From Loren Hoboy:

This message will serve to notify you of my resignation from City Council. I sold my house, which closed today. I am no longer a resident of Ward 3 and must resign. My original intent was to complete my term in office (Dec 31, 2007), but in this housing market we did not have an option to wait.

If you have any issues between now and the endof the year, email me and I will contact the right person in the city to get you a help, or contact any other City Council person. Everyone of them will help with your City problems.

I appreciate the support you have given me and feel we made a difference. No matter who is elected, you need to stay involved or get involved to make a difference. A council member is a facilitator of good ideas. The public initiates change and brings it forth to the Council. The public process relies on you to create vision, help draft the language and add the elements of change.

Call or email any council member for help on an idea. You can propose changes to the City Comprehensive Plan (the Master Planning document) and the City codes annually. Proposed items for consideration must be turned to the Planning Department Director (Ian Munce) by March 30th each year.

The first step: Put together a small committee of like-minded neighbors. The first submittal is due by March 30th. At a minimum it needs to be a one sentence or a one paragraph statement of the change you wish the Public, Planning commission and Council to make. This will get your change/idea on the annual Comp Plan update agenda.

You will then have between 1-3 months to refine the proposal with your fellow like-minded neighbors to prepare for the first public hearing. Look to see what other communities have done. Plagiarize the best of that work (no need to reinvent the wheel if you don‚t have to) and modify it to work in Anacortes. On complex issues the Council may create a Citizens Advisory Committee of interested people with a wide community outreach to consider all those who may be affected.

Have you discovered loopholes in some of our recently implemented ordinance. Propose language changes to fix those problems. If the problem is serious enough, you can even lobby Council, Mayor and staff to implement a 60-day emergency ordinance until the full annual update process has been completed to plug the hole.

Remember to be successful, reach out get broad public, planning commission and council advice and support. Talk to Council members. Do your home work. The person you elect cannot do it without your help and support. You are his or her staff and conscience. You need full Council support (it take 4 votes, but 7 is far better).

Thank you to all who helped me during my 4-years in office. Anacortes is a great place to live. After the election set aside your differences. Your objectives are the same. If you work together, you will make a difference. We proved that.

I wish you the best.
Loren Hoboy