As we near the end of February, we can look back at some items already completed this year. Noteworthy items have included hosting two community workshops related to the Climate Action Plan, launching a partnership effort for community COVID-19 vaccinations, supporting a community conversation on race equity, and nearing completion of the city manager search process.

Looking forward to March, I want to highlight a few of the most important topics that City staff and City Council are working on this week and in the coming weeks.

At the business meeting this week, the City Council approved a grant program to support Bainbridge Island businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will be administered by the Kitsap Economic Development Association (KEDA) and is modeled after successful programs elsewhere in Kitsap County. Please see below for more details on the program and how to apply.

Friends of the Farms (FOF) staff this week provided an update on their reHOME proposal, through which FOF plans to build satellite bedrooms on the City-owned Morales property for use by farm interns.

The Council this week also began consideration of requiring hazard pay for grocery workers on Bainbridge Island. Next steps related to this topic include the establishment of a Council ad hoc committee. The committee and City legal staff will research actions taken by other jurisdictions.

Watch the Feb. 23 discussions here.

Next week, please tune into the Council meeting that will be devoted to discussion of the City work plan. Staff and Council had an initial discussion of the 2020 work plan results and status earlier this year, on Jan. 19, and will continue this important discussion on March 2. The goal of the meeting is to develop an articulated set of Council priorities for 2021.

Finally, in follow-up to information I provided earlier this month related to a lawsuit that had received attention in the local media, we learned this week that the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request for review that was made by PRSM, a group of community members. The litigation relates to PRSM’s appeal of the City’s Shoreline Master Program, and the request for review was about an evidentiary issue. The U.S. Supreme Court denied the request for review. This decision means that the matter has been referred back to Kitsap Superior Court for a determination based on the court record.

We are hopeful that Bainbridge Island will receive first dose vaccines next week and will inform the community via Nixle if appointments are available.

Register for Nixle alerts

Follow the City's vaccine page at bainbridgewa.gov/COVIDvaccine for updates on vaccine distribution efforts.

Kitsap Regional Library (KRL) is partnering with Kitsap Public Health District (KPHD) for an informational program on the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, March 1, from 5 to 6 p.m.

A KPHD representative will share updates on the County’s vaccine distribution efforts, as well as their work to connect with underserved populations and communities of color for equitable distribution. There will be plenty of time for questions from the public. Visit the KRL website for more details.

Washington’s 3-week allocation forecast from the federal government continues to increase. This information allows us to develop a multi-week strategy that helps with consistency and predictability. The forecast is subject to change as vaccine availability from the federal government may change.

A third vaccine will be coming to Washington in March if the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) grants Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Johnson & Johnson – Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Click here to read the full update.

The Washington State Department of Health hosted an online event Feb. 18 to discuss the phasing and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in our state.

The webinar, "Understanding WA's COVID-19 Vaccine Phases," featured Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, secretary of health; SheAnne Allen, COVID-19 vaccine director; and Dr. Christopher Chen, medical director - Medicaid, Health Care Authority.

The conversation was moderated by Louis Shackelford, HIV Vaccine Trials Network project manager at Fred Hutch.

Due to the reduction in testing numbers, the Kitsap County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is reducing the hours of operations at various community-based testing site locations. New hours are as follows:

These COVID-19 testing sites are operated by the Kitsap County EOC and Kitsap Public Health District, in partnership with various community organizations.

For information on all COVID-19 drive-thru testing options and to register for an appointment, visit kcowa.us/covidtesting.

The City of Bainbridge Island's drive-thru COVID-19 test site remains open Mondays and Wednesdays. Information on this test site can be found at bainbridgewa.gov/covid19.

The City Council this week approved a grant program that will provide $210,000 to support Bainbridge Island businesses recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The City is partnering with the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (“KEDA”) to administer the grant program. Businesses may receive between $5,000 and $10,000 based upon their COVID-19 financial impacts and the number of total applications received by the City.

The business recovery grant program will be supported through the City’s general fund balance reserves in lieu of federal grant monies.

Watch the Feb. 23 discussion here.

The Sustainable Transportation Task Force will meet this morning at 9:30 and you're welcome to join on Zoom.

The task force will discuss the list of potential projects, policies, and programs assembled from previous plans, community input, consultant recommendations, and task force analysis.

The current work of the task force is to review the projects, policies, and programs list for errors or omissions. Task force members will also discuss the proposed Evaluation Framework that will eventually group identified projects and programs based on community values. The meeting may be viewed live via Zoom here.

Bainbridge Island is conducting a state-mandated periodic review of the Shoreline Master Program (SMP), and we're looking for your input.

