I tried to address this issue quite a long time ago, in a conversation with councilman Richard Fralick.

My suggestion was that a means be found to require dwelling owners who spend less than 1/3 of the year living here to provide modest year-’round housing for a caretaker-family.

The rationale was that doing so would not only provide an island family with inexpensive housing for a working family, but also that it would almost eliminate vandalism and unnoticed long-term invasions by malefactors like our “barefoot bandit.”

Richard’s response was that such an ordinance could be considered a form of unconstitutional taking of property, and was therefore unlikely of passage in council.

I countered Richard’s argument against the scheme by pointing out that the host property owner would receive benefit from the arrangement, in freedom from worry about vandalism and in having someone on hand to do repairs and maintenance, and that the property owner could even charge the caretakers some amount of monetary rent. Richard still didn’t buy the scheme.

I hereby propose my idea once again, and ask not only that Richard reconsider his opposition, but also that other members of the council, and the public at large, help find a way to implement it.

Steve Henigson

Eastsound