City News You Can Use. 

Message from the City Manager

Dear Bainbridge Islanders,

 

An error in last week's message was brought to my attention by a subscriber,
which needs to be corrected. Last week my column included information about the cost of reconstructing a roadway. In the column, I wrote that the per mile cost was $775M, but the accurate per mile cost is $775K.

This week, my focus is on the fourth of the four most impactful initiatives undertaken by the City to improve the organization during the past six years. Those initiatives are: Use of Best Practices, Strategic Thinking, Performance Measurement, and Transparency. We hear a lot of criticism about lack of transparency in government. Transparency in government is openness, accountability, honesty.

The people should expect transparency from their government because without it there is no accountability. In local government, transparency is provided in a number of different ways, but the City of Bainbridge Island exceeds what is required by State law. Some examples:
  • All citizen advisory committees are required to conduct meetings in compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). State law only requires City Council, Planning Commission, and certain other meetings where decisions are made or public comments are received to comply with the OPMA.
  • City Council meetings are not only open to the public, but the City broadcasts meetings on Comcast Channel 12 and streams the meetings on the City website. In addition, video of all City Council meetings is archived and available on the City website.
  • OpenGov Financial Transparency is another major step taken by the City to provide openness and accountability. This online portal provides access to the City's financial records, including detail a specific as individual invoices.
  • Next Request is an online tool that has made is much easier for members of the public to submit a public records request and, it improves staff efficiency of the response process.
  • See Click Fix has improved our responsiveness to service requests and increases accountability because the requests are available for public review. Members of the public can see when the request was submitted, how long it took staff to respond, and how long it took to close out the request.

City representatives are always looking for opportunities to provide more transparency and appreciate suggestions for improvements. 

 


Kindly,

Doug Schulze
City Manager
Connecting Bainbridge: SAFE Mobility Levy

Please take a few minutes to check out the SAFE Mobility Levy webpage that launched earlier this week!

The SAFE Mobility Levy is a $15M levy for improvement projects (shoulders, sidewalks, paths, trails with focus on safe routes to schools) and is designed to provide safe access for everyone on the Island - from pedestrians and wheelchair users to bicyclists and cars.

In July, the City Council approved Resolution 2018-21 that explains how the funds raised by the ballot measure will be used (if approved) and how the public will be involved in making decisions on specific projects. The Resolution states that 45% of the funding will be used for shoulder improvements, 30% will be used for safe routes to schools and trails, 15% would be used for pedestrian improvements in the Winslow core and 10% would be set aside for additional non-motorized opportunities.

If approved by voters, the levy lid lift will raise $15 million over seven years to pay for the non-motorized transportation projects. The estimated increase to the property tax rate is 28 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The owner of a $660,000 home (median home value on Bainbridge Island) would pay an additional $185 in property taxes per year during the seven-year period.

The City is hosting two more informational workshops scheduled to inform you about the levy. Please check the SAFE Mobility Levy webpage for additional outreach plans.

Workshop Dates:
 
Saturday, September 22 at Seabold Hall from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 11 at Island Center Hall from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Great Work Volunteers! 

Thank you to all the volunteers who spent last Sunday cleaning up our waterfront during the Beach Cleanup! More than 400 people participated and collected trash across the Island, from Waterfront Park to Fay Bainbridge Park and Fort Ward.  
 



A group at Hawley Cove, led by Harbormaster Tami Allen, filled a dump truck with Styrofoam, from dime-sized clumps found in the vegetation to large chunks. Volunteers also removed an inflatable raft, pipes, tires, a fiberglass dinghy, metal, and plastic debris, among other items.
 
Due to the low tide, more large debris was found this year.
 
Don't Forget Your Gutters & Downspouts!

The COBI Water Resources Team would like to remind people to start preparing your home for winter rain -- clean roof gutters nd downspouts! The roof gutters and downspouts collect leaves and debris that can clog and cause flooding and costly damage. You can prevent problems by doing this regularly.
Join the Discussion: Community Invited to Ward Meetings


Upcoming Events
  • Saturday, September 15: Central Ward Meeting at City Hall, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Saturday, September 22:  "Connecting Bainbridge: SAFE Mobility Levy" Workshop at Seabold Hall 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  
  • Saturday, September 29: North Ward Meeting at Seabold Hall, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 11:  "Connecting Bainbridge: SAFE Mobility Levy" Workshop at 
    Island Center Hall 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

     
City of Bainbridge Island www.bainbridgewa.gov
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