A: If you are on the e-mail list, a link is sent to you at least once before the meeting. If you don’t see one by the date of the meeting, check your spam folder. One e-mail will go out 10 -11 days before the meeting. Another is usually sent as a reminder the day of or the day before the meeting. You can sign up to be on the e-mail list on the bottom of this page.

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The link to our community meetings  is also published on the Events page of our website. The meeting information and agenda usually goes up at least a week before the meeting. The agendas for the meetings are very detailed, and they get updated frequently with additional information useful to prepare for the meeting. They are now done as a Google Doc, so you will be able to see the latest agenda right up to the meeting.
Note: If you wish to vote at a meeting, you must become a member of the organization. Membership is free, and open to Island residents 18 years or older. Go here to join as a voting member.

A: You can call in to the meeting from your cell phone and participate that way. The call-in number for the meeting will be on the website Events page.

A: Yes. Community Council meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of the month, from 7-9pm. The board meetings are held the 1st Thursday of the month, also beginning at 7pm.   Here are the dates for the upcoming  3rd Thursday Community Council general meetings. 

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2024

September 19

October 17

November 21

December 19

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2025

January 16

February 20

March 20

April 17

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A: 

1.    Ben Carr - At Large Board Member
2.    Debra Gussin - Vice President
3.    Diane Emerson – President

4.    Elena Camarillo - At Large Board Member

5.    Jamilla Stigall - Secretary
6.    Jessica Anakar - Corresponding Secretary

7.    Steven Nourse - At Large Board Member
8.    Tammy Dye - Treasurer

Their terms run through November, 2024. Election for new board members is coming up in October. Please consider running for a position on the board. You can make a huge difference to our Island community.
 

You can always attend a meeting of the Community Council and raise the issue there during the Open Discussion portion of the agenda. It will help if you contact us in advance to arrange for time on the agenda, if we know someone wants to speak at that time, we can better arrange for your presentation.

A: We  gladly accept donations  to cover the expenses we have.  You can donate here. Note: contributions to the Vashon-Maury Community Council are not deductible for federal income tax purposes as charitable contributions.

A: If you are 18 years old or older, and reside, even part time, on Vashon-Maury Island, you may become a member. Residents 18 years and older may vote on all issues which come up at the monthly meetings of the community council.  Go here to fill out the form. Membership is free, and there is no obligation to attend meetings or volunteer.

A: We have a YouTube channel where you can see recordings of past meetings. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@vashon-maurycommunity3890

A: Once you are a voting member, you can propose a motion in a meeting during Open Discussion. Or, you can contact a board member for guidance on how to word your motion, and ask for the board to approve it first, before it goes to the full community for consideration. Your choice. For details on how motions work, please see the Democratic Rules of Order, 10th Edition. This is what we use to guide our meetings, motions, etc. 

Our Island has had a community council off and on since 1933. Early on the Council helped to stop illegal developments and an apartment complex rezone; helped establish Island local bus service by Metro; prompted WSF dock repairs and improved ferry service; and assisted the County in conducting its Comprehensive Land Use and Zoning Study and Plan.  Many of our key Island organizations began as ideas - then committees - of the Community Council, before spinning off on their own. The Groundwater Protection Committee, Vashon Household, and initial support for the Vashon Parks District are a few of the most well-known.  At one point the Community Council rented a passenger ferry and took Islanders to Olympia to protest poor service by Washington State Ferries.

Most recently, the Council has been instrumental in organizing of help and support for our beleaguered Post Office, helping the Chamber lobby King County to install sturdy trash cans, helping to remove the 'fee in lieu' concept from the King County comprehensive plan,  and most recently, bringing attention to Puget Sound Energy's Tree Wire Program, which has the potential to remove many of our roadside trees.

Over the years the Community Council has resolved many community issues through public discussion and has enabled Islanders to express their points of view on matters of concern, such as a proposed bridge, affordable housing, and the coming drug and alcohol treatment center.  It has allowed elected officials, agencies, and private companies like Puget Sound Energy to regularly speak to Islanders in an open town hall forum where questions are asked and often answered.