As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, there is much to reflect on. We are all working to manage our individual challenges while also offering support to neighbors and friends. We are mindful of the extensive impacts across our community and the nation, in terms of health, economic loss, and are trying to do what is needed to move ahead towards a more “normal” time. 

In the midst of all this, I hope islanders will use some time this weekend to acknowledge our traditional Memorial Day remembrances, and to appreciate the service and sacrifices of military families everywhere.

I’d like to also mention that this is National Public Works Week (May 17 – 23). The City’s Public Works team has been performing throughout our COVID-19 emergency, and has been working hard to provide excellent service while learning new safety requirements and processes. I’m very proud of their professionalism and commitment, and I know that our community has benefited from their extra effort during these past weeks.

Finally, please note that the Grow Avenue "Safe Streets" project will return this afternoon. The temporary redirection of non-local traffic in this area will allow more room for walkers, bicyclists, and other users to share the road.

This week, the City Council held a virtual meeting and completed its initial review of COVID-19 impacts to 2020 workplans and budgets. City staff will be providing monthly updates on revenue forecasts for the remainder of the year. The Council also approved a revised plan for intersection improvements at Sportsman Club and New Brooklyn Roads, and moved forward submission of a grant opportunity to remove a fish barrier at Cooper Creek.

For more information on some of these topics and other items, please see below. 

Best wishes,

Morgan Smith

City Manager

Beginning Wednesday, May 27, the City's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), which supports the City's response to COVID-19, will scale back to Wednesday activation only to continue processing resource requests for local healthcare providers, dentists, and other community businesses. The EOC will remain activated through the end of June.

The City activated its EOC March 16 to manage and prioritize resource requests across the community.

During an emergency, the EOC serves as a central location for staff and community partners to meet to gather information and coordinate response and recovery efforts.

The participating agencies include the City of Bainbridge Island, Bainbridge Prepares, Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, and Bainbridge Island School District. The Bainbridge Island community looks to Kitsap Public Health to provide guidance to the community on health concerns like COVID-19. The City is the lead agency for our community’s response efforts.

The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce staff announced this week that the popular Grand Old 4th Parade is canceled due to the Washington State directives regarding public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The staff and board of directors are heartbroken that we have to cancel,” said Chamber of Commerce Marketing & Tourism Director Mickey Molnaire. “We know how much the Fourth means to this community.”

Molnaire said the event, which has been organized by the Chamber of Commerce for 52 years, requires the support of more than 100 volunteers, the City's Public Works team and Police Department, and Bainbridge Island Fire department.

The Chamber is considering virtual options for this year’s celebration and plans to be back again with the traditional celebration in 2021.

The Bainbridge Island Downtown Association Executive Director Jerri Lane announced this week that the July 3 Street Dance is also canceled. The decision was made by the BIDA board, which is made up of downtown merchants.

The Fun Run, sponsored by Bainbridge Youth Services, is also canceled. Organizers plan to host a virtual event.

Last month, the Rotary Club announced the cancellation of its annual Auction & Rummage sale, traditionally held as part of the Celebrate Bainbridge events, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please see information below from the Kitsap Public Health District.

The Kitsap Public Health Board will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, May 27, from 1-2 p.m. to consider a COVID-19 county variance request. 

This meeting will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. Board members and staff will participate remotely. There is no physical location for this meeting. 

The public can listen to the meeting using a computer or phone and submit verbal comments during the time allotted for public comment. Instructions are listed at the end of the meeting agenda. Virtual meeting participation is capped at 500. 

The meeting will be broadcast live on Comcast channel 12, WAVE channel 3, and the BKAT website.

SUBMITTING WRITTEN COMMENTS

The Health Board anticipates there may be a high number of people who wish to provide comment and there may not be enough time for all interested to make verbal comment during the limited time of the virtual meeting. The Health Board recommends and encourages the public to provide written comment before the meeting through one of the following methods:

Comments received by 10 p.m., May 25, 2020, will be made available to Health Board members prior to the Special Meeting.

The board meeting agenda and documents are available online. 

The Employment Security Department (ESD) has experienced a dramatic rise in “imposter fraud," where an individual uses stolen personal information to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits. ESD Commissioner Suzi LeVine released an update Monday about the additional steps ESD is taking to protect people.

Read more about imposter fraud and report it at esd.wa.gov/fraud.

The City Council approved revised plans for the Sportsman Club-New Brooklyn intersection improvement project that include new safety improvements for people walking and bicycling and remove previous plans for a roundabout.

Previously, staff proposed a project design with a roundabout that would also include sidewalks, bicycle lanes and extensions of separated paths. During the March 3 study session, Council members expressed that they were not in favor of pursuing a roundabout project at the intersection, in part, due to the timing for project design that was occurring ahead of the City’s Sustainable Transportation Plan effort. The Council asked staff to investigate the potential for extending the federal grant deadline, in order to consider whether to pursue smaller scale non-motorized improvements at the intersection.

In late April, the granting authorities agreed to a grant timeline extension for construction in 2021, and the requested scope revision.

The revised plan, which includes a budget amendment, was forwarded to the May 26 City Council consent agenda for final approval. Learn more about the new project features here.

Members of the City’s Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) will present an update on the draft Climate Action Plan during the May 26 virtual City Council meeting. This update was originally planned for the Council’s March 17 meeting, but was postponed due to the City closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Climate Action Plan, being developed by the CCAC, will establish goals for the City’s municipal carbon emissions or reductions, and provide input to other aspects of community leadership, such as development regulations and planning for capital projects.

On May 26, CCAC members will present an introduction (and seek feedback) on the goals and strategies in the current version of the draft Climate Action Plan.

The CCAC is expected to complete the Climate Action Plan later this year when members are able to resume meeting. The document will then be reviewed by staff, the Council and community, and revised based on stakeholder input.

Below are the topics to be discussed during the May 26 meeting.

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

The meetings are live-streamed on the City website. Visit the Agendas & Minutes section, then click on "In Progress" when the meeting starts. You can also watch the meetings on BKAT (Ch. 12 on Comcast & Ch. 3 on WAVE).

A gray whale carcass that washed ashore on Manitou Beach earlier this week has been towed to south Puget Sound for an examination and natural decomposition.

On Tuesday morning, Bainbridge Island Police got a report of a deceased gray whale near Murden Cove. The Police worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries to remove the carcass and tow it to a remote location for a limited examination and necropsy.

For more information on gray whale strandings, please visit the NOAA Fisheries website.

As of May 20, 74.8% of Bainbridge Island households have responded to the 2020 Census. It’s a great start, and Bainbridge Island is ahead of Kitsap County (68.7%) and Washington State (65.2%) in our response rate, but there are still more households on Bainbridge Island that need to take the Census.

Why respond to the 2020 Census? 

You can respond to the Census several ways (in many languages): 

NOTE: Households that receive mail at post office boxes won’t receive a paper survey in the mail. Those households that use post office boxes that have not responded to the Census online or over the phone will be visited by a Census worker when the door-to-door field operations start in August.

How You Can Help: