill of sale stating the full purchase price or statement of a gift signed by the previous owner, and a completed odometer disclosure statement if the vehicle is less than 10 years old. If this is a gift, you will also need to provide proof of sales tax paid by the previous owner.

The cost to transfer a title is $42 plus 9.0% use tax, if applicable. Use tax is not charged on gift transactions if the sale / use tax has already been paid by the donor.

If you are a new resident to Washington state or purchased a vehicle from another state, you must present the following documents to a license agency in order to obtain Washington plates, registration and title: the out-of-state title in your name or properly released by the previous owner (if you are still making payments on the vehicle and a legal owner is holding the title, you will need a photocopy or faxed copy of your title), a bill of sale stating the full purchase price signed by the previous owner if the title is not in your name and a completed odometer statement if the vehicle is less than 10 years old. You will also need to have a Washington state driver's license unless you fit the exempt criteria.

Building Permit Applications are accepted until 2 pm.

You can apply via U.S. Mail or in person at the Planning Department front counter in the Coupeville office or at the Camano Annex.

Along with the Completed Application, the following shall be provided:

1. Approved Access Permit
   Issued by Public Works 360-679-7331 approving the driveway onto a County road, OR Department of Transportation 360-757-5964 or 360-848-7230. When it is the first access onto the HWY.
2. Map
   An Aerial photo, or plot plan showing the accurate lot configuration. On this map indicate the Approved Access Point/Driveway and any applicable easements.
3. Fee
   $67.98 (made payable to Island County Planning)
4. Building and/or Septic Permit numbers

A Washington State Licensed Contractor is required. And yes, you are able to do the work yourself, however an Owner / Contractor Form must be signed by the Owner and submitted with the Building Permit Application.

Code enforcement enforces regulations within the Island County Code, through a complaint-generated system. To include:

• Lighting
• Building without permits
• Camping
• Critical areas violations
• Junk vehicles

Yes, please see the complaint form.

Island County conducts code enforcement through a complaint-generated system only.

To request an investigation please fill out the electronic form. When you hit submit, our code enforcement officers will automatically be notified.

Complaint Investigation Request Form

Please note: Planning Community Development will only accept complaints through the above form. Verbal complaints will not be investigated until the form is completed.

Mediation can be a good alternative when conflicts with neighbors arise over code violations.

What is mediation? Mediation is a voluntary process in which people in dispute meet with a neutral third party who guides them through a structured and confidential negotiation.

Volunteers of America provides free low-cost mediation services and training to Island County Residents. Contact them for more information at 800-280-4770.

Your assessed value is the County Assessor’s estimate of the market value of your property as of January 1st of the assessment year. 

This value is used to calculate your share of local property taxes for the following year.

• Homeowners Guide to mass appraisal (pdf)

Each year, our office reviews real estate market activity, permits, and physical changes to properties. Your assessed value may change because:

• Real estate prices in your area went up or down
• New construction or remodeling was completed
• Land improvements like wells, driveways, or septic were added
• Corrections were made to property data (like square footage or condition)

We use verified sales of similar properties in your neighborhood to estimate fair market value. These are called “arms-length sales”, meaning both buyer and seller were willing, informed, and not under pressure.

• Sales Search

You can help by returning the sales verification form we mail after a property is sold! 

You can ALSO scan the QR code below or click the link: sales validation questionnaire to complete the survey. Your input will assist us in making a fair and informed assessment.

No. The Assessor determines value—not the tax rate. Your property taxes are set by:

• Voter-approved levies and bonds
• Local taxing districts (schools, fire, hospital, etc.)
• State law limitations on total levy rates

Your taxes may go up or down depending on:

• Your property’s value relative to others
• Changes in levy rates or new voter-approved measures

Washington State Department of Revenue: Understanding property tax

You have the right to appeal your value, not your taxes.

First, contact our office. We’re happy to review your property record and explain your valuation.

If you still disagree, you can file a formal appeal with the Island County Board of Equalization. Appeals must be filed by July 1 or within 30 days of your value notice, whichever is later

• More information from the Assessor's Office on appealing an assessed valuation
• The only way to appeal an assessor’s valuation of your property is by timely filing a complete appeal petition with the Island County Board of Equalization.

The United States Constitution and the Washington State Constitution guarantee the right to trial by jury.  Failure to attend as directed may subject you to penalties provided by law.  All Island County residents who are registered voters or licensed drivers are obligated by state law to serve as a juror unless they:

• Are not a United States citizen;
• Are under 18 years of age;
• Are unable to communicate in the English language;
• Have been convicted of a felony and their rights have not been restored.  (See RCW 29A.08.520 to check if you meet restoration requirements.)

No.  The State of Washington does not exclude any citizen over the age of 18 from consideration based on age.

Your name has been randomly selected by computer to serve as a juror in Island County.  Potential jurors are selected from a combined source list from the state of Washington in the Department of Licensing drivers' and identification card holders' list and voter registration.  

Summonses are issued randomly and based on your information with two separate sources.  If you have a state issued ID/driver's license under one name and your voter registration has a different name or spelling, your name may appear on the list twice.  Additionally, Island County has two courts – Superior Court in Coupeville and District Court in Oak Harbor – that issue summonses.  This may also increase your chances of receiving a summons.  Please note if you have previously been granted a deferment and receive a new summons a few months later, this is still related to your original summons.  You did not get summonsed a second time.  

Example:

You received a summons in January for jury duty in April.  You requested and were granted a four month deferment with a new report date in August.  In May you receive a summons for jury duty in August.  This is still the same summons.

That is because you either have or had a Washington State issued drivers' license or identification card.  Holding either places you on a list of potential jurors for the county of your registered address. 

There are two main reasons why a potential juror can be completely excused from jury service – medical and financial. Additional documentation is required for excusals along with your completed summons. 

Medical exemption – All requests for exemption due to medical, psychiatric, or sensory limitations must be submitted by a written doctor's note clearly stating how your medical condition prohibits you from serving jury duty.  This note does not need to include personal medical information.  You may have your doctor's office fax the note directly to the Jury Manager at: 360-679-7383.  Please make sure the note includes your full name.

Financial hardship – Requests for exemption based on financial hardships must have a letter from the employer on company letterhead regarding their jury duty pay policy.  Additionally, you must also submit a letter stating the financial hardship that would be placed on you.  You do not need to divulge financial information.

Self-employed – Exemption requests based on self-employment must provide documentation of your business, such as a copy of your business license, along with a letter stating the financial hardship that would be placed on you.  Please note self-employed persons are not automatically excluded from service as there are no exemptions based on occupation or profession, per se.

Previous juror – If you previously served as a seated juror on a trial within the last 12 months you may be excused.  Please be sure to indicate the date, which court and, if possible, the name of the case.

Previously scheduled events/appointments – If you have a previously scheduled conflict with the entire duration of your term, you can request a deferment.  Please be sure to provide a new availability date sometime within 4 months from your current summons date.

                Any request for an exemption must be accompanied by a completed summons. 

If you request an exemption or deferment and do not receive a letter or phone call from the Jury Manager, your request has been granted.

Per RCW 2.36.170, "A person summoned for jury service who intentionally fails to appear as directed shall by guilty of a misdemeanor."  Possible sanctions include the imposition of fines, community service, and/or confinement. Please respond to your summons.

Please call or email the Jury Manager regarding this conflict. 

During your time as a juror you will be sitting, standing, coming and going quite frequently.  If you are chosen to be a seated juror, the judge will, at a minimum, take a break after an hour and a half of court time.  Seated jurors are also allowed to stand as needed during the trial. 

Members of the armed forces are not exempt from jury duty simply based on their active status.  If there is a conflict with detachment or deployment dates, a deferment may be requested.  Please contact the Jury Manager with any questions.

Yes.  Unfortunately, the geographical makeup of Island County means some residents will have a lengthy commute.  However, please keep in mind that all jurors called to report for jury duty are paid $10.00 per day and receive mileage reimbursement for travel between their residence and the courthouse.  This is paid at the current state-wide accepted mileage rate.  Ferry fares are not reimbursed.

If you do not wish to mail back your summons, there are two additional ways to respond.  First, you can return your paper summons in person to Court Administration at the Law & Justice building in Coupeville.  Second, you can respond online via eResponse.  Be sure to have your Candidate ID ready as you'll need this number to login. 

Located on your Juror Badge, or Part B of the summons, just below the barcode.  When responding to your summons on eResponse you do not need to include all the zeros.   

This is located on your Juror Badge, or Part B of the summons, where it says "Report To."  Please keep in mind that you will not be reporting unless your Group Number is selected.  Call the corresponding 1-800 Juror Information Line to hear if you've been selected.  Additionally, please note that court assignment cannot be changed.  If you are granted a deferment, you will be deferred to another date for that assigned court.

Check your Juror Badge for your Term of Service.  A one week term requires calling the 1-800 number for your assigned court the night prior to your report date.  A two week term requires calling the 1-800 number for your assigned court twice – the night prior to your report date and the following week. 

