Have you ever been presented with an opportunity or a decision that was so exciting that you were simultaneously giddy and distressed? Giddy for the opportunity, but at the same time distressed that you might not be able to realize the opportunity’s full potential. In the very near future, the City Council may find themselves in this same position.

Earlier in the year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury began to distribute $350 billion to state, local, and Tribal governments under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). This week, the City of Bainbridge Island was notified by the Washington State Office of Financial Management that the City will receive $7,061,885 in unexpected one-time new revenue. A fantastic opportunity. The money will be delivered in two installments: $3.5 million in 2021 and $3.5 million in 2022. The first installment may come as early as the end of June. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

There are restrictions on the use of these funds. Next Tuesday, the City Council will consider general principles to allocate these funds consistent with the requirements of the law. These are one-time funds, and I am positive the City Council will be excited about the opportunity ARPA funding presents. The principles the City Council considers will help guide the use of ARPA funds in a way that will realize the greatest benefit to improve lives and meet the long-range goals of the community.   

Another exciting development this week is the commencement of Racial Equity Training for the City’s staff. City staff seeks to improve and elevate themselves to greater levels of service. In order to learn and grow, COBI retained the services of facilitator Scott Winn. Mr. Winn is a faculty member at the University of Washington, School of Social Work and he specializes in helping a variety of entities achieve equity for all. Mr. Winn’s work with City staff will focus on the tools needed to help the staff lead with a Racial Equity Lens. Training began this past week and will continue with four and a half hours of training next week.

We are pleased to share that City Hall will be open for in-person services beginning July 1 in anticipation of Gov. Jay Inslee’s statewide reopening date of June 30.

When you visit City Hall, please expect the following changes:

In addition to in-person services, some services will continue to be available by video conference for customer convenience. For the status of each department’s services, please visit the City's COVID-19 webpage at bainbridgewa.gov/COVID19.

Beginning July 1, the City will also resume in-person payments, so customers will be responsible for convenience fees for any credit card payments. During the pandemic, the City paid $52,000 in convenience fees on behalf of customers while in-person payments were not an option.

All City Council and City Advisory Group meetings will continue to be held on Zoom, in accordance with state regulations. We will share additional information about when in-person meetings may resume as it becomes available.

We look forward to welcoming you back to City Hall soon.

The Bainbridge Island COVID-19 Response Team held its final COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Commodore Options School Gym Saturday, June 5.

During the past six months, the partnership (consisting of the City, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bainbridge Prepares and Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy) successfully administered 27,391 vaccines at over 82 clinics. This was all done with the assistance of 451 volunteers who volunteered over 24,000 hours of their time.

A huge thank you to our volunteers and community partners - without your help these clinics would not have been possible!

The Wyatt Way Reconstruction Project improved water infrastructure and safety for people walking, biking, rolling and driving along Wyatt Way between the Madison Avenue intersection and Lovell Avenue. The project included the construction of new sidewalks and bike lanes and a “mini roundabout" at the Wyatt Way-Madison Avenue intersection.

Since the project opened to the public in April 2021, the City has received numerous comments from the community asking about why the roundabout was installed, and requesting that some additional signage or other improvements be added to improve safety.

City staff are working with the design engineers on several minor modifications that should improve safety at the new roundabout. Those modifications include:

Public Works staff also created an engagement website to help inform the public about the improvements.

During the June 15 City Council study session, staff will present an overview of the project and next steps for addressing safety.

The City's contractor, Liden Land Development and Excavation, began mobilization this week at the Sakai Pond Connector Trail Project site by preparing traffic control plans for SR 305 in anticipation of construction. The contractor will bring in equipment for site grading and drainage work next week.

Please expect short and intermittent delays while traveling southbound on SR 305 as you approach High School Road. We appreciate your patience and care as you travel by the construction zone.

This segment of the Sound to Olympics Trail will extend the trail north of High School Road, connecting the commercial district with Sakai Park and park trails leading to schools, the aquatic center and other destinations along Madison Avenue.

The City’s contractor started work this week on the Eagle Harbor Drive Phase II Non-Motorized Improvement project. The first phase of work includes clearing and grubbing the shoulders on both sides of the road from McDonald Avenue north to approximately the shoreline segment of the road (see photo).

