Bainbridge Island City Council Regular Business Meeting - January 27, 2026

The Bainbridge Island City Council met in regular session on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 6:00 pm in Council Chambers and via Zoom. Mayor Moriwaki presided, with all seven councilmembers present. The meeting included a proclamation honoring retiring City Manager Blair King, public comment on housing and transparency, and action on a range of regular business items. The meeting adjourned at 8:11 pm.

Proclamation

• Proclamation Recognizing City Manager King upon his Retirement: Mayor Moriwaki read the proclamation, highlighting King's service from 2021 to 2026, his 45-year public sector career, and achievements including completion of the Ted Spearman Justice Center and the Bundled Madison Avenue project. City Manager King accepted and gave emotional remarks, thanking the council and staff, and emphasizing the importance of local government and public service.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Accounts Payable and Payroll.
• Approved Meeting Minutes.
• Authorized City Manager to Execute Intergovernmental Agreement with Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission for Recreational Boating Safety Program.
• Item 5.D (Adopt Ordinance No. 2026-01): Unanimously adopted (7-0) after City Manager King explained it requires telecom conduit in new city roadways to facilitate fiber installation, a request from Kitsap PUD.
• Item 5.E (Authorize City Manager to Approve Individual Purchases up to $200,000 for 2026 Fleet and Equipment CIP): Unanimously approved (7-0) after City Manager King clarified that post-COVID supply chain disruptions necessitate higher purchase limits for pre-approved vehicles (e.g., police cars, heavy-duty pickup, asphalt patch machine). The authority lasts through 2026.
• Item 5.G (Authorize City Manager to Execute Data Sharing Agreement with Washington State Patrol for TRACS system): Unanimously approved (7-0) after Police Chief Clark explained the new Traffic and Criminal Software Application replaces the current electronic collision and ticketing system; data sharing is standard for law enforcement in Washington.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Steven Hoskins (Winslow resident, affordable housing supporter) argued that Resolution 2025-18 does not limit the Winslow Subarea Plan to baseline compliance with HB 1220, as suggested by Councilmember Nelson, and that the resolution is forward-looking and not intended to discard planning commission work nearly complete.
• Bevin Taylor (Bainbridge resident, service worker) urged the council to go beyond the bare minimum in addressing housing affordability, stating that zoning has historically excluded working-class people and that the community has a reputation for "progressive posturing" with poor follow-through.
• Ron Peltier questioned the removal of Guiding Principles from meeting agendas and praised City Manager King for setting a new standard of professionalism and humor, noting that policy direction comes from the council, not the manager.
• Robert Drury expressed concerns about city transparency and accountability, citing unanswered emails and potential legal issues; he warned that organizations like ProPublica might investigate.
• Dennis Gawlik called for the return of a land acknowledgment at the start of meetings, noting it was omitted since the new council took office, and emphasized it should be more than performative.

Discussion Items

• City Manager's Report: City Manager King provided updates: the agenda software is migrating from Granicus to Civic Plus (the guiding principles will be added once the Planning Commission finalizes language); the groundwater master plan is expected in Q2 2026; the Winslow Way/SR 305 intersection improvements to address ferry line-cutting are awaiting WSDOT approval; legislative requests include $50,000 for in-person enforcement at the ferry terminal, especially for upcoming World Cup and 250 USA celebrations.
• Council Appointments to Regional and Local Committees and Boards (Item 7.A): Council discussed and appointed members to numerous bodies. Notable: for the Winslow Subarea and Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, after debate, a motion to bring the charter back for consideration (including whether to add citizen participation) was amended to remove the citizen participation clause and passed unanimously (7-0). Appointments were finalized for all committees and boards listed in the agenda (see minutes for full list).
• South Island Sewer Connection Requests (Item 7.B): Public Works Director Wierzbicki presented that eight connection requests were received; none met the criteria in Policy 2.14A. All were recommended for rejection. The council discussed that KPUD indicated the treatment plant has capacity for up to 200 additional connections, but the current policy limits connections. A motion to authorize the City Manager to reject all requests passed 6-1, with Councilmember Mathews voting against.
• Purchase Order for Radio-Read Water Meters (Item 7.C): Public Works Director Wierzbicki explained that the $95,356.17 purchase (from water utility fund) will replace about 20% of the system's meters with radio-read technology, allowing one staff member half a day to read all meters (currently two staff take a week). The meters are sole-source from one vendor. The motion passed unanimously (7-0).
• City Manager Executive Search (Item 7.D): Deputy Mayor Hytopoulos recommended that the full council interview two firms: Raftelis and Bob Murray. The motion passed unanimously (7-0). Interviews are scheduled for February 10, 2026.
• Communications (Item 8): Councilmember Mathews' request to add a discussion on youth participation to a future meeting passed unanimously (7-0). Councilmember Nelson's request to invite Department of Commerce representatives for technical assistance on the Housing Accountability Act selected review passed unanimously (7-0).

Key Outcomes

• Votes:
  • Adoption of Ordinance No. 2026-01 (telecom conduit) – Unanimous (7-0).
  • Approval of fleet/equipment purchase authority up to $200,000 – Unanimous (7-0).
  • Approval of data sharing agreement with WSP – Unanimous (7-0).
  • Rejection of all South Island sewer connection requests – 6-1 (Mathews opposed).
  • Approval of purchase order for radio-read water meters – Unanimous (7-0).
  • Approval of Raftelis and Bob Murray for city manager search interviews – Unanimous (7-0).
  • Motion to bring Winslow Subarea/Comp Plan steering committee charter back for consideration – Unanimous (7-0) after amendment removing citizen participation clause.
  • Both communications requests to add future discussions – Unanimous (7-0).
• Directives: City Manager authorized to reject sewer connections and to execute purchase order for water meters. Council will hold a study session on youth participation and another with Dept. of Commerce on Housing Accountability Act.
• Next Steps: The steering committee charter will be brought back to council. The city manager search interviews on February 10. The next annual call for South Island sewer connections will be in June 2026.