City Manager's Report
Bainbridge Islanders,
This week is the introduction of the video version of the City Manager’s Report. Every week, some of the topics and stories in the written version of the City Manager’s Report and a few additional items will be translated to video. The video version of the City Manager’s Report is not intended to replace the online City Manager’s Report but complement information in the written version. The video will be shared weekly on the City’s social media and Bremerton Kitsap Access Television (Channel 12 on Comcast and Channel 3 on WAVE).

The purpose of the City Manager’s Report is to provide information to the community about the City of Bainbridge Island. It is my firm belief that local government is the most important level of government in our federal system of governance, but it is often the least understood level of government. Our weekly updates, the City’s website and COBI Connects are all tools to reach the community with information about the City of Bainbridge Island.

The weekly updates should provide information on the City Council’s policy directives and information on the “nuts-and-bolts” of the municipal corporation. I want to bring you information on the men and women who provide services to you (the community) and share with you some of the unglamorous details of running a city. For the most part, the job of City Manager is making sure the bills are paid, that we make payroll, we buy the stuff we need, we hire qualified people, and we protect the public’s assets. For example, I was excited this week that we received a $39,000 refund check from our Workers Compensation Program due to a lower rate of worker compensation claims incurred in 2017 and 2018.

Please take a moment to watch the video version of the City Manager’s Report below. I think you will find it informative and perhaps you will make it part of your regular weekly routine. Who knows, one of you might even fill in as the anchor in a future video update.
Best wishes,

Blair King
City Manager
Inclement weather response
The heavy rain and King Tides brought flooding to some waterfront areas of Bainbridge Island. Manitou Beach Dr is closed between Beachcrest Dr and Murden Cove Dr due to water over the road. If you need sandbags to prevent flooding, please visit the City’s Operations & Maintenance Facility at 7305 Hidden Cove Road. Please call 206.842.1212.

Snow & Ice Response
City crews this week continued clearing culverts and sweeping roads after the recent winter snow storm.

From Dec. 26 to Dec. 30, the City provided 24-hour coverage with the help of 18 employees. The crews cleared primary and secondary roads with an emphasis on hills and curves, then moved on to neighborhood roads. The City responded to more than 70 requests from Bainbridge Islanders to treat specific areas that were icy. All snow response is handled by City employees. The City does not contract with an outside agency or company for snow and ice removal.

In addition, the severe weather shelter at the Senior Community Center was open for 8 days.

We read many comments on social media and received several emails about the status of the icy ferry terminal parking lot. The City does not own or maintain any parking lots at/near the ferry terminal. The City contacted WSF (after WSF temporarily closed the parking lot due to the icy conditions) to assist with clearing the sidewalk so that people could safely walk to the ferry terminal. In the future, we will work with WSF to make sure that area is addressed sooner.
Hearing Examiner approves Wintergreen Townhomes Project
The Hearing Examiner has approved, with conditions, the Wintergreen Townhomes Project that will include affordable housing.

The site is located on Wintergreen Lane. The applicant plans to subdivide two remaining parcels in the Visconsi Master Plan to build 73 single-family townhomes. This will include 31 units to be sold as affordable housing units.

Some of the conditions address specific impacts of the proposal related to a screening buffer adjacent to the High School Road and State Route 305 intersection; parking and stormwater standards; and long-term management of the affordable rental and homeownership units.

The Hearing Examiner issued an approval decision Dec. 23. The decision by the Hearing Examiner is final unless an appeal is filed within 21 days of the issuance. If an appeal is filed, it must be submitted to the City Clerk by Jan. 18.

Read the Hearing Examiner decision.
City to commemorate MLK Jr. Day with a special screening of "Selma"
The City of Bainbridge Island and its Race Equity Advisory Committee will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, Jan. 17 with a special screening of "Selma", an historical film that chronicles Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights with a march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

The movie will be shown at 12:00 p.m. at Bainbridge Cinemas, located at 403 Madison Ave N, and the screening will be free to the public.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. Theater seating will be socially distanced. The theater is being provided courtesy of Bainbridge Cinemas.
COVID-19 Updates
City to expand COVID-19 drive-thru testing
The City's community-based test site at the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church parking lot will now offer testing on Monday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. due to the increased demand.

