I am honored to be the City of Bainbridge Island’s new City Manager. I am excited to have the opportunity to serve the City Council and the community. I am at that point one finds themselves in starting a new job that I am figuratively drinking from the fire hose. I am learning as much as I can, as quickly as I can.  The business of the City keeps rolling along and I am jumping on the moving train.

Thank you to the many residents and City staff who have extended a warm welcome. Your acceptance and friendliness is appreciated, and reflects the strong community that comprises Bainbridge Island. I would specifically like to thank Interim City Manager Ellen Schroer for her service over the past months. It is not easy to step into the City Manager position on short notice. Ellen provided outstanding leadership during the interim period and ensured that the day-to-day functions of the Municipal Corporation were maintained.

You may be aware of the famous quote that “Culture eats strategy for lunch (or breakfast).” While I learn the nuance and the unique ways of Bainbridge Island, I want to make sure that I encourage a culture of service, transparency and professionalism. I know how important it is to Islanders that Bainbridge Island is healthy now and into the future. As I begin my tenure, I think of the last phrase of the Athenian Oath, the oath that many considered the standard for civic stewardship: “Thus, in all these ways, we will transmit this City not only, not less, but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.” This is my hope for the future.

The final COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Commodore is scheduled for Saturday, June 5. This clinic will offer second doses to people who were vaccinated May 14 and 15.

Since December 2020, the Bainbridge Island COVID-19 Response Team has operated more than 80 clinics through the Senior Community Center, Woodward and Commodore. This has also included mobile clinic efforts and support for Jefferson County clinics at the Chimacum Grange.

Since Jan. 1, more than 436 people have contributed their time and volunteered over 23,000 hours. Additionally, the team has administered more than 25,000 doses of vaccine.

Emergency Management Coordinator Anne LeSage will present an update to the City Council during next week's May 25 business meeting on vaccine distribution efforts, volunteer support and results of the community-based test site.

Learn more at bainbridgewa.gov/COVIDvaccine.

Please see the message below from Washington State Ferries that was shared in a May 20 travel alert.

Peninsula Community Health Services will be offering COVID-19 vaccines onboard both Seattle/Bremerton vessels next week, May 25-27. They will also be available the following week, June 1-3. All passengers interested in getting a shot will have the opportunity to do so on sailings departing either terminal on those days during the following times:

Vaccines will be given during the first 30 minutes of each sailing to allow time for recipients to be monitored for any reactions. No insurance information or any form of identification are needed. PCHS plans to have both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines available. Children aged 12 and older can be given the Pfizer vaccine with parental consent.

For more information or questions, please contact Peninsula Community Health Services at 360-377-3776.

The safety of our customers and crew is WSF’s top priority. Please remember that all traveling customers are required to wear face coverings inside the terminal, at the tollbooth and aboard the ferry. Please also consider limiting your travel to only the most essential trips while service continues to be constrained by the pandemic. For additional travel information regarding COVID-19, visit the COVID-19 Travel Updates webpage.

Concerned about speed in your neighborhood? Don’t feel safe crossing the street in a specific area? Share your thoughts with us. We’re seeking project ideas that will improve conditions for people walking, biking or rolling in neighborhoods. These safety enhancements, known as “traffic calming” projects, may include physical designs or radar speed signs on existing roads to reduce vehicle speeds.

We’re using an interactive web tool that allows you to pinpoint the areas where you have safety concerns and submit ideas for projects. Proposals may be submitted through Friday, July 16.

The projects will be evaluated and prioritized using data and metrics developed by the City, and will be presented to the Council for discussion in the fall.

As part of the traffic calming project efforts, the City Council authorized staff to begin preliminary analysis of four specific areas on the island for traffic calming and safety improvements. Those areas are:

There will be two public engagement opportunities in June to discuss these four projects.

Learn more and start sharing your ideas on our Engage Bainbridge webpage.

The City hosted a virtual open house this week on the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Franchise Agreement to inform the community about the project and answer questions from community members related to electric service.

The City and PSE are working collaboratively to renew the franchise agreement that grants PSE the right to use the City’s rights of way (ROW) for the installation, maintenance and repair of PSE's electrical transmission and distribution network. Both agencies are also working to develop a Partnership Agreement that will identify and support broader goals for the benefit of Bainbridge Island residents, businesses and the broader community.

More than 20 community members attended the May 19 open house. Many asked questions about planned PSE reliability projects and plans for undergrounding overhead power lines. All the questions submitted, even if they were unable to be answered in the meeting, will be posted to the City’s webpage next week.

The meeting attendees also participated in a series of poll questions on topics related to electric service. Residents who would like to participate in the polls can still submit their responses on the Engage Bainbridge webpage.

Over the next few weeks, staff will be working with volunteers from the City’s Utility Advisory Committee and the Climate Change Advisory Committee to develop drafts of the franchise and partnership agreements for first review and discussions with PSE.

The May 19 open house video will be posted on the project page when it's available.

A 100-goat herd this week completed clearing vegetation along State Route 305, north of High School Road, to prepare for the construction of a new trail.

The six-day munch allows better access to the site of the upcoming STO Sakai Pond Connector, a new non-motorized trail linking High School Road with Sakai Park to the north. The paved, 10-foot-wide path will transition to a six-foot-wide gravel segment to connect to the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District trails in the park. The connector will be the STO Trail’s first new segment on Bainbridge Island since the STO opened in 2018 between Winslow Way and High School Road.

The City’s contractor, Liden Land Development and Excavation, is scheduled to start construction the first week of June and should be finished before the end of the summer.

The goats were funded through the Parks Foundation's Friends of the Sound to Olympics Trail Fund.

Learn more about the project efforts at bainbridgewa.gov/1293.

The summary and video of the May 18 City Council study session can be viewed at bainbridgewa.gov/1101.

The May 25 City Council meeting will include the following items:

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

We're seeking applicants for the code compliance officer position, which is responsible for performing research and inspection work to ensure compliance with codes and ordinances.

The successful candidate will be a skilled negotiator with an interest in collaborative compliance and the ability to communicate clear information to a range of audiences.

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

Washington State Ferries is hosting virtual community meetings next week to answer questions and give updates on service, proposed tariff changes and the agency’s continued response to COVID-19.

The meetings are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 25 and and 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. Registration is required. A video recording of each meeting will be available online.

Learn more about the meetings.

Today at 4 p.m. is the deadline to file for office.

A link to file online is available on the Kitsap County Auditor's website.

There are four Bainbridge Island City Council positions open for filing:

Candidates running for a Council position on Bainbridge will pay a fee of $360.

Read the 2021 Candidate and Measure Guidelines book for information about running for office.