Example:  Two week Superior Court term

                Week 1: Call Monday night to see if you are needed for Tuesday.

                Week 2: Call Monday night to see if you are needed for Tuesday.

If you are not selected to report for a trial during this time, your jury service is complete.

At the beginning of the juror selection process the judge or the attorneys trying the case will inform you of the estimated length of trial.  This process typically lasts half a day or more in Superior Court, less than that in District Court.  If you are not chosen to be a seated juror, you will be dismissed after this process.  If you become a seated juror, your service obligation is now the duration of the trial. 

No.  Civil cases, such as contract claims, personal injury claims, and landlord/tenant disputes can also be tried before a jury and may not have any connection with Law Enforcement.  If you feel there is a conflict of interest or bias on the case you are selected to serve on, you may bring this up with the judge or the attorneys during the voir dire process (juror questioning).  The Jury Manager cannot excuse you as a potential juror because of what you do for a living, your family makeup, or events in your past. 

No.  Please make the appropriate arrangements for childcare prior to reporting for jury duty. 

There is no penalty for submitting your summons after the ten day window.  However, please call the Jury Manager if your summons date is within two weeks. 

Acceptable court attire is business casual/casual dress.  Jeans are allowed, but please no rips or tears.  Shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops are not appropriate in the Court.  Additionally, please avoid clothing with logos, graphics, or slogans on them.  Hats are not allowed in the courtroom unless worn for religious or medical purposes.  

Unfortunately, this does happen, but don't worry, you're not in trouble!  Just give the Jury Manager a call to have a new summons mailed to you.  Depending on your report date, you may have time to return your paper summons, or you may need to reply online via eResponse.

We cannot provide forms or notarize signatures as this constitutes "legal advice," The auditor and staff are prohibited by statute from providing legal advice. Documents must be presented for recording as they are intended for public record.

Original birth and death records after 1907 are maintained by the Regional Health District, Vital Statistics Office at 360-678-7351. There are only a few original records beginning with 1891 through 1907 available in the recording department.

Please contact the Clerks Office at 360-679-7359, option 6, for information regarding these items.

Wills can be recorded for public record, but it is not advised. To probate a will, contact the Clerks Office at 360-679-7359, option 6.

The recording office records Real Estate documents, liens, military discharges, maps and surveys. Copies of these documents are available for a fee. We also issue marriage licenses and county business licenses. For information regarding city business licenses, contact the city in which your business will be located. For state business licenses, call 360-664-1400.

On your enrollment form you can choose whether to pay your taxes in two installments or at once for the full year. If you chose two installments, your account will be debited on April 25 and Oct. 25 of the current year. If those dates fall on a weekend or holiday, payment will be withdrawn the next business day. If you choose to pay for the full year, your account will be debited on April 25 for your entire current year tax amount.

Island County has an email bulletin service that can send you a reminder that your tax payment withdrawal is imminent. The email will be sent approximately one week prior to the withdrawal. 

Start the AutoPay enrollment process by providing your email address and clicking "Submit."  When the list of county topics appears, scroll to "Treasurer," which is located in alphabetical order at the bottom of the list.  Under "Treasurer," select "AutoPay Property Tax Withdrawal Reminder." You must sign up for this service to receive the reminder. No other notification will be sent.

Complete a new enrollment form with the updated information.

Complete a new enrollment form with the updated information. This must be done by April 10 or Oct. 10. After those dates, no changes to banking information can be accepted. See link for more information.

Complete a Cancel Request Form and send it to the Treasurer’s office. 

If your financial institution does not honor the payment, your property tax account will accrue a $40 service fee as well as any penalty and interest that may accrue per state statute. In addition, your AutoPay agreement will be canceled.

To meet the next payment date, enrollments form must be in our office no later than March 15 for the first half payment and Sept. 15  for the second half payment.

No. the taxpayer is responsible for having all property taxes current when applying for Autopay enrollment, including prior period delinquencies. Applications submitted for accounts with delinquent balances due to missed payments will be held until payment is made in full.

For already-enrolled accounts, if balances arise between AutoPay withdrawal dates due to tax roll adjustments (e.g., for a removed exemption), they should be paid as billed according to the due date on the corrected tax statement to avoid accrued late charges that may occur by waiting for the AutoPay withdrawal date. If the billed due date falls after the AutoPay withdrawal date, the balance should be paid as billed according to the due date, because only taxes due April 30 and/or Oct. 31 will be withdrawn for AutoPay enrollments. 

The taxpayer is responsible for routinely checking their own property tax account(s) for discrepancies.

Drug Court is for people charged with non-violent felonies whose drug addiction or dependency was a factor in the commission of their crimes. Participants must admit to the truth of all the evidence against them, in exchange for a two-year pre-trial treatment program. The treatment includes many restrictions on participants' daily activities, certified drug treatment and weekly drug testing, and close monitoring by a Drug Court judge. 

A successful participant could get the charges against him or her dismissed at the conclusion of the program. 

Failure to meet the program goals will result in termination, and automatic conviction and sentence to jail on the original charges.

Drug Court participants must comply with numerous restrictions, as well as actively make progress in treating their addictions. At a minimum, participants must attend Drug Court every other week, they must obtain treatment according to a treatment plan prepared by a certified drug dependency treatment provider. Drug Court participants must participate in self-help groups, like Narcotics Anonymous. Drug Court participants must take random drug tests at least once a week. Participants, of course, must remain clean and sober, avoid contact with known drug users, and obey all laws. For all terms and conditions, review the Drug Court Procedures Manual, and the forms on our drug court page. 

When a defendant asks to be considered for Drug Court, the prosecutor does initial screening for prospective participants. If the prosecutor determines the defendant is eligible for Drug Court, the entire Drug Court team will evaluate the defendant. 

The Drug Court team consists of the Drug Court Judge, Drug Court Prosecutor and Defense Attorney, and the Drug Court coordinator. 

Minimum term for Adult Drug Court is two years. Minimum term for Juvenile Drug Court is one year. Depending on a person's progress, the term could be extended.

There is a $500 administrative fee that all participants must pay in Adult Drug Court. There is no fee for Juvenile Drug Court.  In addition, Drug Court participants must pay full restitution to the victim of the crime with which they are charged. 

There is a state-supported fund called the Criminal Justice Drug Treatment Account that will help pay for treatment costs, even if the participant needs to have in-patient treatment.It may cover all costs of treatment. A participant's private insurance may also cover treatment costs. 

No.

Studies by the Washington State Institute (WSIPP) for Public Policy show that Drug Court is cost effective, when compared to prison and other alternative programs. Drug Court graduates are less likely to commit new crimes, saving all of us money. There are links to the WSIPP studies on the Drug Court main page. 

Island County expanded its part-time Juvenile Drug Court coordinator from half-time to full-time to manage Adult Drug Court. Prosecutors, judges, clerks, and other all have agreed to participate without adding to existing staffing. 

You can contact the Island County Drug Court Coordinator at 360-679-7325.  Or, contact the deputy prosecutor who is responsible for prosecuting the pending criminal case at 360-679-7363. 

Contact the Island County Treasurer's Office. This may have occurred for any of the following reasons:

• We do not have your current mailing address
• Your statement may be on hold due to a pending tax adjustment that needs to be completed prior to mailing the tax statement
• Your statement was lost in the mail

Failure to receive a tax statement does not relieve you of the responsibility to make your tax payments by the due date and is not grounds for waiver of interest and penalties that accrue to delinquent accounts. Contact the Treasurer's Office for replacement statement(s) or to request tax amounts due.

You may do one of the following:

• Forward the statement to the purchaser
• Return the statement to the Treasurer's or Assessor's office with a notation of the purchaser's name and address, if you know it. The name and address will be corrected and statement re-mailed.

Request a new statement here or call the Treasurer's Office at 1-360-679-7302, ext. 1.

To change your mailing address, physical address or name, do the following:

• Contact the Treasurer's office for an address change by email or use the Request for Address Change form in English, Spanish or Tagalog and mail to us.
• Submit any mailing address change in writing to the Treasurer's office.
• Contact the Assessor's Office to request a name change. This must be accompanied by supporting legal documentation. Any name change will not affect your recorded deed.
• Contact the Assessor's Office to request a correction in the physical address of the property. The Auditor may need to get confirmation from the Planning Department or make a site visit to your property.

If you have paid off your mortgage you will continue to receive an annual tax statement mailed to you by the Treasurer's Office. Make sure we have a correct mailing address associated with your account. Neither your mortgage lender nor the Auditor's Office will notify us of any changes.

Yes.

With complete information on the application, usually a few weeks.

The Prosecuting Attorney's Office investigates and prepares a report, the Department of Labor & Industries will then determine if a “criminal act” has been committed. If so, you may be eligible for benefits, even if the police or prosecutor does not file charges in court.

Not usually. If there is a trial you may be subpoenaed to testify and would have to appear. Most hearings the victim is not required to appear. However, hearings are open to the public and victims are welcome to come if they would like.

