Public Works

Welcome

We truly enjoy our interaction with the citizens of Island County, and we look forward to working with you to provide excellent Public Works services. We make a difference every day by working to sustain our neighborhoods’ vital infrastructure, protect natural resources and tackle challenging issues. 

OUR MISSION

Improve community safety through superior Public Works service.

The Public Works Department consists of the following five divisions:

• Emergency Management
• Finance/Business
• Parks and Trails
• Roads/Surface Water
• Solid Waste

 Additional information is available on each division’s web page. 

Emergency Management

The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) is responsible for emergency management within Island County and includes planning and coordinating actions for the preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery from natural and human-origin emergencies and disasters. DEM provides hazard information, coordinates, and provides emergency training for county residents and first responders. The DEM also operates the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) when it is activated.

Finance/Business  

Coordinates Human Resource and Budget preparation for Public Works. Provides front desk and support services. Permit submittals, and coordination of Board of Commissioner-related meeting items are managed by our front desk team. While our accounting team processes all Public Works invoices, grant reimbursement submittals and time sheets. 

Parks & Trails

Island County Parks & Trails provides active and passive recreation activities with 29 Community Parks (baseball, soccer, playgrounds, boat ramps), 13 Conservation Sites (primarily for ecological conservation, but often including woodland trails), 11 natural recreation sites (to protect more extensive outdoor recreation facilities, which may include woodland trails), and seven shared-use trails. 

Roads/Surface Water

Roads/Surface Water provides maintenance and improvement of the approximately 600 centerline miles of county-owned roads and numerous drainage facilities on Camano and Whidbey islands. This includes ongoing work such as installing signs and guardrails, paving, striping, mowing, ditching, cleaning out catch basins and culverts, as well as the development of new construction projects to improve safety or operations.

In addition, some staff members are on call 24-hours for quick response to downed trees, snow and ice, and other hazards.

This group also provides lead agency staff support to the Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization. 

Solid Waste

Island County Solid Waste provides four drop-off locations (Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Bayview and Camano) for garbage/debris, yard waste, household hazardous waste and recyclables. Contracts are in place to long-haul trash to a landfill and process and market recyclables. Long haul/transfer services are operated out of Coupeville. Coupeville also has a site for septage dumping.