This week, all island households should receive a mailing about the Sustainable Transportation Plan project. I hope you will take a few minutes to review the information and respond with your feedback and ideas. The Sustainable Transportation Plan project was launched in early 2020 after a great deal of City Council consideration during 2019. Public outreach and community engagement are critical components of this effort, and the City is now moving ahead with next steps that are designed to navigate the interruptions and complexities from COVID-19 limitations. It isn’t feasible for islanders to physically come together to share ideas about future transportation goals and projects. But it is still very important for the City to hear directly from residents in order to identify the leading priorities for Bainbridge Island. Please see below for more specific information about this wide-ranging and forward-looking City project.

At the Study Session this week, the Council received an update on the Green Building Task Force, and reviewed the results from the first year of the COBI Connects all-island monthly newsletter. The Council also agreed to adjust the criteria used to award the 2021 cycle of lodging tax (LTAC) funds, and began a discussion on how best to complete the process to award funding for the next two-year cycle for the City’s human services funding (2021-2022). Watch the Aug. 4 meeting here.

At the Business Meeting next week, the Council will discuss community concerns related to sexual assault investigations, will review appointments to some of the City’s advisory committees, and will consider specific recommendations for changes to the process that is used to fill Planning Commission vacancies.

Gov. Jay Inslee and officials from the state Department of Health and Department of Social and Health Services announced a phased plan for long-term care facilities (LTCF) to safely allow visitors, provide trips for residents outside the facility, group activities, and more. It goes into effect August 12.

As with schools, allowable activities at LTCFs depends on sustained prevention of COVID-19 transmission in the community. 

LTCF status starts with which Safe Start phase its county is in, and also takes additional factors into account. Those additional factors include local virus activity, facility access to testing and personal protective equipment, capacity at local hospitals, and virus activity within the facility. Before moving into a new phase, a facility or agency must go 28 days without a resident/client or staff member testing positive for COVID-19 and have a minimum 14-day supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on hand.

Information about the Safe Start for Long-Term Care plan is available on the FamHelp page of DSHS’s website. You can watch the press conference on TVW.

Please see information below from Kitsap County's Aug. 2 COVID-19 update. Subscribe to daily updates here.

Social gatherings are one reason COVID-19 activity is high in Washington state. Fewer, shorter, safer interactions are absolutely crucial to preventing the spread of COVID-19. This is why the governor and Department of Health have restricted social gatherings to no more than 5 people for counties in Phase 2, including Kitsap.

Here are some quick reminders about in-person gatherings:

Read here for more tips on how to socialize safely.

How can we make it easier for you to walk and bike on Bainbridge Island? What are your transportation priorities?

We're creating the Island's first Sustainable Transportation plan and need your input.

Visit our online open house during the month of August to share your transportation priorities and experiences, including how COVID-19 has changed the way you travel.

Our shared values will be the foundation of our Sustainable Transportation Plan. A volunteer-based Sustainable Transportation Task Force is meeting regularly to shape the plan’s development and incorporate community and technical input. The plan will be completed in May 2021, and will include recommendations for policies, programs, and projects, as well as a funding and implementation plan to get it all done.

Want to know more about how this plan is being developed? Join us for a livestream event on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. at SustainableTransportationBl.com. The project team will provide an overview of the work so far, and you’ll have a chance to ask questions and share your feedback!

You might have noticed fresh stripes along some of the island roads this week - crews have started the annual road striping project.

Please avoid the wet paint and keep a safe distance from the slow-moving striping truck. Areas with wet paint will be marked with cones.

The work is expected through September.

Get weekly traffic notifications here.

The islandwide asphalt road repairs were completed on Thursday - one day ahead of schedule. This includes the work at High School Road. Next, the road striping crew will paint new lines on all the roads that were paved.

On Monday, Aug. 10, the team will be painting one crosswalk at the intersection of Winslow Way and Grow Ave.

Each year, the City invests an average of $500,000 in asphalt repair work. Regular maintenance keeps roads from reaching the point where they need costly reconstruction. In coming years, the City will need to consider the source of funding for these reoccurring investments, as the previous source– vehicle license fees levied by the City’s Transportation Benefit Fund – is likely to be eliminated as a result of a voter-approved initiative impacting the state Transportation Benefit District regulations.