There are a few options available to you. First, the Victim-Witness Coordinator is always available to accompany you to any hearings. Second, if you don’t feel comfortable being in the same area as the defendant or their family, the Victim-Witness Coordinator can attend the hearing in your place and report the outcome to you afterward.

Yes. Although the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office represents the State of Washington and not the victim, it’s common for the prosecutor to ask for a victim’s opinion regarding what they would like to see happen in a case. However, the decision is ultimately up to the prosecutor.

The Victim-Witness Coordinator is always available to answer any of your questions or explain processes you may not understand. They are in that position to support you. You may reach the Victim-Witness Coordinator by calling 360-678-7949.

The federal Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA) of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), commonly known as the 2000 Stafford Act amendments, was approved by Congress on October 10, 2000. This act required state and local governments to develop hazard mitigation plans as a condition for federal grant assistance. Among other things, this legislation reinforces the importance of pre-disaster infrastructure mitigation planning to reduce disaster losses nationwide. DMA 2000 is aimed primarily at the control and streamlining of the administration of federal disaster relief and programs to promote mitigation activities. Prior to 2000, federal legislation provided funding for disaster relief, recovery, and some hazard mitigation planning. The DMA improves upon the planning process by emphasizing the importance of communities planning for disasters before they occur.

A Local Hazard mitigation Plan is prepared by local governments in response to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390). Local governments as defined by the Disaster Mitigation Act include special purpose districts such as fire, hospital, water, sewer and school districts. These plans act as a keyway to federal funding afforded under the Robert T. Stafford Act. These plans meet statutory requirements that include:

-- Organizing resources -- Assessing Risk -- Engaging the public -- Identifying Goals and Objectives -- Identifying actions -- Developing plan maintenance and implementation strategies

The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 has defined a “local government” as:

Any county, municipality, city, town, public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government; any Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or Alaska Native village or organization; and any rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.

Any local government wishing to pursue funding afforded under FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs must have an approved hazard mitigation plan in order to be eligible to apply for these funds.

Hazard mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to permanently eliminate or reduce long-term risks to human life and property from natural hazards. Sustained action means an action that is long term in its impact. This is an essential component of emergency management, along with preparedness, protection, response and recovery. Disasters can have significant impacts on communities. They can destroy or damage life, property infrastructure, local economies, and the environment.

At a minimum, the plan must address the natural hazards of concern that could impact the County planning area.  It may also include a select number of technological or human caused hazards. It should also be noted that there are many secondary hazards that are directly attributable to these primary hazards that will also be addressed by the plan as part of the analysis of the primary hazard of concern.

Yes. While climate change will not be viewed as a stand alone hazard in this plan, there will be detailed discussions of the potential impact of climate change on those applicable hazards of concern.

Yes. The State of Washington is also required to respond to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 by developing a plan. In fact, if the state does not have a plan, no local governments within the state are eligible for any of the grant programs normally available as a result of developing a HMP. By law, the local plans are to be consistent with the recommendations of the state plan. The State of Washington actually has an Enhanced Plan, which means that we receive increased funding amounts after a disaster. 

As a citizen within a participating jurisdiction, you will be able to reap the benefits of the risk reduction actions identified by your local government. Sometimes these can be a direct impact to your property in the form of reduced insurance premiums and reduced risk if you live in a high hazard area. Most of the time, these benefits are secondary. By reducing risk exposure, your local government does not have to expend as many resources on preparedness, response or recovery from the impacts of natural hazards.

By participating in this planning effort and adopting the updated plan, your community will be eligible to pursue funding under any of the five (5) FEMA hazard mitigation grant programs. These programs provide millions of dollars worth of grant funding annually for risk reduction measures identified in these plans. It should be noted that not all eligible local governments within the Island County planning area may wish to participate in this planning effort. You are encouraged to contact your community officials to determine your community’s eligibility under these programs. Additionally, if your community participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program, this plan may have direct impact on reducing the cost of flood insurance within your community. 

The National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS: 1. Reduce flood losses; 2. Facilitate accurate insurance rating, and 3. Promote the awareness of flood insurance. For CRS participating communities, flood insurance premium rates are discounted in increments of 5%; i.e., a Class 1 community would receive a 45% premium discount, while a Class 9 community would receive a 5% discount (a Class 10 is not participating in the CRS and receives no discount). The CRS classes for local communities are based on 18 creditable activities, organized under four categories: 1. Public Information; 2. Mapping and Regulations; 3. Flood Damage Reduction, and

4. Flood Preparedness.

If your community is not covered by a local hazard mitigation plan, they have two options: 

• Option #1- They can link to the Island County Multi- Hazard Mitigation Plan by following the “linkage” procedures included in the plan once complete. It should be noted that this linkage will have to occur once this initial plan update process is completed.
• Option #2- Prepare a single jurisdiction plan that meets the Code of Federal Regulation requirements for that jurisdiction.

The law specifies that this be an “open public process” where the public is given the opportunity to provide comment on all phases of the plan’s development. The reason that this is important is that it is the average citizen that is most severely impacted by the impacts of natural hazards. When these events occur, homes are damaged, functionality of critical facilities is interrupted, services are interrupted, and the economy is impacted; all having a direct impact on the citizen. The principal goal of this plan is to reduce risk. The large majority of the risk exposure within the County is privately held property. It is not possible to identify and implement risk reduction strategies without the support of the property owners targeted by these strategies. Therefore, there must be public support for these initiatives in order for there to be any successful implementation of the recommendations of this plan. 

Participate! When you see a notice for a public meeting, make an attempt to attend at least one meeting. When you see an article in the paper about this plan, read it. If you get mailed a questionnaire, please complete it. Review the website periodically to obtain an update on the process. And most importantly, spread the word. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors about this process. This plan is very important to the health and welfare of the citizens of Island County. If you don’t understand something, or want to provide input, contact Island County Emergency Management for more information.

Seventy five percent of the cost associated with the preparation of this plan is being provided by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Planning grant. The remaining 25% of the cost is an “in-kind” contribution from the planning team and the planning partners this plan will cover. “In-kind” contribution means non-monetary contributions such as: staff time, facilities, printing cost, etc.

By law, this planning effort must map the extent and location of all hazards of concern utilizing the best available data and science. This planning effort has identified various natural hazards that have the potential to impact the planning area. These maps are currently being produced and/or updated as part of this planning process. As these maps become available, they will be presented to the public via various mediums, including the County’s website.

As public meeting dates are established they will be advertised to the public by posting to the Hazard Mitigation Plan website (under the Hazard Mitigation Tab). The County may also elect to disseminate a press release to all media outlets discussing public meeting purposes and dates. Additionally, each planning partner will be asked to get the word out on meetings utilizing whatever means they have available within their jurisdiction.

It is anticipated that this plan update process will take 12 to 18 months to complete, at which time it will be submitted to Washington State Emergency Management Division and FEMA for their review and approval. This schedule is contingent upon many factors that can impact schedule and timeline. The timeline for submittal will be continuously updated throughout the process as planning milestones are completed.  Once the first draft is completed, it will be available for public review and comment prior to the plan being finalized and submitted to FEMA.

Once the draft plan is assembled and is considered to be ready for public review and comment, it will be posted to the Hazard Mitigation Plan website. Once it reaches this point, the County may issue a press release advising citizens that the plan is ready for review and comment. 

Eric Brooks, Deputy Emergency Management Director Island County Department of Emergency Management

360-240-5572 

or

Beverly O’Dea, Plan Consultant Bridgeview Consulting, LLC/Tetra Tech, Inc.

253-301-1330 

The first step is to try to figure out where the water is coming from. Runoff due to the slope of your property, downspouts and water across driveways can often be mitigated by Low Impact Development (LID) Methods. There are many resources available to help resolve drainage issues on your property. 

Here are a few:

Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington

• Great resource for design, maintenance and installation of rain gardens
• Download the Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington here.

Whidbey Island Conservation District

• Available to consult about whether the drainage issue can be resolved by conveyance or infiltration methods
• May provide free design assistance for drainage solutions

• Visit the Whidbey Island Conservation District website or call 360-678-4708 for information

Washington State University Extension

• Shore Stewards’ Guide for Shoreline Living
• LID Stormwater Research Program 

If water runoff from an Island County road, ditch or culvert is impacting your private property, please advise the Island County Public Works Department at 360.679.7331. Questions on erosion/slope stability may be directed to the Development Coordinators through the Planning Department at 360-679-7339.

Please note: On the older Plats within Island County the developers, in the dedication of the plat, included language stating:

"… Also the right to drain all streets over any lot or lots where water might take a natural course after the street or streets are graded.”

As a result of this language, Island County has the right to send public roadway drainage over and across private property. If the amount of water is considered excessive and occurs on a frequent basis, Island County Public Works will investigate.

Use the Service Request Application to submit a drainage complaint online or call the Public Works administrative staff at 360-679-7331.

