On Monday, Jan. 17, the United States celebrates a national holiday in honor of the birthday of Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The City of Bainbridge Island and its Race Equity Advisory Committee will commemorate Dr. King’s birthday with a free screening of the Academy Award-nominated best movie “Selma” at noon on Jan. 17. Details about the movie’s screening are provided below in this weekly update.

“Selma” was one of eight movies nominated for best picture in 2015. It won the Oscar for best original song. The movie portrays the grassroots protest that resulted in the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Somehow it is ironic that voting rights continue to be a topic of our national conversation today. Most importantly, this screening is an opportunity to commemorate Dr. King and his life (which ended too soon). It’s also an opportunity to share the message of nonviolent struggle to end racial inequality and the need to include people of all colors and backgrounds into the multiethnic society we strive to be. 

One of the cherished treasures of our household is an old photograph of my father and mother-in-law talking with Martin Luther King Jr. at the 1958 National General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. This photograph connects Dr. King to my family and to the struggles of the 50s and 60s. It helps to inspire my family to reach toward Dr. King’s lofty goals. 

Any movement for acceptance and inclusion begins locally here in the City of Bainbridge Island. Thank you to the members of our community who lead the way for civil rights, inclusion, and acceptance.

The Sustainable Transportation Task Force is meeting this morning (Friday, Jan. 14) on Zoom, and it's anticipated the group will complete the draft Sustainable Transportation Plan.

The Task Force will review projects and programs identified for a Near-term Implementation Plan, encompassing the next 6-10 years of transportation infrastructure. Public comment will be taken at the end of the meeting.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

The Kitsap Public Health District (KPHD) issued a no-contact advisory near the Wing Point area Jan. 7 to Jan. 14 due to a sewage spill of approximately 1,500 gallons reported by the City's Public Works Department.

On Jan. 7, the City and the region experienced the highest king tide on record – over 14.5 feet. The resulting flood impacted shoreline residences, roads, and also City utilities. The sewage spill near Wing Point was related to a sewage pump station that is located in the flood zone near Wing Point Place (the pump station is located to the right of the wooden bench in the foreground of the photo below - next to the vegetation - but you can't see it because of the high water). The pumps in the station wet well (a large underground manhole containing two pumps that pump sewage conveyed from nearby homes to the wastewater treatment plant) stopped working. This resulted in the spill, and staff were unable to access the well and reset the pumps until the water subsided.

Staff was aware of the flooding impacts on the Wing Point pump station, which was constructed in the 1970s, before tidal flooding was as consistent an issue as it is today (and will be in the future) and are working on a design to relocate the station to higher ground. Construction for the relocation is planned for 2024. However, staff may request that funding and project timeline be advanced to limit the potential for future environmental impacts.

Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) will participate in the Jan. 18 City Council study session to share his legislative priorities and offer information about how the City can take advantage of federal infrastructure funding.

Rep. Kilmer visited Bainbridge Island Jan. 4 to meet with business owners. As part of the visit, he met with the COVID-19 vaccine leaders to thank them for their ongoing efforts.

Appointments are required for the COVID-19 test site at Rolling Bay. We apologize for the inconvenience; the demand is far exceeding capacity. Please do not show up at the test site without an appointment.

Book appointments here: https://www.testdirectly.com/patient/home

The Rolling Bay drive-thru site now offers testing 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday and Wednesday. The test site will be closed Monday, Jan. 17 in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Please cancel your appointment on TestDirectly if you can’t make it or no longer need a test. This will help free up space for individuals who need to make an appointment.

If you can’t get tested, assume you have COVID and please stay home. Follow the guidelines here: bainbridgewa.gov/COVID19.

There are not any vaccination clinics currently scheduled. The COVID-19 Vaccine Partnership continues to monitor federal guidance and will schedule additional vaccine clinics as needed. If you need a vaccination, a full list of providers in Kitsap County is available on the Kitsap Public Health District page.

The City Council on Jan. 25 will provide direction on the next steps for a future Police Station and Municipal Court facility.

The City seeks to build a safe, accessible and adequately sized facility that will serve the community’s needs for the next 50 years.

Over the years, the City has analyzed 18 potential sites for the police and court facility and has spent nearly $11 million on this project.

During the Jan. 25 meeting, City staff will lead a presentation on potential next steps. Staff will review three City-owned properties for a future police and court facility site and the pros and cons of each location.

The sites include:

Staff will present an evaluation of the Madison Avenue building purchase and the implications for the sale or change in use of that property as it was purchased with tax-exempt bonds.

The staff memo and presentation materials for the Jan. 25 meeting are being released now to allow additional time for review. You may view these documents on the Police-Court project page at bainbridgewa.gov/policecourt.

The video below, released in September, explains the conditions of the current facilities and why the City seeks to build a new facility for Police and Court services.

The City Council this week authorized an increase in the City Manager’s change order authority for the Eagle Harbor Phase II Non-Motorized Improvement Project construction contract from $230,000 to up to $403,000 – within the approved budget – to address design challenges related to drainage and general road and bike lane safety conditions. The project, which envisioned physically separated bike lanes on both sides of the road, has experienced numerous drainage and safety challenges since the main portion of construction was completed in late summer. We understand that residents are concerned about the condition of this project and work is planned to address the observed issues. The work includes:

Work could begin as soon as late January.

Given the community interest expressed to build more physically and vertically separated bike lanes in the future, staff are working on a standard design approach for future facilities that will avoid some of the problems encountered with this project. An overview of those designs is planned along with the Council discussions on the Sustainable Transportation Plan in February.

The City Council this week appointed Joe Deets to serve as Mayor. Deets will serve a one-year term through Dec. 31, 2022.

"It's good to start," said Joe Deets after accepting the gavel during Tuesday's virtual meeting to begin the business meeting. "I always looked at this first meeting of the year like opening day (my baseball metaphor) - new team, high hopes. I'm really excited about our new year."

The Council appointed Councilmember Brenda Fantroy-Johnson to serve as Deputy Mayor for a six-month term through June 30, 2022.

Under the council-manager form of government, the seven members of the City Council choose a chair among themselves to serve a one-year term. The chair has the title of Mayor and presides at Council business meetings. He or she also continues to have all the rights, privileges, and immunities of a member of the Council. The Mayor is recognized as the head of the City for ceremonial purposes.

The City Council also selects a Mayor pro tem (Deputy Mayor), to serve in the absence or temporary disability of the Mayor. The Deputy Mayor presides over City Council study sessions.

The Jan. 18 City Council study session will include only the visit with Rep. Derek Kilmer.

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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has started its fifth Five-Year Review of the Wyckoff/Eagle Harbor Superfund Site, on the east side of Bainbridge Island. We are required to review Superfund cleanups at least every five years at sites where contaminants remain in place. EPA uses the review to make sure that cleanup actions are protecting people’s health and the environment.

You may have information and ideas to share about the site that will assist us with this review. We invite you to share your input by February 14, 2022. We encourage you to send your input to Helen Bottcher at 206-553-6069, 800-424-4372, or bottcher.helen@epa.gov.

EPA added the Wyckoff site to the Superfund list in 1987. Extensive cleanup actions at the site have controlled or eliminated much of the exposure risks from creosote. Additional cleanup actions are needed in the soil and groundwater at the former Wyckoff wood treating facility, and in the adjacent beach sediments.

Learn more.