Bainbridge Islanders,
In Bainbridge Island we are fortunate that we are not in a drought condition. We have experienced normal rainfall over the past several years. The U.S. Drought Monitor Map is filled with a lot of bright reds, oranges and even black. Much of the western United States, even Hawaii, is in extreme and exceptional drought. Water conservation is important.
Due to higher temperatures, the consumption of water on the island is up this week. In some cases, way up. The average household normally uses less than 300 gallons of water per day, but some households are currently exceeding 1,000 gallons per day. One resident averaged more than 2,000 gallons per day. (A leak might explain the high consumption.)
The problem with increased water consumption is not the availability of water, it is the strain placed on pumps. The pumps are not in air-conditioned facilities. Hot temperatures put pressure on the mechanical systems. The pumps work to fill reservoir tanks and the water flows from the tanks to the water consumers. You might recall the city is working on replacing the high-water tank in Winslow with a more efficient tank that does not have as much “dead storage.” When consumption increases, the pumps need to work longer to fill the reservoirs. The pumps are strained due to the heat and then strained some more due to prolonged use to fill the reservoirs.
The reason we are asking people to conserve water is to take some strain off the pumps. Some of these pumps will be replaced in just a few months. We want to make it through the hot summer.
The other thing you should know is the city is looking at our water and sewer rates. We want to make sure the rates are adequate to cover the cost of infrastructure and maintenance.
Thank you for watching your water consumption. The rain will be back before we know it.
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Best,
Blair King
City Manager
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Project on SR 305/Murden Creek - Remove Fish Barrier to begin August 8 |
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WSDOT Project overview
This project will remove barriers to fish under SR 305 on Bainbridge Island. Crews will maintain two lanes of traffic while removing an existing culvert under the highway. The culvert will be replaced with a new bridge.
The work will open almost 1.5 miles of potential habitat on Murden Creek. The creek is a top salmon stream on Bainbridge Island and is a tributary to Murden Cove.
Timeline
August 2022 - November 2023
Work will begin Monday, Aug. 8.
Project status
Pre-construction funding $5 million to $7.5 million; Project hotline 1-866-634-0029
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What to expect
This project will keep travelers moving during construction. The speed limit will be temporarily reduced to 35 mph approaching the work zone north of Sportsman Club Road NE/Manitou Beach Road. Expect occasional one-way alternating traffic at night.
Beginning Monday Aug. 8, bicyclists can ride with traffic or follow a signed detour. The detour will continue throughout project duration.
History and background
Correcting fish passage barriers is an important part of WSDOT's efforts to protect and restore fish runs.
A 2013 federal court injunction required WSDOT to significantly increase the state’s efforts to remove state-owned culverts that block habitat for salmon, bull trout, and steelhead.
Removal of an outdated culvert with a 24-foot bridge will increase the likelihood of fish migration. Crews will also build features to replicate a natural stream. The improvements support every life cycle of fish.
For more information on the project, click here.
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Continue to Conserve Water |
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Water system customers, especially those in the Rockaway service area, are being asked to conserve water and reduce irrigation by 50% of current usage to ease pressure on aging infrastructure. Some customers of the system are currently using 8-times more water than the entire system uses on an average day, which leads to long well pump runs that can damage or burn out the system.
To ensure potable water is available in the Rockaway Beach area, the city has activated an emergency intertie to provide water to the 67 homes served by this system. The 19 year old pump that serves this area has been required to operate excessively to fill the 130,000 gallon storage tank.
Customers are asked to sign up for Nixle alerts by texting rockaway to 888777.
More information can be found on the City’s website.
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Plastic is everywhere, including your bathroom. Take a look and you may see plastic toothbrushes, plastic shampoo bottles, and plastic razors just to name a few. Since these items get used every day they frequently need to be replaced, creating a lot of waste, and often end up in local marine environments. An estimated one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown out every single year, creating about 50 million pounds of waste!