Island County has a procedure for “drainage complaints”

1. Homeowner calls the Public Works administrative staff and describes the drainage issue
2. Public Works administrative staff forwards the complaint to your local Island County Road Shop
3. The Road Shop responds to the complaint. If they are unable to resolve the issue, or determine that they need an engineer to advise them, then the Road Shop will contact the Surface Water Management Division.
4. The Surface Water Management Division will determine whether an engineering project is necessary to solve the problem. Engineering projects sometime take several years to complete. There are also issues that can arise that could delay or stop a project completely, such as permitting issues or an inability to acquire necessary easements.

The most helpful thing you can do is to take pictures and document the problem when it is occurring. 

Things to include in your documentation: Date, location of flow or ponding, water level, origin of water, how often the problem occurs, etc.

Parcels located within the Aviation Notify Zone will be required to obtain a screenshot or memo from the FAA indicating whether they meet or exceed criteria for your proposed project.  The aviation notify zone memo or screenshot will be required prior to submittal of a building permit application.  FAA Website (FAA Notice Requirements) & Please see the Guide to the FAA Obstruction Evaluation for step-by-step instructions to obtain the required memo and/or screenshot from the FAA.  

Building Permit Applications are accepted until 2 p.m.

You can apply via U.S. Mail or in person at the Planning Department front counter in the Coupeville office or at the Camano Annex.

Along with the Completed Application, the following shall be provided:

• Approved Access Permit: Issued by Public Works (360-679-7331)  approving the driveway onto a County road, OR Department of Transportation (360-757-5964 or 360-848-7230). When it is the first access onto the highway 
• Map: An Aerial photo, or plot plan showing the accurate lot configuration. On this map indicate the Approved Access Point/Driveway and any applicable easements
• Fee: $51.50 (made payable to: Island County Planning)
• Building and/or Septic Permit numbers

Yes. If you have a Land Use submittal appointment, upon arrival let the front receptionist know that you also have a Building Permit submittal. The Land-Use Application must be accepted in order to also intake the Building Permit application and plans. Because of the limited quantity of guest cottages, they are excluded from concurrent review. 

A Washington state licensed contractor is required. And yes, you are able to do the work yourself. However, an Owner/Contractor Form must be signed by the owner and submitted with the Building Permit Application.  

Island County is reviewing with the requirements of the 2018 code cycle. 

You can find the 2018 IRC Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria for Island County. This is the Design Criteria that your engineer needs to design your building.

Sign up for an account on Island County Planning's Public Portal to review the status of your building permit, review permit information, request inspections, and to get general information about your building permit.

Yes, alternative materials are allowed. It is the owner's responsibility to provide all information for minimum code compliance of proposed alternative materials. This may also include engineering.   

Washington is a vote by mail state; there are no traditional polling places.  Ballots are mailed to the voter's residence or mailing address; this allows voters approximately two weeks to vote and return ballots.

• Ballots are mailed to the address on file for all active Washington State registered voters.  Ballots are mailed no later than 18 days prior to Election Day. Allow 3-5 days for postal delivery of ballots.
• Members of the military, overseas voters, "Snowbirds", students, etc. are encouraged to go online to ensure the Elections Office has their most current mailing address.
• Military/dependent/overseas voters are currently eligible to receive ballots by email.

Online voting is not available in WA.  Voters may go online to obtain and print a ballot, but there is no way to cast a vote online.

• Military and overseas voters' ballots are mailed not later than 45 days before an election.
• Standard ballots are mailed not later than 18 days before an election.

• You may receive an updated ballot because your residential address or name changed after the initial ballot mailing. This can happen when you interact with the Department of Licensing for drivers' licensing services or if you go online to update your voter information after the ballots have been printed/mailed.
• If you receive two ballots, please open both packets. One should have an insert indicating that it is a "Replacement/Reissued Ballot." Please vote and return the replacement/reissued ballot. It has the correct races and precinct information for your new address.
• If you vote the initial ballot and return it, the elections office will simply hold it and wait to see if you vote the other ballot. If the replacement ballot isn't received, your initial ballot will be counted.
• Only one ballot will be counted.  The other ballot will be suspended.

• A "Primary Only Voter" is a 17-year-old, who will be 18 years old on or before the November General Election.
• In Washington, registered Primary Only Voters may vote in the Primary Election for offices on the General Election ballot.
• The ballots issued to Primary Only Voters contain only the eligible offices.
• Primary Only Voters are not permitted to vote on any contest where the final decision is made in the Primary Election (i.e. propositions, PCO races, etc.).
• Ballots issued to Primary Only Voters will contain only the office in which they are eligible to vote.

• By Mail – Ballots may be returned, postage pre-paid through the US Postal Service.
• By Drop Box – Ballots can be returned to any official ballot drop box in Washington State.  Ballots deposited in other counties' drop boxes are forwarded to the county where the voter is registered.
• Military/dependent/overseas voters may return their voted ballots electronically.

• An Accessible Voting Unit is available in the Auditor's Elections Office, 400 N Main St., Coupeville, during regular business hours 8:00am-4:30pm for the 18 days prior to Election Day, and 8:00am to 8:00 pm on Election Day.
• Assistance is available upon request.

• Online – Log into www.VoteWA.gov.  Once you are logged in, click on the "Online Ballot" link under the "My Ballot" header and follow the prompts to print your ballot and mailing packet.  Only one ballot per voter is counted for each election.
• By Mail – Contact the Elections Office by email at elections@islandcountywa.gov to request a replacement ballot be sent to you.  Be sure to include your resident address and mailing address, if different.
• When you are issued a replacement ballot, your original ballot will be suspended to ensure that only one ballot per voter is counted.

• Seasonal Resident – Update your seasonal address with our office.  Email us the first and last days you'll receive mail at your address away and we will send your ballot to that address each year between the dates you specify.
• Out of town and can't receive mail – You can access a ballot online at www.VoteWA.gov.   All you will need is access to the internet and a printer to print your ballot and return it to our office.
• Leaving town and can't receive your ballot by mail or email – If you know you'll be out of town and can't receive mail or email 90 days before an election, contact us and we can issue a special absentee ballot to you.

• All WA State Elections end promptly at 8:00pm on Election Day.
• Ballot Drop boxes – Drop boxes close promptly at 8:00 pm on Election Day
• Postal Mail – Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day.  Voters are encouraged to vote early.  The USPS recommends voters return their ballots via mail a week before Election Day.  Voters mailing within less than a week of Election Day should note mailbox collection times, or use an official ballot drop box.
• If mailing on Election Day, take your ballot inside, have the date hand stamped by the postal employee.  Ballots placed in USPS boxes after the last pick up of the day will be postmarked the next day and will be late.

Voters can go online to www.VoteWA.gov. Log in by providing the requested information, click on the link "Ballot Status" under the "My Ballot" header.  When we receive your ballot, your status will show as "Received".

Voters can go online to www.VoteWA.gov. Log in by providing the requested information, click on the link "Ballot Status".  When we have verified your signature and processed your ballot for counting, your status will show as "Accepted".

• The letter will explain the issue:  missing signature or a signature that does not match your voter registration.
• There is a form on the back of the letter for you to sign and return to correct the problem so your ballot can be counted.
• The letter explains that our office must receive the signed form prior to certification of the election and gives you the deadline for returning the signed form.  We advise voters to sign and return the letter right away.

• Online – Register at www.VoteWA.gov if you have a WA driver's license or id card.  (This must be completed no later than 8 days before the election.)
• By Mail, email or fax – Complete and return this form.  (In order for this form to be processed, it must be received no later than 8 days before the election.)
• In Person – This may be done in an Elections Office or other designated location during business hours through Election Day.  On Election Day, you may register at the Elections Office in Coupeville from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Voter registration can be confirmed online at www.VoteWA.gov or by contacting the Elections Office.

• No.  In Washington, you may register as a "Future Voter" when you are 16 years old.
• Your registration will be contained in the system but will not be activated until you are 18 years old.

• The Office of the Secretary of State works with the Department of Licensing, the Social Security Administration, Department of Health and the Department of Corrections to receive updated information.
• Washington State is a member of ERIC (Electronic Records Information Center) which compares voter registrations and motor vehicle license data across 30 states.
• The most important resource of registration information is the voter.  Make sure your registration is up to date by visiting www.VoteWA.gov

• If your new address is in Washington State, you can update your registration by any of the methods above.
• If your new address is not in Washington State, you can cancel your registration by completing this form.
• Voters cannot update their WA State Voter Registration using the US Postal Service address change forms.

Washington voters do not register by party.

• Voter registrations by mail, email, fax, online and motor voter must be received by an elections official no later than 8 days before an election in order to vote in that election.
• In person registration is the only option to register beginning 8 days prior to Election and may be completed up to 8:00 p.m. on the date of the election.

Information regarding voting for military members and dependents is available at:  www.fvap.gov.

Information regarding voting for overseas registrants is available at:  www.fvap.gov.

• Register online at www.VoteWA.gov or by using a hardcopy WA State Voter Registration form.  For your protection, we urge voters not to register online at social media sites.
• Which address to use – You can use either your hometown address or the address where you live at school.  Your choice depends on where you claim your legal residency.
• If you keep your hometown address for residency – You can use your hometown address as your residential address and your school address as your mailing address.  If your school address will change between years, use the school address as a temporary mailing address and remember to update at the end of each school year.

