I hope you all found the time to enjoy the abundant sunshine and warm temperatures this week. Looking around the island, it seems as if everything bloomed into spring colors overnight. We all have busy lives but remember to take a few minutes to enjoy this time of year, and to appreciate the beautiful island scenery that is part of our everyday experience.

When you read below, you'll see the wide range of topics the City is currently working on. I notice that several of our current projects involve significant decisions that could impact many Islanders. The City Council is taking up the set of recommendations on subdivision standards that was developed by the Planning Commission over several months. The Council's work to consider and refine these changes will continue into April, and we will work to keep the public informed as that discussion moves forward. As part of the next discussion, City staff will prepare background information on how many properties across the island are likely to be subject to these new standards and will also provide some site-specific examples to better illustrate what these changes might mean. 

The City is also considering the results of a recent rate study to review City water and sewer rates. This is a topic we will continue to discuss throughout the Spring.

At the next City Council meeting (March 26), the Council will consider whether to approve a purchase and sale agreement for the Harrison Medical Building, which the City plans to renovate to provide a new Police Station and Municipal Court facility. This is an important milestone in the work to ensure that we have safe and sustainable facilities for critical City services. The selection of the Harrison Building for this project emerged through years of planning, analysis, and consideration. This is also a significant financial decision for the community. The City's current budget plans for a $20 million total cost for this project, which includes this purchase of $8.975 million. Some project highlights are provided below, and you can find more detailed information on the project's webpage.

Finally, I hope that you will also take note of the announcement below that the City has started the annual process to seek volunteers who would like to join one of our citizen advisory committees. All of our standing committees have rotating terms, which means that every year there are opportunities for new folks to join the conversation. New members are appointed for terms that begin on July 1. The time to apply is now, so please see below and the City's webpage if you'd like to learn more.

Responders were told debris from a plane littered the ground, accompanied by pieces of luggage and victims screaming for help.

 

In a tree, a man with a fractured femur was slumped over howling in pain. A few feet away, another victim was hidden under brush with a laceration to his stomach area as a father searched for his missing baby that was later found under a pile of ferns.

With first aid kits in-hand and head lamps the only reflection of light, volunteers from the Bainbridge Island Emergency Medical Responders (BIEMRs) team made their way through the park assessing the damage and searching for victims in need of emergency medical care.

 

This was just a drill - a mock scenario to prepare volunteers in the event of a disaster on Bainbridge Island.

 

"I have participated in a number of disaster response drills throughout my career. This drill felt very real and our volunteers took the scenario seriously," said Emergency Management Coordinator Anne LeSage.

The exercise was the culmination of a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) program designed to teach volunteers remote medical skills that can be used during a disaster on the island.  The class, which is a combination of 40 hours of online course work and 40 hours of in-class training, teaches participants emergency interim medical care to help prepare injured people for transportation by paramedics.

Participants learn basic first aid skills, splinting, bleeding control, wound cleaning, CPR, how to treat cold and heat-related illness, patient assessment, and triage and treatment. The 26 WFR-trained volunteers now join 74 current members of our community's BIEMRs team. This is the fourth class to complete this course that is paid for by the City and offered to residents at a subsidized price; the course generally costs about $900, participants only pay $150.

 

"Wilderness First Responder training provides an invaluable disaster medical response skill set," said LeSage. "Whether you are out hiking or camping in the backcountry, or if you want to help out post-disaster, the skills you learn will help take care of others."

 

Did you know you can receive the  Council agenda every week when it's published? Sign up for  Notify Me on the City's website-- select "City Council Meeting Notifications." You can get the updates by text or email.