The City Council this week discussed the criteria to be used in the Request for Proposals (RFP) that will be issued for the 2021 Lodging Tax award cycle.

In 2019, four new criteria were added to the criteria established by the State and City. The new criteria included a limit of three years of consecutive awards to the same organization for the same purpose and to encourage proposals for capital projects. This week, the City Council decided that neither of these criteria will be used for the 2021 award cycle, in recognition of the unusual challenges impacting local organizations and community events. The Council agreed that the new criteria to encourage innovative use of funds and to incentivize events will be retained. As always, all projects must meet tourism purposes as described in the Revised Code of Washington.

The Council will consider the RFP, which will include the amount to be awarded and the full slate of funding criteria, at the Aug. 25 Council meeting. The current recommendation for the total amount to be awarded for 2021 activities is $225,000.

Learn more about the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee here.

The City Council this week discussed possible approaches to the process for the next Human Services Funding cycle. The City has awarded $660,000 to community nonprofits that provide health and human services in two-year funding cycles since 2017. The typical process includes appointment of a community group, who then closely review and consider various proposals submitted by local nonprofits.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other competing priorities, this funding cycle is behind its typical timeline. After considering options, including an expedited process to continue awards at the current levels and a deferred process to move the funding decisions to early 2021, the Council referred this issue to the Council liaisons to the human services funding cycle - Mayor Leslie Schneider and Councilmember Christy Carr.

In the coming weeks, the City will reach out to the recipient community organizations, and the liaisons will continue to consider options. The next discussion of this topic is tentatively scheduled for the Aug. 25 business meeting.

Below are some of the topics scheduled for the Aug. 11 business meeting.

If you would like to receive the City Council agenda by email when it's published, sign up on the Council Agendas webpage.

The Planning Commission will hold two public hearings at its Aug. 13 Zoom meeting to gather public feedback before making final recommendations on the Small Wireless Facilities design standards and 2021-26 Capital Improvement Plan.

The deployment of SWFs is largely regulated by federal law, which preempts much of the City’s traditional authority over management of the public right of way. However, federal law does authorize the City to adopt design standards that provides for reasonable aesthetic standards that SWFs must satisfy.

The instructions on how to participate in the public hearings will be included in the Planning Commission agenda when it's published. The agenda will be posted here or you can sign up to receive the agenda by email when it's published. Visit bainbridgewa.gov/List.aspx - scroll down to Agenda Center and select Planning Commission (be sure to confirm the subscription - the email confirmation may end up in your junk folder).

What’s your neighborhood doing to support each other during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you helping make grocery and pharmacy runs? Checking on vulnerable neighbors?

Join Emergency Management Coordinator Anne LeSage for a Zoom session Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. to learn how to organize a Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program for you and your neighbors during emergencies, like COVID-19, power outages, snowstorms, and more.

Following an emergency event, Bainbridge Island residents may have to wait days, weeks, or longer before help can arrive or before power can be restored. MYN helps prepare residents to be more self-sufficient and resilient in the event of a wide-scale emergency; it provides a plan to bring micro-communities together in a time of need. The initiative is sponsored by the City, the BI Fire Department, and Bainbridge Prepares.

Currently, 30% of island neighborhoods already participate in the MYN program. If you aren’t sure if your neighborhood has been mapped, you can view the current map here.

Email LeSage at alesage@bainbridgewa.gov to register for the Aug. 19 Zoom session or ask questions about the program.

The U.S. Census Bureau announced this week that it will will end counting efforts for the 2020 Census by Sept. 30. This includes door knocking by Census takers and self response (online, phone, mail). The date change was done to allow Census staff to begin data processing and apportionment counts by the statutory deadline of Dec. 31.

As of this week, 77.7% of Bainbridge Island households have completed the Census. View the response rates here.

Your response helps direct billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services. Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government.

Click here to learn more about what to expect if Census takers do come to your home.

Click here to read the full statement from the U.S. Census Bureau Director that was shared earlier this week.