The test site will be closed Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Kitsap County has expanded drive-thru testing to six days a week. Read the Kitsap Public Health District Jan. 5 bulletin.

The next COVID-19 booster clinic is scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 8 at the Commodore Options School. Appointments are full but please continue checking the TimeTap page in case an appointment becomes available.
Project Updates
Staff seeks to address conditions along Eagle Harbor Drive
At the Jan. 11 City Council meeting, staff will request that the City Manager’s change order authority for the Eagle Harbor Drive Phase II Nonmotorized Improvement Project construction contract be expanded from the present $230,000 to $403,000 – within the approved budget – to address design challenges related to drainage and general road and bike lane safety conditions. 

The project, which could not be completed in fall 2021 due to early onset wet weather conditions, has several challenges observed by the staff and the community that should be addressed for the safety of the traveling public. Work planned to address the observed issues includes:

  • Clearing ditches and installing catch basins and other drainage improvements in select locations;
  • Adding mulch and landscaping to the larger separated areas;
  • Providing post and rail fence in select areas for safety;
  • Adding gravel or paving a portion of the narrow separation areas; and,
  • Corridor striping of the vehicular and bike lanes.

Assuming the increase in change order authority is granted by the City Council, staff estimate that the work could begin as soon as late January.

Given the interest that the community has expressed in building more physically and vertically separated bike lanes in the future, the staff are working on a standard design approach for future facilities that will avoid some of the problems encountered with this project. An overview of those designs is planned along with the discussions on the Sustainable Transportation Plan.
Mark your calendar for the next sustainable transportation meeting
The final Sustainable Transportation Task Force meeting will occur Friday, Jan. 14 at 9:30 a.m. on Zoom.

The Task Force will review the groups of projects and programs identified for a Near-term Implementation Plan, encompassing the next six to 10 years of transportation infrastructure.

Public comment will be taken at the end of the meeting.
Vegetation maintenance begins along STO Trail
The City, in partnership with the Parks District and the Parks Foundation, is engaged in a tree maintenance project along the Sound to Olympics Trail. The Parks Foundation has donated more than $80,000 of in-kind service to maintaining and improving vegetation along the Sound to Olympics trail between Winslow Way and High School Rd, and is currently performing more vegetation maintenance.

The City’s arborist evaluated trees that needed to be trimmed to remove branches that were entangled in the canopy, and to remove diseased or dying trees. Additionally, approximately 65 small trees (less than 6 inches in diameter at breast height) are being removed to promote the health of the larger stand of conifer trees. This maintenance work is underway. The trees that are being removed are below the crown cover of the larger fir trees, which are remaining. This thinning process will encourage the growth of the mature trees and help the forest maintain a healthy condition.
City Council Updates
Upcoming City Council agenda
The City Council will resume meeting Jan. 11 on Zoom. Some of the topics will include:

  • Presentation of Oath of Office for Council members Moriwaki, Deets and Quitslund.
  • Appointment of a Mayor and Deputy Mayor
  • Presentation by the Utility Advisory Committee with a year-end report and 2022 work plan
  • Presentation of a proclamation recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Discussion on setting goals for the 2022 legislative agenda
  • Consider ordinance to amend Bainbridge Island Municipal Code regarding appointments to the Planning Commission


Ways to Watch
  • Zoom

  • City website livestream (visit the Agendas & Minutes page, then click on "In Progress" when the meeting starts)

  • BKAT (Channel 12 on Comcast & Channel 3 on WAVE)


Contact the Council
The public is invited to contact members of the City Council to express concerns, questions and praise. Some council members are holding virtual office hours and others are available to meet upon request. Please visit the City Council page for more information on individual City Council members.
City Advisory Group Updates
Planning Commission to resume Jan. 13
The Planning Commission will host a public participation meeting during next week's Jan. 13 meeting.