• No.  State and Federal law require that your registration is based on your physical address.  The address where you physically live must be included in your registration.
• You may use a PO Box as your mailing address.

• You can register to vote in the county in which you live in WA State.  Voter registration forms are available at libraries and County Election Offices.
• Register by providing a place where you spend most of your time as your residential address; you can list another place where you can receive mail as your mailing address.
• Voters must fill out the residential address line on a voter registration form so that we can assign their voting precinct.  This address can be a park, intersection, or another place listed on a map.
• Voters must also provide a mailing address to which their ballot can be mailed.  The mailing address can be the address of a friend or relative, the address of a shelter or center where you can receive mail, or it can be General Delivery at a post office.
• Ballots can be returned by USPS mail, no stamp required, or ballots can be dropped in any Official County Ballot Drop Box, no postage required.

• You maintain the right to vote with a misdemeanor conviction, or a conviction in juvenile court, even if you are still in jail.
• Citizens with felony convictions have their right to vote restored automatically as long as you are not currently serving a sentence of total confinement in prison.
• If you were convicted of a felony in another state or in federal court, your right to vote is restored automatically, provided you are not currently incarcerated for that felony.
• Once your rights are restored, you must register in order to vote.  If you were registered before your conviction, you must re-register.  You do not need a certificate of discharge to register to vote.

• Yes.  Under Washington law, voter registration records are public record for use in political purposes.
• RCW 29A.08.710 states that specific information in the voter registration records must be provided upon request. The public information consists of: name, address, jurisdiction, gender, date of birth, vote record, date of registration and registration number.
• No other items in the in the voter records are public information (i.e. signatures, phone number, email, driver's license number, etc.)
• Exemptions to the public record include persons under the age of 18 years and participants in the Washington State Address Confidentiality Program.

Official Island County Drop Boxes:

• The Official Drop Boxes open no later than 18 days before Election Day.  This is the same timeframe ballots are mailed.
• Only the drop boxes located in the districts on the ballot will be open during an election.
• Official Ballot Drop Boxes close promptly at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

• No.  During the voting period (18 days before an election through the close of the election), no "electioneering" is permitted within 25 feet of a ballot drop box.  RCW 29A.84.510
• Electioneering is also prohibited within 100 feet of any ballot counting center.  RCW 29A.84.510

• Voted ballots can be deposited in any open official drop box in Washington state.
• The county where you deposit the ballot will forward the ballot to the county where you are registered.

The ballot drop boxes are composed of high grade materials, and secured with locks and numbered seals.

Teams of two employees of the Auditor's Department empty the drop boxes.

• The ballot drop boxes are emptied numerous times during each election cycle.
• For security reasons, the schedule for the emptying of the drop boxes is not made public.

• The seals on the drop box are checked and logged.
• The ballots are removed from the drop box and put into a transport container.
• Numbered seals are used to close and secure the transport container.
• A log is kept of all of the seals used in the process.
• The ballots are transported to the Elections Office/Ballot Counting Center.
• When the ballots arrive at the counting center, the seals on the containers are verified and the containers are open.
• The ballots are counted and placed into trays for processing.

• The public is welcome to view all elections work.
• The Republican and Democratic parties are requested to provide official observers for each election.
• Campaign members and candidates are welcome to observe as well.

• Ballots entering the Counting Center are secured at all times.
• Seals and logs are used to track the security of ballots, equipment and access to areas.
• Reconciliations are completed multiple times throughout the day in order to verify that all ballots received are accounted for.
• The processing of ballots is completed in the full view of any observers present.
• Ballots are processed by teams of two workers at all times.

• The signature on the outer return envelope of your voted ballot is verified against the signature in your voter registration record.  If you registered electronically or through the Motor Voter system, the signature is most likely the one on your WA Driver's License/ID card.
• If you forget to sign your ballot or the signature is not a match to the signature on file, we will send you a letter requesting you to correct the signature issue on your ballot allowing us to process and count your ballot. 
• If your signature can be verified, you are credited for voting.  This credit prevents any other ballot being accepted and ensures that only one ballot from each voter is counted.

• The outer return envelope, which identifies you, is separated from the inner security sleeve which contains your voted ballot. Once separated, the ballot cannot be traced back to you.
• When the team has removed the outer envelopes from all of the security sleeves in a tray of ballots, the outer envelopes are set aside and the ballots are then removed from the sleeves.
• Vote choices on your ballot are secret.  No record may be created or maintained that identifies how individual voters marked their ballot.

Washington State accepts ballots postmarked on or before Election Day, rather than the date the ballots are received.  As more ballots are received and processed, race results can change. This is normal and well within ranges of statistical probability. Additionally, under Same Day Registration, voters may continue to register and vote up until 8:00pm on Election Day.

Tabulation equipment is certified by the Washington Secretary of State and the Federal Election Assistance Commission.  This equipment is never connected to the internet or any network; and provides records for each election.

• All ballot systems in Washington are required to go through a testing process to verify that ballots are tabulated as marked.  These tests include both pre-marked test decks as well as random batch audits.
• Ballots are processed by teams of two workers using digital scanners to accurately record ballots as marked.

The National Voter Registration Act and Washington State Law both require counties to take steps to verify voter addresses.  

Confirmation cards are sent to voters to confirm their information if:

• A piece of mail is returned by the postal service as undeliverable
• A piece of mail is forwarded by the postal service to an address out of the county
• A notice is received by the Elections Office from a state or federal agency, stating that the voter's address has changed

It is still there, but it is "inactive".  Because of a notification we received from USPS or a state agency, we must verify your information in order to continue to send your ballots.

If a voter is inactive and does not update their information or return the card, after two consecutive federal general elections, their voter registration is cancelled, as required by federal and state law.

Ensure the 2-part card has a return address of:  Island County Elections, PO Box 1410, Coupeville WA 98239-1410.  Official Island County Elections mail comes from and returns to this address.

• City of Oak Harbor residents call the City of Oak Harbor at 360-279-4530
• If you live elsewhere on Whidbey Island, call Island Disposal at 360-678-5701 or 360-321-1331
• Camano Island residents should call Waste Management at 1-800-592-9995

• City of Oak Harbor residents call the City of Oak Harbor at 360-279-4530
• Town of Coupeville residents call Island Disposal at 360-678-5701
• Camano Island residents call Waste Management at 1-800-592-9995
• If you live elsewhere on Whidbey Island recycling pickup service is currently not available

You can haul wastes and recyclables to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities. You may also self-haul recyclables to DTG Recycle in Freeland.

Don't throw it in the trash. You can bring your old oil-based paint, oil, antifreeze and other household hazardous waste to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities. There is no charge for household hazardous wastes.

You can recycle latex paints and stains at the Coupeville Transfer Station or see Washington PaintCare for additional drop off locations.

Island County’s Moderate-Risk Waste Collection Facility is open to businesses by appointment, call 360-678-8215 for information.

CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, which means that improper disposal of spent bulbs can lead to health and environmental risks. Don’t throw used CFLs in the trash or break them; save them in a safe place (keep the original packaging!) until you can take them to any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities.

See Island County's medications and sharps disposal page.

Furniture in good condition can be donated or sold for reuse.  If the furniture is in poor condition, it may be disposed of at the Coupeville Transfer Station and the Camano Transfer Station. 

No. Burning garbage is illegal and can be dangerous. Breathing smoke from burning garbage can cause or worsen asthma, bronchitis and emphysema and damage children's lungs. Burning plastic releases many cancer causing agents into the air that you or your neighbors breathe. For information about outdoor burning see the Northwest Clean Air Agency’s website.  

Yard waste is accepted at the Coupeville Transfer Station. Yard waste includes grass clippings, brush, leaves and branches. Yard waste does not include sod, dirt, gravel, rocks, plastics, wood, lumber or garbage; these items are accepted as garbage, construction or depending upon size hard-to-handle wastes. Visit the Yard & Garden Waste page for more information.

Construction debris is accepted at the Coupeville Transfer Station and the Camano Transfer Station. 

Technically, all plastics can be recycled. All plastics are not recycled because there is no economically feasible market for most of them. In Island County, we accept CLEAN #1 and #2 bottles, jugs and jars with caps or lids removed. All other plastic should be reused or go in the garbage (reusing an item saves 20 times as much energy as recycling it).

Lids can be made of different plastic resins than containers. Also, their small size makes them hard to compact in bales and they can cause damage to baling equipment.

Packing peanuts can be recycled at DTG Recycle in Freeland, taken to mailing centers, or disposed of as garbage at any of the Island County Solid Waste facilities.

