The San Juan County Solid Waste Survey received responses from 26 percent of the recipients of the questionnaires mailed in late July. Survey Consultant Nina Rook of Marketing Resources termed the response rate “Outstanding.” Rook will present the results of the survey to the County Council at a workshop held on Monday, Aug. 30 beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the council’s hearing room in Friday Harbor.

The survey report should provide insights into the public’s attitude toward the difficult decisions the county faces in providing public services for garbage, recycling, and reuse over the next six years. The draft report will be available to the public on the County website by Friday, Aug. 27.

The survey was mailed to a core group of 4000 randomly selected household addresses within all zip codes in the county. More than 1000 households – nearly one-eighth of all households in the county – filled out questionnaires.

To provide an opportunity for all other interested parties to have their opinion recorded, an online survey was also available on the County website. The county retained an independent consultant to design the survey and to collect and analyze the data to insure the integrity of the data and the confidentiality of those who responded.

Questions on the survey addressed the households’ use of solid waste facilities, the structure of the solid waste utility’s management, services the public wants, and attitudes toward different methods of paying for solid waste services. It also provided space for other comments and recommendations, which were used by approximately 70 percent of all respondents.

Anyone seeking more information about how their views on the solid waste management system can be heard should contact Elizabeth Anderson, AICP, Solid Waste Planner, at 360-370-0531.