Puget Sound Energy is proposing a Comprehensive Plan Amendment & Rezone. PSE wants to change the zoning of three existing substation properties on Bainbridge Island from Residential to Business/Industrial. The properties include:

  • Port Madison Substation at the Day Road and State Route 305 intersection 
  • Murden Cove Substation at Sportsman Club Road  
  • Winslow Substation at the Fletcher Bay Road and Bucklin Hill Road intersection. 

PSE will give a presentation on their proposal and will answer questions from the public.

A public participation meeting provides an opportunity for the community to learn about a proposed project. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Zoom.

Other Jan. 13 Planning Commission topic:

  • Discussion on Ordinance 2022-02 (previously 2021-38) to consider allowing bonus density for affordable housing built on property owned or controlled by religious organizations. The ordinance would apply only to a pilot project being proposed by Bethany Lutheran Church, as directed by the Council in October 2021. The City is considering the ordinance after the 2019 Washington State Legislature approval of Substitute House Bill 1377 to facilitate the development of affordable housing projects on property owned or controlled by religious organizations. 

Sign up to receive the Planning Commission agenda when it's published at bainbridgewa.gov/1101.
Volunteer to serve on the City's race equity committee
The City of Bainbridge Island is seeking one volunteer to serve on the Race Equity Advisory Committee (REAC) through June 2022.

The REAC meets 6 to 7:30 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month.

Applications are due by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Applicants selected for interviews must be available in February.

Term begins immediately following City Council appointment.
For more information on REAC and to complete the online application, please visit:

Questions? Please contact Executive Assistant Roz Lassoff
at 206-580-6735 (cell) or rlassoff@bainbridgewa.gov.
Other Updates
Appointments no longer required for building permit, land use applications
As of Jan. 1, permit applicants do not need an appointment to submit building permit or land use applications. The changes are designed to improve the overall permit process and allow applicants to check on the status of their permit any time.

Below is a summary of the new process:

  • A Permit Specialist will use the information from the application to create a file with a case number. Every effort will be made to respond within two business days of receipt of an appropriate and complete application.

  • Once the file is created, a Permit Specialist will email a case number to the applicant. An access code for the online permit portal will be included in the email to allow the applicant to upload all required initial documents.

  • Once all required documents are uploaded, an invoice will be sent to the applicant.

  • Once the invoice is paid, the application will be considered “submitted” and will be forwarded to the appropriate queue for review. Additional information may be requested/required depending on the results of the review process.

Consultations and 15-minute Q&As are still available for online appointments. In addition, the counter is open 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Police host Community Police Academy reunion
On Dec. 22, the Bainbridge Island Police Department hosted a reunion at City Hall for alumni of the Community Police Academy. Despite the rainy weather, about 25 alumni came out for a meet and greet with the Police Chief and other members of the department. Since Chief Clark’s arrival in April 2020, he has not had an opportunity to meet in-person with many Bainbridge Islanders due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Community members chatted with some of the newest members of our department who also joined us during the pandemic: Officer Mara Dominowski and Officer Roger Swann, and our newest recruit Colt Lasnier. The Community Health Navigator, Kelsey Lynch, was there to talk about her role and various services available in the area. Officer Zach Burnham came in and brought along his partner, K9 Whitney.

The Community Police Academy serves as a great foundation to the relationship with our community. We look forward to announcing plans to restart the program in 2022.
If you are a graduate of the Community Police Academy and would like to add your email address to our list, please send your information to police@bainbridgewa.gov.
Important Dates
Wednesday, Jan. 12: Utility Advisory Committee meeting; 5:30 p.m. on Zoom
Friday, Jan. 14: Sustainable Transportation Task Force meeting; 9:30 a.m. on Zoom
Monday, Jan. 17: City offices closed in observance of MLK Day; Special screening of "Selma" at 12 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 1: Deadline to apply for Race Equity Advisory Committee; 4 p.m.
Stay Connected
Contact Information

280 Madison Avenue North
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Phone: 206-842-7633