In the past week, we have started to see some changes in our community’s approach and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The beginning of the vaccine distribution has taken significant time and effort, and will continue to do so. However, the availability of the vaccine, even if sometimes not smooth or predictable, may be an indication that we can look forward to some changes. One local example of a coming change is that the Bainbridge Island School District has moved forward to begin its return to more students in an in-person learning setting. Please be cautious of kids on their way to schools beginning next Monday, Jan. 25 if you’re driving around the island.

For more information on the COVID vaccine, which is an effort driven by the state, please see a new page on the City’s website. This page will be dedicated to directing you to the most current information we have related to availability and eligibility. Our community’s efforts are a fantastic example of what can happen when we work together towards a common goal – the vaccine distribution has been a joint effort of the City, Bainbridge Community Pharmacy, Bainbridge Prepares, Bainbridge Island Fire Department (BIFD), and a multitude of volunteers. The BIFD Board of Commissioners this week indicated that they would provide BIFD personnel to support the vaccine distribution effort. I want to recognize and appreciate the teamwork across the community that is allowing us to make progress with this important public service.

At the study session this week, the Council received a briefing on the progress of the Sustainable Transportation Plan. Staff also introduced a set of projects intended to match up with and support students returning to school. The project, dubbed “Safer Routes to School” is a near-term example of some non-motorized transportation projects.  

The Council also reviewed the 2020 workplan results and heard a status update on the City’s most significant workplan items. While many new items appeared on the workplan due to the COVID response, the City completed many projects that were underway at the beginning of 2020. The Council ended the meeting with a discussion to consider establishing a grant program to support local businesses, options for which will be discussed at a future Council meeting.

Finally, the City Manager search process continues. The City Council expects to include discussions of the finalists at next week’s meeting on Jan. 26. We learned that one finalist, Anthony Williams, has withdrawn, so the discussion will focus on Keith Campbell and Blair King.

For more information on some of next week's topics and other items, please see below.

Washington State announced this week that we are now in Phase 1B-Tier 1 of the state COVID-19 vaccine allocation prioritization plan.

You can get the vaccine if:

Go to FindYourPhaseWA.org to confirm your eligibility and choose from a list of vaccine providers.

Please be aware that the supply of COVID-19 vaccine remains very limited and many healthcare providers are not able to schedule appointments at this time.

Kitsap Public Health is updating a COVID-19 vaccine dashboard with data from the Washington State Department of Health on the number of vaccine doses given at Kitsap facilities.

Kitsap County has made progress on vaccination, but the supply of vaccine allocated to healthcare providers in our county remains very limited. Find the latest local vaccine updates at kcowa.us/vaccine.

The City of Bainbridge Island, in partnership with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department and Bainbridge Prepares, is coordinating with Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy on COVID-19 vaccine distribution. As of Jan. 18, this partnership has supported the vaccination of approximately 1,000 eligible Phase 1A individuals from Kitsap and surrounding counties.

It is important to understand that there are more residents on Bainbridge Island eligible in Phase 1B-Tier 1 than vaccine currently available. Eligible vaccine providers will continue to request additional doses and will schedule clinics when available.

There are currently three state-approved vaccine providers on Bainbridge Island:

Virginia Mason Bainbridge Island has developed a wait list for eligible patients at virginiamason.org/vaccinewaitlist

Member Plus Family Health will be vaccinating existing patients in the coming weeks. Additional information is available here: https://www.memberplusfamilyhealth.com/

If the Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy receives vaccines next week, information on scheduling an appointment will be posted on the City's website and an alert will be sent through the City's Nixle emergency notification system. Sign up for Nixle by texting 98110 to 888777 or online at nixle.com.

The CHI Franciscan and Swedish clinics on Bainbridge Island are not expected to provide COVID vaccinations at this time. CHI Franciscan’s Silverdale clinic is taking appointments for eligible individuals. You don't need to be a CHI patient. Additional information is available here: https://www.chifranciscan.org/patients-and-visitors/covid-19/form/form-response.html

Information about eligibility for the vaccine is available online through the state Phase Finder tool at FindYourPhaseWA.org. There has been an overwhelming number of phone calls and emails to all partners involved in the vaccine distribution on Bainbridge Island. Please do not email or call the City, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bainbridge Prepares, Community Pharmacy, Member Plus Family Health, or Virginia Mason to check your eligibility. There is NO community waitlist for future phases.

Get more information on Bainbridge Island vaccine distribution on the City's webpage at bainbridgewa.gov/COVIDvaccine. This page will be updated every Monday at noon with information on current vaccine availability on Bainbridge Island.

Beginning Feb. 1, the City's COVID-19 drive-thru test site will operate only on Mondays and Wednesdays to allow emergency management staff and volunteers to focus on COVID-19 vaccine distribution in our community.

The test site will continue to operate by appointment only 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and will offer 52 appointments per day.

“We are confident with the COVID-19 testing site options still available in Kitsap County that we can begin to transition our efforts to vaccine distribution and the next phase of this pandemic to help our community on a path to recovery,” said Emergency Management Coordinator Anne LeSage who is leading the City’s COVID-19 response.

While the City’s test site operations will reduce from three days to two, there are still test sites open six days a week in Kitsap County for anyone who needs a test.

As of Feb. 1, the community COVID-19 test sites in Kitsap County will include:

A complete list of the Kitsap County community test sites, registration links, times and addresses can be found here. An appointment is required for all test sites.

A list of medical clinics and pharmacies in Kitsap County offering COVID-19 testing can be found here.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, City staff will present an update to the City Council on the City's drive-thru COVID-19 test site and vaccine distribution efforts. You may watch the briefing the following ways:

The City Council this week directed Interim City Manager Ellen Schroer to develop a business recovery grants program that would provide $210,000 to help Bainbridge Island businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding would include:

The grants program will be based on the guidelines in a memo presented by a City Council subcommittee and any additional materials shared by the Bremerton Phase 3 Small Business Assistance program.

Staff is currently reviewing guidelines and will bring more information back to the Council for discussion and decision in February.

Learn more about the proposal here.

Please see the message below from the Bainbridge Island School District.

BISD schools are gradually returning for in-person learning beginning on Monday, Jan. 25. Here are some important things for the community to keep in mind:

The dry weather this week allowed the City’s contractor to continue progress on the Wyatt Way Reconstruction project in preparation for asphalt removal and the new sidewalk layout that is scheduled to begin next week.

The next stage of the project detour route will begin Monday, Jan. 25. The detour will include:

Please see the detour map below.

Drivers using Madison Avenue near Wyatt Way can expect flagging operations with moderate delays during daytime work hours.

As you plan your travels, please keep in mind that Bainbridge Island School District schools are gradually returning for in-person learning beginning on Monday, Jan. 25. People should be aware of heavy traffic surrounding schools throughout the day.

This detour is anticipated to be in effect through the remainder of the major construction work in mid-March. We appreciate your patience during this important safety improvement project.

The Sustainable Transportation Plan project team presented a brief project update to the City Council this week on the workplan and some of the gap analysis findings and key opportunities vetted by members of the Sustainable Transportation Task Force.

The next steps for the project include identification and review of potential capital projects, programs, and policies.

This morning (Friday, Jan. 22) from 9:00 to 10:30, the Sustainable Transportation Task Force will be hosting an educational session on Adapting Sustainable Transportation Principles to Bainbridge Island. This is the second in a series of four workshops designed to inform the Task Force and others interested in learning more about what sustainable transportation could mean for Bainbridge Island. You can join the Zoom meeting at https://bainbridgewa.zoom.us/j/97230775147

The next Sustainable Transportation Task Force meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 on Zoom. The Task Force will be reviewing projects and programs that will be evaluated and prioritized during the next phase of work in the spring.

Anthony Williams, who is the Mayor of Abilene, Texas, has withdrawn his name from consideration for the City Manager position.

There are now two finalists for the City Manager position: Blair King who is the City Manager of Coronado, California and Keith Campbell who is the City Manager of Stayton, Oregon.

The City Council will discuss the finalist decision during the "New Business" portion of next week's Jan. 26 business meeting.

The City Council this week approved using $7,500 of the City Council Contingency Fund to implement portions of the Safer Routes to School plan that was developed by Squeaky Wheels, a non-motorized advocacy group; the Bainbridge Island School District and community volunteers.

The plan, initially presented to the City Council on Dec. 15, aims to increase safety and reduce congestion when students return to the classroom for in-person learning. It’s anticipated there will be a decline in bus ridership due to parent concerns about the close proximity of children on school buses.

To make biking and walking safer for children, three solutions are being implemented:

Additional traffic calming and bicycle/pedestrian safety measures will be discussed by the Council in March.

Below are some of the topics to be discussed during the Jan. 26 City Council meeting.

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

Members of the Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) tomorrow morning (Saturday, Jan. 23) will host the final Climate Action Plan (CAP) online presentation to help the City and community begin to implement the plan.

The CAP, unanimously approved by the City Council on Nov. 10, includes more than 180 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare our community for the impacts of climate change.

The Jan. 23 event will be held 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

CCAC members will give presentations on the plan, answer questions and discuss next steps.

The Council identified implementation of the CAP as its highest priority item for the 2021-2022 budget. Read the CAP here.

The Jan. 13 CAP presentation may be viewed here.

The public participation meeting on the Wintergreen Townhomes proposal that was scheduled for Jan. 28 has been postponed to allow additional input from the Design Review Board before conducting the public participation meeting.

A public participation meeting provides an opportunity for the community to learn about the Wintergreen Townhomes proposal, a 74-townhome long subdivision proposal that incorporates affordable housing (as defined in the Municipal Code) on two lots totaling 2.94 acres. The project site is located at 1332 Wintergreen Lane.

Learn more about the project proposal here.

The National Weather Service reports that snow may be possible in our area early next week.

The City's Operations & Maintenance crews are on standby in the event of inclement weather.

Any emergency notifications regarding road closures or low-hanging power lines will be shared through Nixle. Sign up by texting 98110 to 888777 or visit nixle.com.

Learn more about the City's winter weather preparedness and response here.