Last week, we conducted a fun unofficial, unscientific poll about which sport is Bainbridge Island’s second sport. This is after pickleball, invented here on Bainbridge Island, was declared the state of Washington’s official sport. The results are in. About 120 of you responded. Cycling, (road and mountain), by a large percentage was the second sport of Bainbridge Island.  Next was the category of other, followed by oars and paddle sports, then golf. Almost all the other sports on our list were tied around five percent.

The survey was unscientific. It was intended for fun. Having fun together is important. In 2000, sociologist Robert Putnam wrote the book “Bowling Alone”. The book discusses the disconnection and the loss of traditional social networks of family, friends, neighbors, service clubs and other elements that make up social capital. Having fun together and developing community is an important attribute of healthy communities. Putnam wrote a follow-up book, “Better Together”, highlighting ways to reverse the loss of social interaction and to build stronger communities.

Bainbridge Island is fortunate, we have many opportunities to create community, from service clubs, religious communities, book clubs and trivia nights to the First Friday Art Walk. At City Hall, we will continue to look for opportunities to build community and be better together.

The City Council next week will consider approval of a $7.6 million contract with Clark Construction to convert the existing 8804 Madison Avenue building into a new Police and Municipal Court facility.

The City purchased the Madison Avenue building and property for $8.975 million in early 2020 as the future site of the police-court facility.

The City received two bids for the construction project.

Clark Construction’s bid amount was roughly $7.6 million and Forma Construction’s bid was roughly $8.5 million.

The 2021-26 Capital Improvement Plan includes roughly $9.5 million of remaining budget for the Police-Court facility construction and related support.

Construction is anticipated to start this June with completion in the fall of 2023.

Five candidates will interview for the Planning and Community Development Director position next week.

The candidates will be interviewed by two panels consisting of planning professionals and community members.

The City Manager will conduct selection interviews following the panel interviews.

The director is responsible for the community’s growth management planning process, the development and update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, zoning and land use ordinances, environmental protection regulations, development code policies and code enforcement. The director collaborates with other City departments, City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Board and various committees on strategy and policy to regulate growth and development.

The City Council next week will consider a budget amendment of $215,000 for the development of a long-range plan for the Sound to Olympics Trail. As part of the proposal, the City Council will consider accepting donations from the Park District and Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation to develop the plan.

The collaboration will include design work for the next segment of the trail between the Sakai Connector Trail and Madison Avenue.

The STO is envisioned as a regional trail system that will connect the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal with the Olympic Peninsula.

On Bainbridge Island, the trail will generally follow the State Route 305 right of way for seven miles from the ferry terminal to Agate Pass Bridge.

The long-range plan would aid in developing longer-term grant and outreach strategies for the overall trail network, and the preliminary design would assist the partners with identifying easement needs, as well as informing near-term grant opportunities for final design and construction of the next proposed segment of the trail.

The City Council on April 12 will consider a request from staff to develop a code amendment for the Winslow water tank replacement project. The existing tanks are approximately 80 feet tall, and the new tank is estimated to be approximately 110 feet tall. Currently, the City's Municipal Code does not allow structures higher than 30 feet in the R-2.9 zone where the existing and new tanks will be located. The code amendment will ensure that the zoning changes required to permit this critical infrastructure facility do not delay or prohibit construction.

The City is planning to design and construct a new 2-million-gallon water tank to replace two existing tanks near Bainbridge High School. The new tank will be constructed at a sufficient elevation to correct several deficiencies associated with the existing tank:

As part of this code amendment process, City staff will perform community outreach to the general and site specific community and hold a public hearing before the City Council.

The City is currently considering two tank styles: a Hydropillar/fluted column or composite tank.

The Bainbridge Island Police Department has received four reports of gas theft in recent weeks. Below is information about the reported incidents.

Drivers are encouraged to take a few steps to prevent this type of crime.

As always, if you see something unusual or suspicious note the description and license plate of any involved vehicles and forward to the police department. If you believe a crime is in progress, please call 911 so police can respond and assess the situation.

The next Council meeting is scheduled for April 12.

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.

The City has been awarded a best practices award from the Washington Public Treasurers Association for its revised investment policy. Currently, the City maintains an investment portfolio that is primarily invested in the Washington State and Kitsap County investment pools.

These funds are aggregate sums of resources from political subdivisions that are placed in the custody and care of the State and/or County Treasurer’s offices for investment. State law limits the types of investments governmental entities may use.

Acceptable securities include US treasuries, US corporate debt and limited other low-risk securities. The City’s primary investment objectives in order of priority are: safety, liquidity and return on investment while also maintaining compliance with all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

The policy had not been updated since 1993 and was submitted to the Washington State Public Treasurers Association for a best practices technical review and award. The revised policy will be sent to Council for final approval at the April 12 business meeting and an award and plaque will be sent by the Association the same week.

The Farmers Market will mark the start of the season this Saturday at the Town Square with the opening day cheese toss. Mayor Joe Deets will get the honor this year of tossing the cheese, a Bainbridge Island tradition!

Guests will get to welcome back some of their favorite vendors and welcome new ones, too. There will be new booths, events, musicians and activities throughout the year. The market will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Square.

The City will be hosting a table at the market throughout the season to keep you informed about City projects, outreach opportunities and ongoing work of our volunteer committees. Please stop by the table and say hello!

We hope to see you there.