The SMP includes our community's goals, policies, regulations and programs regarding the use, development, conservation and restoration of our shorelines. The periodic review is intended to ensure the SMP stays current and effective and is a significantly more focused effort than the comprehensive update completed in 2014. The City’s primary objectives during this periodic review are to:

The City has created a new online engagement site, Engage Bainbridge, where you can follow the periodic review process, provide input through polls and surveys, read documents, sign up for email updates and see meeting schedules.

Opportunities to engage during the current project phase include:

Start engaging here.

Using the early policy input from the current project phase, the planning department will finalize a proposed amendment. City Council will endorse a draft amendment on which the community can provide input during a joint 30-day public comment period (anticipated to begin in May) and a joint public hearing (anticipated in June). Informed by the community input, the Planning Commission, City Council, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) will review the draft amendment. Final adoption is a two-step process by the City Council and Ecology. The adopted amendment is appealable to the state Growth Management Hearings Board.

On Feb. 19, the City received notification that the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) approved Ordinance No. 2020-17, amending the City’s Shoreline Master Program related to critical areas regulations and nonconforming structures, uses, and lots and amending several sections of Chapter 16.12 of the Bainbridge Island Municipal Code accordingly, as specifically identified in Exhibit A to this ordinance.

This amendment becomes effective on March 5.

Additional information can be found on the Shoreline Master Program webpage, including a copy of the approval letter from Ecology and additional information about its final decision.

This amendment is the final item on the City’s Development Moratorium work plan. As such, the Planning Department will request on March 9 if the City Council wants to terminate the moratorium before its expiration on April 3, extend the moratorium to allow for a 60-day appeal period of the SMP amendment, or allow the moratorium to sunset on April 3. 

The City Council this week approved implementation of a race equity sign project that will inform visitors and residents that all are welcome on Bainbridge Island.

The welcoming sign project started in 2019 as an effort of the City's race equity committee. The committee selected three designs for signs that will be placed in six locations across Bainbridge Island:

"I'm glad to see that we were able to bring it all together and to have it in so many places with so many different signs and so many perspectives," said Councilmember Brenda Fantroy-Johnson who proposed the sign project in 2019. "I think it's fair to say that once these signs are up we will be finally perceived as a welcoming city."

The $6,700 funding for the signs will come from funds set aside for race equity.

The item was moved to the March 9 consent agenda for final approval by the Council. Learn more about the sign project here.

The March 2 City Council study session will focus on a review of the City's 2020 work plan and discussion on the 2021 work plan.

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

Applications are due by 4 p.m. today for anyone interested in applying to serve on the Race Equity Advisory Committee (REAC).

The REAC is seeking two volunteers to serve three-year terms.

The REAC, which meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, advises the City Council on race equity issues within local government and in the community.

Terms begin immediately following City Council appointment and expire in June 2024.

For more information on the REAC and to complete the online application, please see the City's News Flash.

The Ethics Board is seeking two volunteers to complete three-year terms expiring in June 2022.

The board, which reviews complaints alleging violations of the Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics, meets the third Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Applicants must be available in April for interviews. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Friday, March 19.

If you previously applied to serve on the Ethics Board, you will need to reapply as there is an updated application form.

Terms begin immediately following City Council appointment. For more information on the Ethics Board and to complete the online application, please visit bainbridgewa.gov/231.

Questions? Please contact Executive Assistant Roz Lassoff

at 206-580-6735 or rlassoff@bainbridgewa.gov.

Please see the message below from the Public Art Committee.

We need your vote: Please tell us which Something New III Sculpture is your favorite! The Public Art Committee (PAC), managed by Arts & Humanities Bainbridge (AHB), and the City of Bainbridge Island (COBI), are pleased to announce the voting has begun.

The three sculptures are: Reflection by Abe Singer; (located outside of City Hall), Fumi Amano’s piece, Shape of Memory; (located just off Madison Ave. N. next to Doc’s Restaurant) and Lin McJunkin and Milo White’s, Fossil III (located along Winslow Way near the intersection of Ericksen Ave.

You can cast your vote online at https://forms.gle/EzfAJv1WdvJpLjrC7 or with a paper ballot at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Winslow Way. We are excited to hear what you think and look forward to seeing your choice.

“It’s obvious that Bainbridge Island truly values art and it is especially satisfying to display my sculpture in a community that appreciates, encourages and celebrates the arts in so many forms” comments Abe Singer.

The Something New program, now in its third year, aims to provide both a dynamic public art experience and an ongoing opportunity for sculptors from around the Pacific Northwest to exhibit their work. The project brings a collection of sculptures to three outdoor sites around Winslow for a yearlong exhibition. New pieces are selected and rotated into these permanent locations annually, bringing “something new” to Bainbridge Island each year.

Bainbridge Island police officers "took the plunge" yesterday with some help from the Bainbridge Island Fire Department to benefit Special Olympics.

The police department raised more than $1,900 for Special Olympics Washington. Learn more about the team's effort to raise awareness and funds here.

Watch the plunge here.