Call 360-240-5592 or 360-679-7387, weekdays, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

For information about permit fees, download Island County's land use permit fee schedule (pdf)

Electronically

• Send your application and other attachments to PlanningDept@islandcountywa.gov
• PLEASE NOTE - if your email includes attachments which are larger than 7MB, it will not be delivered. A Planner can provide a file sharing link, the applicant can send a file sharing link, or you can mail a USB drive
• Once a planner is assigned to look over your submittal they will let you know they have received your application and advise you of its completeness.
• If everything looks ready, the planner will provide you with an estimate for the fees and let you know how many hard copies are needed.
• Please mail the required hard copies, a copy of the estimate provided to you, and a check for the required permit fees to one of the addresses below.

Via USPS:

Planning & Community Development, 1 NE 7th St., Coupeville, WA 98239

Via FedEx or UPS:

Planning & Community Development, 1 NE 6th St., Coupeville, WA 98239

In Person

Call 360-679-7339 and ask to schedule a "Land Use Permit submittal appointment" with a planner. Plan for approximately 60 minutes to review and deliver your application.

Find your zone on Island County's interactive  IC Geo Map. Instructions can be found on the opening home page.

Please click this link to be directed to our Land Use Tables. Directions on how to use the tables can be found at the top of the linked page.

You can find this information in the Land Use Tables. Directions on how to use the tables can be found at the top of the page.

The below timeframes begin the date the application is officially deemed complete and only includes the time which the County is actively reviewing the permit. This means if the County is waiting on additional information from an applicant, it could take longer than the times below. 

Type I: Type I permits are ministerial and the final determination is made by planning staff. Planners aim for 30 to 60 days but can take up to 120 days.

Type II: Type II permits are administrative, they require the posting of a public notice sign and a 14 to 30 day public comment period depending on permit type. The final determination is made by planning staff. Planners aim for 60 to 90 days but can take up to 120 days.

Type III: Type III permits require a pre-application conference and a community meeting before submittal of the application. They require posting of a public notice sign and a 14-day public comment period. Planning staff issue a recommendation but the final determination is made by the Hearing Examiner after holding a public hearing.

It can take 120 days to get the staff recommendation to the Hearing Examiner. Then about 6 weeks to schedule a date with the Hearing Examiner. The Hearing Examiner issues their decision within 10 days of the hearing.

The Board's jurisdiction involves appeals of Assessor determinations including:

• Change in real and personal property values* [RCW 84.48.010]
• Denials of senior citizen/disabled persons exemptions [RCW 84.36.385]
• Denials of home improvement exemptions [RCW 84.36.400]
• Decisions regarding historic property exemption [RCW 84.26.130]
• Forest land classification determinations [RCW 84.33]
• Current use designation determinations [RCW 84.34]
• Destroyed property determinations [RCW 84.70.010]
• Claims for either real or personal property tax exemptions [RCW 84.36.010]

*There is no provision in state law to directly appeal the amount of your property taxes.

File an original, completed petition form with the Clerk of the Board. Submit separate petitions for each parcel. There is no charge for filing an appeal. A petition form is available on the BOE web page, by calling 360-679-7379 or by email BOE@islandcountywa.gov.

Petitions must be received by the Clerk of the Board on or before July 1 of the assessment year* or within 30 calendar days after the date of the Value Change Notice (or other notice of determination) - whichever date is later (WAC 458-14-056(2)). If submitted by mail, petitions must be postmarked by the post office no later than the filing deadline (WAC 458-14-056(4)).

*Assessment year is the year before the tax is due. It is shown on the Value Change Notice. Under very limited conditions, late petitions or appeals for previous assessment years may be accepted (WAC 458-14-056; 458-14-127).

The Board cannot consider incomplete petitions. A complete, separate petition for each parcel must include the following information:

• Assessor's parcel number
• Taxpayer name and address
• Taxpayer's representative, if applicable (must include power of attorney)
• Property description to include property address, parcel size, zoning, and general building information
• Value as listed by the Assessor
• Your opinion of the value
• Specific reasons why you believe the Assessor's value does not reflect the true and fair market value of your property. Your petition must include sufficient information or statements to apprise the Board and the Assessor of the reasons why you believe the Assessor's determination is incorrect. Matters unrelated to market value such as assessment comparisons of other properties, percentage of value increases, personal hardship, amount of tax, etc., cannot be considered (WAC 458-14-056(5))
• Taxpayer's signature and date
• A copy of the Assessor's Value Change Notice or other determination notice

Remember, the issue before the Board is the market value of your property. Accordingly, you will need to furnish clear, cogent, and convincing evidence that demonstrates that the Assessor's valuation exceeds your property's fair market value. State law requires the Assessor to value all taxable property at 100% of its true and fair market value in money, according to the highest and best use of the property. Market value is the amount of money that a willing and unobligated buyer is willing to pay a willing and unobligated seller.
 
 Successful forms of evidence include:

• Comparable sales and/or sales of the subject property
• Contractor estimates of costs to repair building or land defects
• Letters or documents from government agencies and/or experts regarding development limitations
• Deeds describing easements that impact value
• Independent appraisals
• Photographs of features or conditions you believe diminish your property's market value
• Maps showing proximity to high traffic areas, access limitations, etc.

When gathering evidence and formulating arguments, it is important to keep in mind that, by law, the Assessor is presumed to be correct. The burden of proof is on you to show that the Assessor's determination is incorrect. Evidence must be "clear, cogent, and convincing" (WAC 458-14-046(4)).

Sales of the subject property and/or comparable properties are the foundation of our state's market value standard. Accordingly, comparable sales typically provide the best indicators of market value [RCW 84.40.030]. This is particularly true for residential properties. The best comparables are sales located in your neighborhood, with similar land and improvement features, which sold close to the valuation date at issue (before and not after). The Assessor's website, realtors, and title companies may be resources. A typical comparison or appraisal will have three or more comparable sales.

According to state law, the Assessor must base assessed valuations as of Jan. 1 of each assessment year. For example, if you are appealing a 2023 assessment year valuation, for taxes payable in 2024, the assessment date is Jan. 1, 2023. From a market value standpoint, the board gives sales occurring closest to this date the most weight (WAC 458-14-087(3)).

Comparable properties do not have to exactly match your property. Look for sales that are most similar, note their differences, and identify superior and inferior property features. This comparison process should enable you to determine whether your property would sell for more than or less than the price paid for each selected sale, leading you to a market value estimate.

For the purposes of filing a timely appeal, as long as your petition includes sufficient information or statements to apprise the Board and the Assessor of the reasons why you believe the Assessor's determination is incorrect, it is not necessary to include all the evidence you intend to use at your hearing. It is recommended that you provide the evidence you will use as early as possible. Additional evidence may be submitted up to twenty-one business days before your hearing (WAC 458-14-056(5)).

The scheduling of your hearing will depend on the volume of appeals and the timing of your petition filing. All scheduling is done by the Clerk of The Board. An Assessor's representative will review your petition and may contact you at your daytime phone number to discuss a stipulation outside of your appeal. Additionally, you may initiate contact with the Assessor's representative at the number listed on your "Assessor's Notice of Real Property Value Change" form to discuss the determined value.

If you can reach agreement on the true and fair value of the property, you will be offered a Stipulated Agreement form to sign that establishes the new value and withdraws the petition. In this case, you will not have a board hearing. However, if you cannot come to an agreement with the Assessor's representative, then you will be scheduled for a hearing before the Board. You will be notified by mail of your hearing date approximately 50 days in advance. The time between filing your appeal and the scheduled hearing may take between 5 and 7 months.

The hearing is an informal review where property owners may represent themselves without having to pay someone to argue their case. You will have the opportunity to give oral testimony and review your previously submitted arguments and evidence. During some board hearings, an Assessor's representative may also give testimony and review the material previously submitted to you and the board. Each party will have the opportunity to rebut the other party's arguments and evidence. Board members may also question either you and/or the Assessor's representative.

Documentary evidence (comparable sales, appraisals, contractor estimates, pictures, site plans, maps, etc.) must be submitted to the Board at least 21 business days before the hearing. Narrative testimony or videos used to clarify your previously submitted evidence may be presented during the hearing.

Decisions are typically mailed within 14 days of the hearing.

Either the appellant or the Assessor may appeal the Board's decision to the State Board of Tax Appeals. An appeal must be filed with the State Board of Tax Appeals within 30 calendar days of the mailing date of our board's decision. Appeal forms are available on the Island County BOE or State Board of Tax Appeals websites.

It is important to pay your taxes by the deadline in order to avoid interest and penalties.

If the Board decreases your property value, the Assessor's records will be adjusted, and the Treasurer's office will either send a revised tax statement if the decision occurs before October 31 of the tax year or issue a refund if your full year's taxes have already been paid (WAC 458-14-116(3)). This process may take a few months to complete.

If you are at your desk/phone, you can press the Voicemail button on your phone or use your Mitel Connect software to access your voicemail.