Reducing single-use plastics protects our marine environment and reduces greenhouse gas. You can reduce your single-use plastic consumption by swapping these products for plastic-free alternatives. Opting for bamboo toothbrushes, choosing a toothbrush with changeable heads, looking for shampoos or soaps without plastic packaging, and choosing metal razors are all great ways to go plastic free in July! Explore more ideas to reduce plastic waste at www.climatesmartbainbridge.org
Graphic Credit: Plastic Free July
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City is Seeking Your Input on the National Community Survey |
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The City of Bainbridge Island is seeking your input about the City's programs and services. To gather this information, the City has contracted with a service to perform a community survey.
The survey has two parts - a statistically-valid survey of community residents based on a randomly-selected set of addresses, and an open participation survey.
Postcards like the one shown here went out earlier this month to nearly 3,000 addresses on Bainbridge. If you got one, please complete the survey so that we'll get the best possible information. If you didn't, there will be a chance in August to complete the same questions through a public participation survey option.
In the fall, the City will receive a report from the survey company. This report will include benchmark data, comparing our results to those received from cities across the country.
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Bainbridge Island Police Department |
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Prowlers and Car Thefts Persist |
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Sportsman Club/New Brooklyn Project Continues |
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Construction continues on the Sportsman/New Brooklyn intersection improvements, with work on retaining walls wrapping up this week, and the last elements of the new storm drainage system being installed.
Next week the contractor’s surveyors will begin laying out the geometry for new concrete curbs.
More information about this project is available on the City's project page.
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Police Department - Court Facility |
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Construction continues on the City’s new Police and Court Facility, with the current focus on increasing the structural stability of the building to meet current codes for earthquake protection.
The north wall has been removed for structural reinforcement, and the building foundation is being altered to improve “hold-downs” for the building’s structural systems.
Work is also beginning on the minor addition to the building, which will house an access stairway and storage area for police officers.
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Road Striping to begin Aug. 1 |
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The City’s annual road striping project will begin on August 1st this year.
The City stripes roads every year to meet road safety standards. The project will likely take between 6-8 weeks to complete. Specific road closures or detours are not anticipated.
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Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center |
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The City Council rejected construction bids for the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center (BISCC) this week, as the single bid received for the renovation project was more than double the engineer's estimate.
The City’s project manager is currently working with BISCC to trim the project scope. At this time, we think the project will focus on upgrades to the newer portion of the building including the entryway and lobby, and the thrift store.
*Photo credit: hellobainbridge.com
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The next scheduled City Council Regular Business Meeting will be on Aug. 9. Key topics include:
- Consider Poet Laureate Program
- Approve Memorandum of Understanding with the Center for Policing Equity for a Body Worn Camera Interaction Study
- Approval of a Solid Waste Management Evaluation
- Authorize a Labor Agreement with the Police Union
Ways to Watch
- In-person at the City Hall City Council Chambers
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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
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.
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Farmer's Market Adjusted Hours due to Heat |
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Due to the expected hot weather, the Bainbridge Island Farmer’s Market will modify their hours this weekend in order to keep customers and vendors safe and healthy.
The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 30, with some vendors opening earlier at 9 a.m. Thank you for shopping local!
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Check out the City’s Housing Action Plan website for information, project timeline and links to an online survey about housing issues for community members and business owners alike.
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Reminder: New Permit Fees Coming September 1st |
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Planning and Community Development permit fees will increase effective September 1, 2022. The fees have not been increased since 2007. They are being increased to reduce the General Fund subsidy of the Planning Department. To learn more about the adopted fee increases, visit the website.
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Saturday, July 30, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bainbridge Island Farmer’s Market adjusted hours due to expected heat.
Tuesday, Aug. 2 Council Study Session canceled
Tuesday, Aug. 9 Council Regular Business Meeting
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Friday, Aug. 19 Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Akio Suyematsu Day
Tuesday, Aug. 23 Council Business Meeting canceled
Tuesday, Sept. 6 Council Study Session canceled
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