The Town’s saltwater flood barriers are nearly all in place ahead of king tide season, but for La Conner’s six-member Emergency Management Commission the heavy lifting is just getting started.

The panel has focused primarily on short-term flood mitigation this year. It shifted attention during the second half of its one-hour Oct. 24 hybrid session at Maple Hall to long-range preparedness strategies along the waterfront.

The commission endorsed a potential cooperative venture between the Town, Port of Skagit and Swinomish Tribal Community to install a tide gauge and weather station at th...