To reach it remotely do the following:

• Dial 5111 (or 678-5111)
• When the recording starts press #
• Enter your Phone Extension number
• Enter your voicemail password and #

TO HOT DESK YOUR PHONE - TAKE IT TO ANOTHER PHONE

• DIAL #
• when the recording starts
  • Dial # again
  • Enter your own Extension number
  • Enter your Voicemail Password #
  • Dial 731
  • Hang Up

MITELHQ

Comprehensive plans are the centerpiece of local planning efforts. A comprehensive plan articulates a series of goals and policies that are intended to guide the decisions of elected officials and local government staff. The Comprehensive Plan provides long range policy direction for land use, transportation, economic development, housing, capital facilities, utilities, parks and recreation, and natural environment. It lays out a community vision and priorities and describes, where, how, and in some cases when development should occur.

The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) is a state law that requires state and local governments to manage Washington's growth by identifying and protecting critical areas and natural resource lands, designating urban growth areas, preparing comprehensive plans, and implementing them through capital investments and development regulations. This approach to growth management is unique among states. GMA was adopted by the Legislature in 1990 (Chapter 36.70A). The GMA was adopted because the Washington State Legislature found that uncoordinated and unplanned growth posed a threat to the environment, sustainable economic development, and the quality of life in Washington. The central premise of the GMA is that spontaneous and unstructured growth and development is wasteful of our natural resource base and costly to the provision of public services and facilities. By managing growth and development, the negative effects can be minimized, and the benefits can be maximized.

Counties need a comprehensive plan to ensure that decisions made today will result in efficient and sustainable growth in the future. Policies contained in comprehensive plans are meant to ensure orderly growth and protect the public’s best interests. As counties continue to grow, having a comprehensive plan in place enables local governments to identify and respond to changing community needs and desires in a thoughtful rather than reactive way.

1. Visit this page often for updates and new information.
2. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the 2025 plan update, please submit feedback to CompPlan@islandcountywa.gov.
3. Island County planning staff are available to meet with community groups and other interested parties. Please submit requests to CompPlan@islandcountywa.gov.
4. Sign up for news about plan updates and Comprehensive Plan topics by joining our mailing list.

1. Island County Planning and Community Development is the department tasked with coordinating the periodic update for the 2025 Comprehensive Plan, with assistance and support from other county departments. Planning staff will conduct the public outreach efforts outlined under this Public Participation Plan. Planning staff will also perform the technical review work and draft the policy updates necessary to meet the conditions in the GMA and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
2. Island County Planning Commission advises on comprehensive plan updates. The Planning Commission consists of nine members who are appointed by the Board of Island County Commissioners to make recommendations on planning related matters including growth and development. The Planning Commission will review and advise on comprehensive plan updates throughout 2023-2025 during their regular meeting and work session agendas.
3. Island County Board of Commissioners is the County’s legislative authority and holds the decision-making authority on the 2025 Comprehensive Plan process. The Board of Commissioners is made up of three commissioners who represent geographic districts of Whidbey and Camano islands based on population. The Board of County Commissioners will review and act on comprehensive plan updates throughout 2023-2025 during their regular meetings and work session agendas.

The Comprehensive Plan is a policy document that acts in a guiding role to provide recommendations on how land should be utilized to meet the needs and desires of the county. The Zoning Ordinance is part of the Island County Municipal Code and regulates the type, scale, and intensity of development which may occur in specific zoning districts, as recommended by the Comprehensive Plan.

Fuel pumps are located at the outlying Road Shops.    The gas pumps require two gas cards, one from the vehicle and one from the driver.

Pumps are open 8:00AM – 4:30PM:

• Oak Harbor Road Shop,  3125 Schay Rd., Oak Harbor 
• Coupeville Road Shop, 1055 W Terry Rd, Coupeville 
• Bayview Road Shop, 14566  SR 525, Langley 
• Camano Road Shop, 71 N East Camano Dr, Camano Island

Take it in for an oil change and request that they vacuum the interior.   If you have a more immediate need to vacuum the interior, pull up in front of our office at 107 NE 6th Street and borrow our shop vac.

It all depends on the severity of the flat and the distance to a mechanic shop: 

• If your tire is a bit low on air, but not quite flat, drive to the nearest repair shop. 
• If the tire is completely flat, feel free to change it yourself using the vehicle's jack and spare tire. Once changed, drive to the nearest mechanic shop for repair.  
• If you have never changed a tire and need assistance, call a tow company.
  See the vendor list for  suggested tow companies and tire shops.

Please refer to our County Vehicle Policy.

Report your vehicle problems to your department's fleet manager.  You may also report them to Facilities Management.

New vehicles are requested during the budget process.  If you are interested in additional vehicles for your department or swapping your existing vehicle, please notify your department's fleet manager, who in turn will contact Facilities. We will take a look at the overall fleet assignments and see if a better vehicle is available.

With prior approval of your department head, you can be reimbursed for specific business expenses using your own vehicle.  Please refer to the County's travel policy to learn which expenses are reimbursable.

Not at this time.  The best way to reserve a vehicle is to call x7872 or email Laura Beard: l.beard@islandcountywa.gov

The State of Washington defines broadband as "Any service providing advanced telecommunications capability and internet access with transmission speeds [at or above] 100Mbs download & 20Mbs upload". Revised Code of Washington 43.330.530 (4)

The term "broadband" specifically refers to the large (or broad) grouping of frequency bands used for high-speed digital information transfer. Each band in the spectrum allows information to travel at a slightly different speed, much like fast lanes and slow lanes on a highway. Service providers can use several of these frequency bands to prevent a backup of information by switching data to another with lower usage. In this way, there a broad band of frequencies in use and thus how the term "broadband" came about. The FCC identifies and creates rules about who is allowed to use which frequencies. Some of these bands are used for radio or television, wireless communication, or restricted to military or other government purposes only.

The speed of the connection ientifies how quickly information packets are sent and received between the user computer and the destination servers.

Speeds are noted by how many bits are sent per second and represented by a prefix which determines the scale the speed is being measured. The federal government defines one hundred megabytes per second (100Mbps) download and twenty megabytes per second (20Mbps) upload as properly served speeds for individual homes.

BroadbandUSA by the NTIA

"When a user connects to the Internet, the download speed is the rate at which data (websites, videos, music, etc.) is transferred from another source to the device. Upload speed is the rate at which data (photos, videos) is uploaded to the Internet. If a user is going to download or upload numerous large files (e.g., streaming videos, a digital photo album) with low network speed, it could take hours for the content to transfer. Network speeds also have the potential to impact speed of delivery for emergency services or telemedicine." - BroadbandUSA by the NTIA

"According to 2019 data from NTIA’s Internet Use Survey, 79 percent of Americans are using the Internet from any location, up from 71 percent in 2013. This survey samples approximately 50,000 households across all 50 states and the District of Columbia." - BroadbandUSA by the NTIA

"People cite many reasons why they do not use broadband. However, the five most common broadband adoption barriers are: cost, access, skills, relevance and perception. Many demographic groups have historically lagged in using the Internet. These include senior citizens, minorities and Americans with lower levels of educational attainment." - BroadbandUSA by the NTIA

All these technologies provide internet access. They vary in the specific technology used, speeds available for service, how they are accessed by users, and even how the services are charged for by the individual providers.

Cable (Coaxial): Often budled with television and landline services, the information transmitted can also support internet access. The signals sent along the coaxial cable uses an insulated copper alloy wire. Coaxial cable is a sturdy wire and easy to hang from utility poles. This technology is currently available to 82% of households, per the FCC.

Fiber Optic: Pulses of light are used to send data, which is easily transmitted through fibers or thin rods of glass. It is durable, reliable, and provides more information-carrying capacity than traditional options. Speeds using this technology can run as high as 50Gbps, but most comonly speeds should be closer to 1,000 Mbps (also known as 1Gbps). This technology is currently available to 46% of households, per the FCC.

Low-earth Orbit (LEO): Satellites can be used to transmit broadband service. This requires a hardware purchase in addition to the monthly high subscription cost. Ground-based satellite receivers can be affected by weather and local physical disturbances, such as tree limbs or vehicles. For those is very difficult to reach locations, this may be the only available option. LEO service cannot always guarantee the same consistency of service speeds without supportive redundancy in the satellite system.

Wireless: Service provided in-home by 5G carriers uses the cell phone network and towers to transmit the signals wirelessly from the main hub to the local destination tower. From there, the signal is transmitted via fiber optic or cable through ground connections to the home. These can be affected by weather, but cell towers are usually more resillient than an individual receiver. However, if a phone carrier experiences an outage across their system, both phone and internet services are impacted.

No, but our society is quickly embracing digital functions to enhance our daily lives. Making reources available online is often a cost-cutting measure, allowing funding to directed to other needs like labor and safety.

Electricity and running water were once considered exceptional, but now are deemed vital in society. Broadband may one reach that poinat as well.

Broadband Serviceable Location (BSL) - in a nutshell, this is the building a home is in. A single family house is a single BSL. For an apartment complex, each individual building is a single BSL with multiple units. Depending on building codes and particular construction methods, some duplexes and triplexes can be a single BSL per building or multiple. Some small businesses also qualify, but this a nuanced definition and requires a lot of follow-up questions.

