Bainbridge Islanders,
It is a new year, and the beginning of 2023 will find the City Council hard at work. At its next meeting on Jan. 10, the City Council will reorganize itself with the selection of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Also at that meeting, the Council will get its first look at the Eagle Harbor Drive/Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Improvements Project. This $5.8 million project will provide bicycle and pedestrian improvements along the stretch of Eagle Harbor that intersects with Blakely Avenue, around the head of Eagle Harbor, and Wyatt Way from the head of the bay curve to the intersection with Finch Road. This project requires right-of-way acquisition and wetland mitigation.
At the first Study Session of the year, on Jan. 17, the Council will hear a report on the implementation of the 2023 Waste Reduction Ordinance. As part of this presentation, the Council will receive feedback directly from restaurants on their experiences implementing the requirements of the new waste reduction ordinance.
Soon, the Council will be working on the Housing Action Plan, the Winslow Subarea Plan, and the Comprehensive Plan update that is due December 31, 2024. Yes, this will be a busy year for the City Council and staff.
As we kick off the New Year, I want to acknowledge and thank the City employees who responded over the Holidays during the storms and foul weather. We had snow, an Ice Storm, high winds, and King Tides. I can attest firsthand how difficult it is to work in bad weather when it seems like the rest of the world is bundled up safety with their families at home. Even being on call or standby is taxing while you wait for that alert requiring you to come back to work. One knows to avoid making plans when the weather is bad because you never know when you’ll need to respond to the call of duty. Again, thank you to the men and women of our Public Works Department, Police Department, and Emergency Services.
Best,
Blair King
City Manager
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On this week's
City Update
Snow, ice, wind, rain, king tide!
Intense winter weather report, new police and
court facility update and more.
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Winslow Subarea Plan Update |
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The City has begun work on updating the Winslow Subarea Plan. A Subarea plan sets land use and transportation policy within a specific geographic region of the community.
The current Winslow Subarea Plan includes sections on housing, open space and trails, public facilities, transportation, utilities, and capital facilities – most of which will be updated through this effort.
How to Stay Informed
Information and updates will be added to the project website throughout the year. Sign up to be notified via text or email about Winslow Subarea Plan project meetings and updates.
How to Be Involved
There will be three public meetings for this planning effort beginning in February. These are great opportunities to catch up on the project and weigh in with your feedback.
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January 12 Webinar: Getting to 100% Renewable Energy on BI |
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Interested in learning more about how Bainbridge Island can transition to a renewable energy future? Join City staff and representatives from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Spark NW to learn about a special analysis taking place in 2023 as part of the Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP).
The City was selected as one of 12 communities in the country to receive technical assistance from ETIPP to help advance the goals laid out in the Climate Action Plan. Over the next year, City staff, community stakeholders, and the ETIPP team will be working to:
1) identify specific pathways towards 100% renewable energy for the island, which includes an analysis of future electric loads, quantifying what portion of those loads can be met by different on-island renewable energy technologies, and the estimated cost for different options, and
2) identify critical infrastructure, the vulnerabilities of that infrastructure, and how microgrids or energy storage could address those vulnerabilities and expand existing and planned reliability.
Learn more about what this technical assistance program will – and will not – include in the year ahead and how you can play a role in advancing our renewable energy future.
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Open House for Eagle Harbor Drive/Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Improvements - January 25 at 6 p.m. |
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On Wed., Jan. 25 from 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m., the Public Works Department will be hosting an open house meeting at City Hall to discuss and solicit feedback on the design of the Eagle Harbor Drive/Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Improvements Project. All are welcome to attend.
Meeting attendees will learn about the project scope, schedule, budget, and will have an opportunity to provide input to the Department on prioritizing project improvements and facility types. (The project website is currently being
updated.)
During the City Council meeting on Jan. 10, staff will present the City Council with an overview of the project.
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Vehicle Prowls - How to Protect Your Home |
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In response to recent vehicle prowls, the BIPD received questions about alternative ways to store vehicle registrations.
What happened?
On Dec. 24, thieves used the address from the registration certificate to go to a local home and break-in while the owners were away. While not the case in this instance, many owners keep a garage door opener inside their cars. Pairing this device with the address on the registration is like having a key to your home.
What are the alternatives?
Washington State law does require that registration certificates be carried in the vehicle for which they are issued. To comply with the law, RCW 46.16A.180 allows for electronic images, such as on a cell phone, in place of the paper copy to protect your home address from would be thieves.
Anyone driving the vehicle would need to have the electronic or paper copy with them while operating the vehicle. Laws vary from state to state and electronic registrations may not be accepted in all places outside of Washington so check before you travel.
As of Jan. 1, all new registrations will be printed so that the address section can be removed by the owner. Remember, in order for the registration certificate to be valid it must be signed by the registered owners.
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Waste Reduction Regulations Now in Effect |
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New waste reduction regulations on Bainbridge Island are now in effect! As of Jan. 1: all onsite dining must utilize reusable food service ware, all disposable food service ware provided for to-go orders must be home compostable, and all retail food establishments must charge a $0.25 fee for disposable cups.
Have Questions?
Transition Time
To prevent waste, businesses on Bainbridge Island can use up existing food service ware supplies for to-go orders through March 31, 2023 without incurring penalties. Businesses are encouraged to start transitioning to home compostable to-go containers as soon as possible.
Learn more about the new requirements HERE.
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Save Money and Reduce Waste |
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The $0.25 fee to customers on disposable cups at retail food establishments will be retained by businesses to help offset part of the cost of the disposable cup and incentivize customers to bring their own reusable cups to reduce waste. Charges for disposable cups need to be clearly communicated to customers presale and identified separately on any provided post-sale receipt. More information can be found on our website.
Note: Retailers do not need to charge the fee when providing free drinking water upon request to customers in a small, unlined paper cup. This fee does not apply to nonprofit entities or entities providing services on behalf of a nonprofit that operate as a retail food establishment for less than 10 days per calendar year.
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The next scheduled City Council Regular Business Meeting will be on Jan. 10 Key topics include:
- Appoint Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
- Discuss Eagle Harbor Phase I Preliminary Design.
- Consider appointments of Design Review Board, Historic Preservation Commission, and Race equity Advisory Committee.
- Consider Process for Selecting Public Art at new Police/Court Facility
- Island Center Update from Council's Requests.
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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