Mention of a new speedier permit for certain home improvements has previously been made in this weekly report. I want to continue to highlight this new faster permit. This new permit is an important step in improving customer service from our Planning and Community Development Department. If a homeowner has a project that is totally within the interior of a house, such as a kitchen remodel, bathroom remodel, moving or deleting walls, changing staircases, etc., an online permit may be submitted, that bypasses the Planning Division, and is handled at the job site by Building Inspectors.

Since last month, 21 of these new expedited permits have been issued. These new permits will help to reduce the backlog of permits waiting for Planning Department review and should help improve the entire permit process. Projects that involve work outside the interior of the house, such as lifting roof heights, are not eligible for the new expedited permits. But we are continuing to look for ways to improve the process, reduce wait times, and improve customer service without any compromise to our standards for review and enforcement across all aspects of the planning and building process.

This weekend is the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The day is designated as a day of service and remembrance.

A service project is coming up next weekend that you might want to consider. It is the sixth annual Bainbridge Island Beach Cleanup. It will be held on Sunday, September 19. Information is available on the Sustainable Bainbridge website. Volunteers are asked to register. This event is conducted with the Ocean Conservancy, which coordinates cleanup events all around the world. It is interesting to discover the wide range of refuse that washes up along the shoreline and a good excuse to get outdoors.

Please join the the Sustainable Transportation Task Force this morning (Friday September 10) on Zoom to review the preliminary list of proposed projects, programs, and policies to create connected networks for walking, bicycling, and transit. This is one of the final meetings of the task force, as it nears completion of the work plan.

The community is invited to watch the meeting and public comment is welcome near the end of the meeting, starting at about 11:45 a.m. You can join the Zoom meeting at the following link: https://bainbridgewa.zoom.us/j/98591140928

The Sustainable Transportation Plan was initiated by City Council in 2019 to identify ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our transportation systems. We’ve heard from hundreds of community members, hosted eight meetings with our community Task Force and an additional eight meetings with our Technical Advisory Team composed of agency partners.

Please participate and help us achieve our community goals for a better Bainbridge Island.

The City is trying to determine how to use $7 million of federal stimulus funds - formally known as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) - and is seeking your input.

ARPA, a $1.9 trillion national economic stimulus bill passed by Congress in March, aims to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are restricted to certain types of programs or expenditures and are subject to time limits. Specifically, the City must have “obligated” (signed a contract or otherwise agreed upon spending) the funds by December 31, 2024; all funds must be spent by December 31, 2026.

The Council in June approved guidelines for how the money should be spent: to achieve long-lasting benefits; to support projects that would not be accomplished without a large one-time sum; to promote fiscal and environmental sustainability and to avoid cost reoccurrence.

Staff presented a list of proposed projects to the Council last month related to water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, nonmotorized transportation improvements, climate mitigation projects, affordable housing and emergency response infrastructure upgrades. Staff refined the list to 12 projects based on Council feedback, and is now seeking public input on our Engage Bainbridge page to prioritize projects.

Please review the projects, then let us know how you think the grant funding should be used.

Due to the increase in COVID-19 activity and demand for testing, the City of Bainbridge Island, in partnership with Kitsap Public Health District and Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center is opening a drive-thru COVID-19 test site at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church lower parking lot (located at 11042 Sunrise Dr NE) starting Monday, September 13.

The site will be open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays.

The test site will provide nasal self-swab PCR testing and results should be returned within 48-72 hours.

Appointments can be booked one week in advance. In general, we would like appointments to be made for people who are symptomatic, have a known or confirmed COVID exposure, or meet other criteria for testing.

Testing kits for pre-travel clearance purposes are available for purchase online and at many local pharmacies.

Book online at https://www.testdirectly.com/patient/search/provider_search

Kitsap County Public Health and the Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center are also operating test sites across the county at the following locations:

Additional testing site options: https://kitsappublichealth.org/CommunityHealth/files/COVID/COVID-TestingFacilities.pdf

Progress on the Eagle Harbor Drive nonmotorized project continued this week, with the contractor placing hydroseed in the vegetated strips between the roadway and the bike lanes. The seed used in this area is a native meadow mix that was developed by the City of Portland and is suitable for roadside applications (see photo). More than one application of the mix may be necessary over the course of the next year to ensure proper germination and coverage.

Community members have volunteered to plant the larger vegetated buffer areas with native plants later this fall.

Striping of the project area is anticipated to happen next week, including restriping of the roadway and striping of an outside “fog line” on the separated bike facilities.

The annual street maintenance work is nearly complete. The contractor's only remaining work item is to replace a curb at Shannon Drive.

The City maintains a 140-mile road network. Each year, the City invests an average of $650,000 to preserve and protect island roads. The budget includes $400,000 from Transportation Benefit Fund (TBF or car-tab fees) revenues, and the remainder is supported by the City’s Street Fund.

The City uses a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) and traffic volumes to rate the conditions of the road network and to determine where road maintenance will happen. The PCI ranks the overall health of a pavement segment on a scale of 0 to 100 (0 represents a failed street; 100 represents a new street). The PCI rating is determined by a visual inspection of pavement condition, age and distress.

Learn more about annual road work at www.bainbridgewa.gov/270.

The City Council this week discussed a response to the July 20 presentation provided by representatives from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) regarding upcoming PSE reliability projects, specifically the “missing link” transmission line between the Winslow and Murden Cove Substation.

The “missing link” new transmission line is a critical component of PSE’s plan to improve electric service reliability, reducing the frequency and duration of power outages for customers on Bainbridge Island. Two-thirds of the island is served by two substations that don’t have backup transmission. PSE is planning to build the new "missing link" transmission line between the Winslow and Murden Cove substations to create a transmission loop. This means each substation will be connected to two transmission lines. If one line goes out, the other line can still feed the substation and provide power to customers.

The Council’s response, which will come in the form of a letter to PSE, will request more information on PSE’s analysis and proposed mitigation for project impacts on vulnerable populations and the environment, including considerations given to undergrounding the facilities. A copy of the draft letter will be available for review by the public on the City’s website next week, and public comment on the letter will be taken by the City Council at the September 28 business meeting.

Watch the Sept. 7 discussion.

Below are some of the topics scheduled for the Sept. 14 City Council meeting.

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 Council this week presented a proclamation for a Day of Service and Remembrance, an annual proclamation to honor the lives and memories of those who died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"I believe the price of freedom is very high," said Commander Gary Sakuma of the American Legion Colin Hyde Post 172 who accepted the proclamation during the virtual meeting. "It is our duty and obligation to honor these people."

The proclamation presentation was followed with a moment of silence.

The American Legion Colin Hyde Post 172 will host a Patriot Day Observance at 10 a.m. on Sept. 11 outside the legion hall to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance has been limited to invited guests only.