If you have a business and would like to inquire further, you may consult the FCC Fabric Map at https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/. Make sure the version is set to what is labeled as "latest" and then enter your address. For further clarification, contact the Broadband Coordinator at Island County for help navigating the question.

If using broadband to connect to tele-health professionals, this is a positive way it can affect health!

Broadband is not harmful to human health. Neither fiber optic nor coaxial cable emit any kind of radiation. Internet services transmitted by satellite and 5G networks use radio waves and then translated into electrical or light pulses for the ground portion of the system.

Radio waves are not normally harmful to humans unless super concentrated, similar to an output such as the sun outside from the protective electromagnetic shield produced by the Earth. We do not currently have the technology to produce such levels to have it commonly around the populace.

The IT Department subscribes to a service that will scan emails for malicious content.  This helps us analyze the email more efficiently and effectively.

If you clicked on any links in the email, or downloaded any attachments, please call the IT Department immediately.  Follow the instructions given, which may include unplugging your computer from the network.

To submit a suspicious email, follow these steps.

• First, you can click on the email to open it as you would read other email, however
  • Don't download any attachments, and
  • Don't click on any links, buttons, or pictures
• Please do not call or enter a Help Desk Ticket.  We want all suspicious emails to be routed to the analysis site first.
  
  
• If you're viewing the email in Microsoft Outlook, look for a button called PhishAlert
  Click this button and select the "Report this Email" button at the bottom of the window that appears.
  Your email will be moved to the "Deleted Items" folder.
  
  
  
• f you're viewing your email elsewhere, such as your phone, forward the email to phishing@islandcountywa.gov, and manually delete it.

You'll get a response from the analysis system, sometimes right away if it's obviously either a Threat, Spam, or Clean.
In borderline cases, IT reviews the submissions and manually selects the response.  These reviews may take up to 24 hours to complete.

IT does have automated email quarantine messages sent out twice daily.

Here's how to recognize the "official" email quarantine digest message. If it doesn't match this description, report it!

1. You'll only get this message if you have quarantined email messages.
2. The subject line will be "Email Security - Quarantine Notification for [your-email]"
3. The sender name is "Island County IT Security Team"
4. There won't be a banner message saying that this email came from outside the county
5. You'll see a detailed explanation of how to interpret and process the email
6. There will be a table of one or more quarantined email addresses
7. At the bottom of the table, you'll see the message:
   
   You can access your complete message Quarantine at: 
   [link]
   
   The link is a link you can always use to access your current Quarantined messages.

Note: The sending account is an unmonitored email address.  If you're having issues, please enter a Help Desk Ticket

These web applications both accept your Windows username and password at their login screens.

Usually, when you can't log in, it's because your username needs to be specified in a more "complete" form.

For these applications, they need to be told that your username is part of the ISLANDC domain.
If your username is "j.smith" for example, you should enter ISLANDC\j.smith as the username.

Your password will be the same as when you log on to your Windows account.

IT sends out emails notifying employees about Windows updates.

This requires action on your part. On the evening of the Windows update specified in the email, leave your workstation logged off but powered on.
Doing this means that the updates can be installed after hours instead of hitting your workstation the morning of the next business day - which could be disruptive to your ability to perform your job.

You may have received an invitation to sign up for Cognito Forms.  
An account with Cognitor forms allows you to manage form submissions for one or more online forms that was built for your department.

Your regular Windows username and password should be entered at the login screen.

Below is a "getting started" guide to manage form submission entries.

Cognito Forms Help

Suspicious emails come in a variety of forms, and there are also several very common variants that we see repeatedly.

Start with this guide from Microsoft.

A key takeaway:

An email message contains 2 pieces of data that suggest who it's from:

• The "user friendly" version
• The actual sender email address

Example: Your email client shows "Bob Smith" in "From:".  If you hover your mouse over that, some email clients will show you the underlying email address.
In this case, the actual email address is b.smith@gmail.com

Here's the problem: Email services often don't have any way of showing that b.smith@gmail.com is actually "Bob Smith".  A hacker could put "Internal Revenue Service" in the friendly name.  But they can't change the sender email address.  The problem is that you might have to hover your mouse over the From field to see the actual email address.

Here are some common variants of scammer emails

• The "gift card" scam
• The "Direct Deposit" scam - a sender masquerading as an employee (see above) says they need to change their direct deposit enrollment information.
• The "free piano" scam.  A very large item is offered for "free".  If you respond, the sender will ask you to pay shipping for something that never comes.
• The urgent problem:
  • Your "IT Support Team" says that your password needs to be verified or changed, and they send a link.  This is just a way to capture your credentials by a malicious actor.
  • Your credit card/payment account was denied - A malicious actor wants to steal your credit card information

Please don't call us, forward the email anywhere, or enter a Help Desk ticket!

We have tools that help us automatically analyze the email, but only if you do the following.

If you're not using the Outlook desktop application

Forward the email to phishing@islandcountywa.gov

If you ARE using the Outlook Desktop application

In the Home tab, select the email you want to report from the list.  

At the top of your screen is a string called the Ribbon.  Each menu in Outlook has its own set of icons.
On the right hand side of the ribbon, look for a "fish hook" icon with the text "Phish Alert".
With the email selected, click this button.

Here is what will display.  It may slide into the right hand side of your screen.

Select "Report This Email"

Watch your Inbox for an email that describes the status of your email, and follow the instructions.

First of all, gather some data quickly.

• What time did the email arrive?
• What was the sender's name or email address
• Did you see any screens pop up when you clicked?
• If so, how exactly did you respond?

Either write these down or remember them, because

You need to disconnect your computer from the network.
Locate the network cable coming out of the back of your computer or docking station.
This cable is unique in that is has a little clear plastic tab that depresses when you push on it.
Grasping the cable insert point, press the tab and pull the cable out.

Contact the IT Department immediately.

This is a common question, and unfortunately, your email address is very susceptible to harvesting.

If any person or organization you have sent or recieved emails from is hacked, the criminals usually scrape up emails from the system right away.

If your email is on any public websites in a web page, programs can read the markup behind a web page without fear of legal action.  There are laws about them using the emails, but those cases are very hard to trace.

Assume that if you have an email address long enough, scammers and spammers will generally find you.

First, let's talk about what Spam is.  Spam is any email that could be called a nuisance but not a threat.

Many times, this is just an organization doing mass marketing mailings, and you're on the list.  

In this case, you can unsubscribe, but first check that the sender is legitimate.

Step 1 is to find the Unsubscribe link. 

Don't click on it with your primary mouse button. Assuming your mouse is configured for a right-handed person, click your right mouse button.
Do the opposite if the mouse is configured for a left hander.  You should see the option 

A menu should appear.  It may contain the option "Copy hyperlink" or "Copy link address".  Choose this.

Go to the Virus Total site.  We use this in IT so it's safe.

Paste the link address that you copied previously into the Url field at Virus Total, and click the Search button.
An analysis screen will appear in a few seconds.

If the site is legitimate, you should see the message "No security vendors flagged this URL as suspicious", in green text.
If that's the case, you can click on Unsubscribe and follow the prompts.

If a single spammer becomes a nuisance (more that 1 or 2 emails), visit the IT Help Desk and enter a ticket.  Please provide the email subjects, and the date and times received.  We can trace any emails that have come in during the past month easily.

The Island County Tip email is an effort to receive information from concerned citizens about illegal activity occurring within Island County. The line allows citizens to share information confidentially. Please include as much precise information as possible, such as city, date/time, address, what is occurring, and attachments such as photographs. If you are willing to identify yourself, the information will remain confidential¹ and not available to anyone except restricted sheriff's investigators assigned to this email.

Tip emails are used to disseminate information to sheriff's investigators and local police agencies in an attempt to make our communities a safer place to live.

Email tips are gathered during regular business hours. If you are reporting a crime in progress, call 911. 

In lieu of a single day for drug take-backs, Island County maintains a drop box in the lobby of the Annex Building at 1 NE 6th Street, Coupeville, WA. Drop-off hours are 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays.

• No sharps, no liquids - Please empty pills into a Ziploc bag before disposal

For information and assistance on how to file for a protection order, see How to File for a Protection Order. The Northwest Justice Project has a printable form to help guide you through the process. The Island County Sheriff's Office cannot offer legal advice.

Click here for the information and forms you need to obtain a collision report.

To pick up property from our evidence technician, email her or call 360-678-4422 between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for an appointment.

Click here for the information and forms you need to apply for a concealed pistol license in Island County.

If you are new to the county and need to register, you must email Chief Peabody or call 360-679-7320 within three days of moving into the county. He will instruct you on when you can come to the office to finish your processing.

If you are moving inside the county and need to update your change of address, please fill out this form and mail it to:

Island County Sheriff's Office
Attention Chief Peabody
1 NE 7th Street
Coupeville, WA 98239.

If you are transient, continue to report every Tuesday at the jail.

If you do not comply with the modified registration procedures, you could be arrested or charged with a crime for failing to register.

Notification of Sex Offenders

Sign up for free email notifications of when a sex offender registers with the Island County Sheriff's Office.