Travelers on Eagle Harbor Drive can expect intermittent delays and flagging in the area where construction crews are working.

The final project will include a mix of bicycle shoulder improvements and separated bicycle paths along the length of the corridor. More information can be found on the City’s project page.

On Wednesday, June 9, Public Works staff hosted almost 50 community members at a virtual open house to discuss traffic calming and safety improvements on Grow Avenue and Point White Drive, as part of an effort to slow down traffic and improve conditions for people walking, biking or rolling in neighborhoods.

Based on polls taken at the meeting, a majority of the attendees were residents of Grow Avenue, Lovell Avenue and Point White Drive, and the group was primarily interested in calming speeds and improving pedestrian safety in each of the locations.  The community heard from City staff on some of the history and background of each project area, and the City’s consultant presented some potential options for the group to consider.

On Grow Avenue, consistent themes from the community included requests to de-emphasize cars, make safe spaces for pedestrians – particularly kids walking to and from school – and interest in a range of tools that include sidewalks, speed tables and potentially a one-way couplet on Grow and Lovell.

On Point White, the community focused on the need to improve the crossing at Schel Chelb Park, slow drivers and improve walking conditions from Lynwood Center to the park and beach access. The group expressed an interest in sidewalks, median islands, raised crosswalks and mitigating parking on the shoulder.

A recorded video of the meeting will be posted on the City’s project webpage early next week.

Public Works staff will host a second community open house meeting at 4 p.m. next Wednesday, June 16. Topics will include intersection improvements at:

 A link to the Zoom meeting can be found on the City’s project webpage.

Staff will provide the City Council with a report on the community meetings, and next step recommendations in August.

The City Council this week considered an initial draft of an ordinance to regulate the use of plastics by food service and lodging establishments.

The Council discussed that initial draft, including in the context of input from the public that was received by the Council. Following that consideration, the Council directed the City Attorney to prepare a revised draft ordinance to address just the activities that would be preempted by state law if the Council doesn’t act by July 1, and to have that revised draft ready for the Council’s review for the June 15 study session. The City Attorney’s Office is preparing that revised draft for the Council’s consideration.

The Council also expressed interest in addressing other activities described in the initial draft ordinance via a separate ordinance as part of future discussions and opportunities for public input and outreach.

The City Council this week approved a $196,000 contract to upgrade the City’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) telemetry system at nine sites on Bainbridge Island.

Telemetry systems remotely monitor water treatment processes, pumps, valves, and vents and measure the inflow and outflow of water and wastewater. Most importantly, the systems will warn operators if there are critical elements of the City's water and sewer system that are malfunctioning, and could cause customer disruption or environmental hazards.

After not receiving any bids from contractors, the staff proceeded with final negotiations with Bainbridge Island Electric, as per the City's procurement policy.

Additional work, which will be performed under a separate contract, is also planned for upgrades to wireless cellular or fiber optic connections (where available), as the City is experiencing significant reductions in reliability with the existing DSL service provided by CenturyLink/Lumen.

The City Council held a public hearing June 8 to gather input from the community on the following proposed designation areas for the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program:

The program would encourage developers to build multifamily and affordable housing in Winslow and Lynwood Center in exchange for a partial property tax relief for 12 or 20 years. During the public hearing, two members of the public spoke in support of the proposed areas, and, after a short discussion, the City Council made a motion to integrate those areas into a future City MFTE program.

The next step to create a City MFTE program is to develop an ordinance and return to the City Council for review. The City Council will have a public hearing on the MFTE ordinance prior to adoption.

Learn more about the MFTE program on the City’s website at bainbridgewa.gov/1291.

The summary and video of the June 8 City Council meeting can be viewed at bainbridgewa.gov/1101.

Some of the June 15 meeting topics will include:

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

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 Senior Accounting Technician is responsible for the Citywide accounts payable functions. This role is a great opportunity for a person with related experience and an interest in providing effective customer service.

The small but mighty Finance and Administrative Services team is the recent recipient of two awards from the Government Finance Officers Association: the Distinguished Budget Award (three years in a row) and the Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting (six years in a row).

Learn more about the position and apply at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/bainbridgewa