On a recent Saturday, the City Council held a retreat. Typically, retreats allow a City Council or Board of Directors to step back from the normal routine and consider broader issues. This retreat was facilitated to assist with managing group discussions and capturing key points. The retreat took most of the day and it was held in person in the Council Chambers.

I appreciate the Council giving up their Saturday. It is a big ask. I already think that there is no harder working Council than the City of Bainbridge Island City Council. They meet every week, they have liaison assignments, subcommittee assignments, represent the City at regional bodies, and are ambassadors in the community.

The retreat allowed the Council to state their highest priorities. It is understood that everything is a priority, but the highest of priorities for this Council are:

The usual and routine activities of the municipal corporation such as financial management, personnel, and routine maintenance are not considered because they are the standard baseline for routine operations. They are priorities unto themselves. During the Aug. 10 business meeting, the Council will revisit these priorities and consider formal adoption.

The Council also discussed working smarter, the length of City Council meetings, and how they could manage their workload. As a result, the public can expect to see some changes that will make Council meetings shorter and City Council agendas more manageable.

This retreat was also the first step back to in-person Council meetings. In August, the Council Chambers will again be occupied and meetings will be in person as we progress in our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The July 17 retreat can be viewed on the Agendas & Minutes page.

In order to provide technically-based and objective review of issues or questions dealing with traffic operations, the City Manager has established a Traffic Operations Committee.

This is an internal staff committee comprised of the Director of Public Works, Chief of Police, City Attorney, City Engineer, Deputy City Manager and Planning Director.

The committee is intended to meet regularly and conduct business in a formal fashion with meetings open to the public with public comment. The committee will review traffic operations issues and provide the City Manager with recommendations based upon applicable technical documents to address a full range of traffic and mobility issues associated with the public right of way.

It is envisioned as issues related to traffic (e.g., speed limits, traffic control signs, no parking, crosswalks, speed humps, and other mobility issues) are presented to the City Manager for action or recommendation, either directly or via referrals from the City Council, they will be referred to the committee for a recommendation. The committee will be tasked with developing recommendations, which the City Manager in turn will use to guide his recommendations to the City Council or for implementation.

Construction for the Eagle Harbor Drive Phase II non-motorized improvements project is currently delayed until mid-August as staff evaluates the design configuration.

Construction on the Eagle Harbor Drive Phase II project began in June. Since that time, City staff have been working with the contractor to lay out a configuration that will include widened areas of physical separation of the bike lanes from the roadway on both sides of the road along the majority of the alignment. This revised design includes a wide northbound separation at the curve near McDonald Avenue with features to provide a safe and comfortable ride for all ages.

Vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians should be prepared to slow down and proceed with caution and patience when traveling through the construction area. City staff expect that a majority of the project will be completed prior to the start of the school year in September.

Construction on the STO Sakai Pond Connector Trail is anticipated to resume next week.

The project was recently delayed due to equipment issues experienced by the contractor. City staff expect that construction will resume next week after repairs have been completed.

A project team from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shared an update with the City Council this week on the State Route 305 roundabout project.

WSDOT is planning to build two roundabouts on Bainbridge Island along the SR 305 corridor at the West Port Madison and Adas Will Lane intersections. The project will work as a system to address significant safety issues at the Adas Will, Agatewood and West Port Madison intersections, which have a high rate of vehicle crashes.

Following the presentation from WSDOT, the City Council engaged in a conversation with the WSDOT project team on a host of issues affecting residents who live close to the proposed project. Topics of discussion, which the Council will continue at the August 24 meeting, included potential mitigation of visual and noise impacts, opportunities for tree protection, planting and public art.

More information can be found on the project webpage. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall.

Watch the July 27 discussion on the Agendas & Minutes page.

The Council will be in recess Aug. 3. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10.

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 Planning Commission this week voted to recommend approval of an ordinance that would temporarily only allow bonus density to be used for affordable housing in the Winslow Mixed Use Town Center and High School Road districts. 

On July 29, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on Ordinance 2021-10. The ordinance amends Sections 18.12.030.E (Bonus Density in Winslow Mixed Use and High School Road Districts) and sections of the Bainbridge Island Municipal Code related to reducing the options for obtaining bonus floor area ratio (FAR) in the Mixed Use Town Center and High School Road zoning districts. The ordinance originates from the City Council passage of an Interim Zoning Control in March 2020.

The draft Ordinance No. 2021-10 removes all the bonus FAR provisions of BIMC 18.12.030.E except the Subsection E.1 and Subsection E.7, related to affordable housing and relocating surface ferry parking under a building or below ground. The Planning Commission recommends moving the FAR provisions related to preserving historic buildings to the BIMC Chapter 18.24 Historic Preservation Program. If approved, the new code language will allow bonus FAR for the provision of affordable housing, but not for market-rate housing or commercial-only developments (except for those properties with historic buildings).

The Planning Commission has indicated that this ordinance is an interim step while the City works to improve its affordable housing and transfer of development rights (TDR) programs. To that end, Section 8 of Ordinance No. 2021-10 provides for the ordinance to sunset after two years. 

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the ordinance at their meeting on August 10. For more information on this ordinance, visit the project website at www.bainbridgewa.gov/1214.

Bainbridge Island is conducting a state-mandated periodic review of the Shoreline Master Program (SMP).

The next phase of the project began on July 29, 2021 when the Planning Commission started its review of the Planning Department’s draft amendments.

The Planning Commission’s review is anticipated to continue through the end of the year, with each Planning Commission meeting providing for public comment on the draft plan.

During its review, the Planning Commission will hold a 30-day public comment period (anticipated to be in September and October) and a joint public hearing (anticipated in October). Informed by community input and their own review, the Planning Commission will adopt recommendations to the City Council. More information is available on the project website.

Are you an islander under age 35? Kitsap Transit would like your feedback in a survey!

Kitsap Transit is wrapping up a community survey focused on Bainbridge Islanders and their transportation needs/patterns and would like the survey to be more representative of Bainbridge's population. The survey link is below. Thank you for your help!

The survey closes this weekend.

On Sunday, Aug. 1, drivers should anticipate delays on the Seattle to Bainbridge Island route due to heavy bicycle traffic participating in the annual Chilly Hilly Bicycle Classic.

More than 1,000 bicyclists are expected, and vehicle capacity will be limited on the 7:55 am, 8:55 am, and 9:35 am departures from Seattle. Departing the Bainbridge Island Terminal, the heaviest traffic is expected on sailings between 11:35 am and 3:00 pm.

To minimize delays, WSF recommends that drivers consider alternative travel times or routes.

The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. All traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside terminals and vessels in compliance with the latest CDC guidelines. However, passengers can remove their masks while outdoors on the sun deck, car deck areas of the vessel, outside waiting areas at terminals and other outdoor locations. Please remember to mask up upon reentering interior areas of boats and terminals.

Don't forget to return your ballot for the Aug. 3 primary election.

The Bainbridge Island ballot box is located in the Bainbridge Island School District office parking lot (between the district office and the aquatic center), located at 8489 Madison Ave NE.

The ballot box will remain open until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Ballot drops provide a safe, secure way for voters to deposit their ballots. No postage is required. The ballot drop boxes also meet accessibility requirements for voters with disabilities. Learn more on the Kitsap County Auditor's website.