Bainbridge Island City Council Regular Business Meeting – February 24, 2026
Bainbridge Island City Council Regular Business Meeting – February 24, 2026
The Bainbridge Island City Council held a regular business meeting on February 24, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. Mayor Moriwaki presided, and all seven council members were present. The meeting covered a range of topics including youth participation in local government, approval of art for City Hall, updates to the Winslow Subarea Plan and Comprehensive Plan, formation of an ethics subcommittee, staffing of the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee (ETAC), appointment of an interim city manager, and scheduling of ward meetings. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Items Approved Unanimously (7-0): Accounts payable and payroll, meeting minutes, and cancellation of the March 3, 2026 study session were approved as part of the consent agenda after removal of item 4.D.
- Item 4.D (Head of the Bay Well Site Improvement Project): Removed for separate discussion. Acting City Manager Schroer explained the project is in the approved CIP and expected to exceed $100,000, fully covered by budget. The council approved the authorization to advertise for professional services, with questions confirming debt service is covered by the water fund. Motion carried 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Margaret Milton (Mardell Court landowner): Requested council support for a Local Improvement District (LID) to provide utilities and access to 19 platted lots on Mardell Court in Fort Ward. She noted the LID petition is 47% complete and that the lots have paid $414,000 in inflation-adjusted property taxes since 1960 without receiving infrastructure. She stated the project would complete a 1960 plat, add stormwater management, and improve fire access.
- Benjamin Harrison (ETAC member, Rolling Bay resident): Expressed full support for revitalizing the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee (ETAC), praising the city’s environmental work but urging the council to invest in community expertise to meet growing challenges. He highlighted ETAC’s value in peer review for comprehensive plan and groundwater management.
- Ron Peltier: Criticized the city’s strategy in a SEPA appeal, alleging the city is trying to stretch out hearings to outspend the appellant. He claimed the city delayed a summary judgment request by filing a last-minute motion, calling the approach unethical.
- Dennis Gawlik: Presented a humorous “Jeopardy” quiz on “doing the right thing,” referencing council actions such as scheduling ward meetings, attending assignments, and assisting a constituent with propane. He urged the council to prioritize ethical conduct.
- Charlie Kratzer (former ETAC chair, 8 years): Spoke in favor of reinstating ETAC, noting no meetings in the past 1.5 years. He detailed ETAC’s past contributions (Suzuki project, groundwater management plan, habitat reviews) and criticized the city for not incorporating ETAC recommendations, including creation of a full-time hydrologist position. He urged the council to seek ETAC’s expertise similarly to other advisory committees.
Discussion Items
- 6A – Youth Participation in Local Government: Equity & Inclusion Manager Anshu Wahi presented a proposal for an April youth event to gather input from high school students on future engagement activities. The event would include presentations, focus groups, dinner, and observation of a council meeting. Council members expressed strong support, with Councilmember Matthews suggesting a later start time (4:30 PM) and Councilmember Lant advocating for inclusion of younger students. Motion to direct staff to proceed with the April event carried 7-0.
- 6B – Art of Place Art Display: Management Analyst Adam Nebenzahl presented the Public Art Committee’s selection of 8 artworks for the City Hall engineering conference room, representing different areas of Bainbridge Island. The artworks were chosen from 56 submissions by 25 artists and will be displayed for three years. Councilmember Lant asked about UV protective glass; staff will investigate. Motion to accept the recommended artwork and direct the interim city manager to execute agreements carried 7-0.
- 6C – Steering Committee Scope of Work: Acting City Manager Schroer reviewed the scope of work for the joint City Council and Planning Commission steering committee for the Winslow Subarea Plan and Comprehensive Plan Update. Councilmember Nelson proposed adding monitoring of the Housing Accountability Act audit by the Department of Commerce. After discussion, the council agreed the existing scope (which includes “provide recommendations for subsequent consideration and action”) already covers this, and no formal amendment was needed. The motion to approve the scope as presented carried 7-0.
- 6D – Joint Subcommittee with Ethics Board: Council discussed forming a joint subcommittee to consider revisions to the Ethics Program. Councilmembers Fantroy-Johnson, Hytopoulos, and Lant volunteered. Motion to create the subcommittee with those members and approve the work plan (including a sunset date of December 31, 2026) carried 7-0.
- 6E – ETAC Appointments: Council discussed the need to staff the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee (ETAC) promptly, noting 10 applicants and 7 already interviewed. Members emphasized the value of scientific expertise, especially for the groundwater management plan. Motion to “move with all deliberate haste to interview and staff the ETAC” carried 7-0.
- 6F – Appointment of Interim City Manager: Council unanimously approved the appointment of Ellen Schroer as Interim City Manager, praising her competence and continuity. Motion carried 7-0.
- 6G – Scheduling Ward Meetings: Council discussed format and timing for ward meetings (North, South, Central). Preferences included Saturday mornings, clustered on subsequent weekends, with a mix of group and intimate formats. Councilmember Lant suggested linking ward meetings to a council retreat to set priorities. Staff will bring back scheduling options. No formal motion was needed; direction was given to staff.
Key Outcomes
- Youth Event: Motion passed 7-0 to direct staff to hold an April youth event to develop youth engagement activities for 2026 and beyond.
- Art Display: Motion passed 7-0 to accept the recommended artwork and direct staff to execute agreements and installation.
- Steering Committee Scope of Work: Motion passed 7-0 to approve the scope as presented.
- Ethics Subcommittee: Motion passed 7-0 to create a joint City Council and Ethics Board subcommittee (members: Lant, Fantroy-Johnson, Hytopoulos) with a work plan and sunset date of December 31, 2026.
- ETAC Appointments: Motion passed 7-0 to proceed with deliberate haste to interview and staff the ETAC.
- Interim City Manager: Motion passed 7-0 to appoint Ellen Schroer as Interim City Manager.
- Ward Meetings: Council directed staff to bring back options for scheduling ward meetings, with a preference for weekends and clustered timing.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. Like to call the City Council regular business meeting for Tuesday, September 20, or Tuesday, February 24th to order. Uh City Clerk, would you please call the role? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Christine Brown, City Clerk. Please state for the record if you're present after I call your name. Mayor Milwaukee. Present. Deputy Mayor Hytopolis. Present. Councilmember Matthews. Present. Councilmember Fantro Johnson. Present. Councilmember Nelson. Present. Councilmember Lance. Present. Councilmember Schneider. Present. Thank you. All members are present. Would you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? And reading our land acknowledgement tonight is a Councilmember Mike Nelson. Thank you, Mayor. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Chief Seattle, 1854. We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral ancestral territory, the squaw's people of clear saltwater. Sequence people. Second. Seconded by Councilmember Scheidware. All in favor, please say aye. Opposed. Seeing none, I'd like to move to public comment. And uh we have a list of the same thing. Thank you very much. And you'll have three minutes and uh public comments simply received by the council with no response, and council cannot deliberate on items that are on the agenda, and the lack of comment from us is not an endorsement or denial of the comment. So, first on the list is Margaret Milton. Dear Baybridge Island City Council members, my name is Margaret Milton. I grew up on Fort Ward and attended K through 12 on Bainbridge Island. I recently moved back with my husband and our two young children. We are renting. We hope to build our family home here. We are committed to remaining part of this community long term. My husband and I purchased a lot on Mardell Court in Fort Ward. We, along with eight other Mardell Court landowners, support creating a local improvement district to provide utilities and access to 19 legally platted lots on Mardell Court. Without an LID, these parcels remain unusable. These lots have existed as legal parcels since 1960. At 47%, our LID petition is nearly complete and moving towards statutory compliance.
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