Bainbridge Island City Council Special Meeting - March 31, 2026: Roundabout Opposition and City Manager Brochure Approval
Bainbridge Island City Council Special Meeting - March 31, 2026
The Bainbridge Island City Council held a special meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and via Zoom. Mayor Moriwaki presided, with all seven councilmembers present. The agenda included a briefing from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Washington State Ferries (WSF) on the proposed roundabout at High School Road and SR 305, Winslow Way operations, and World Cup ferry preparations, followed by discussion and approval of the City Manager recruitment brochure. The meeting lasted until 9:09 p.m.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda was approved unanimously (7-0) after councilmember Lant requested to pull item 4.C (cancellation of the April 7, 2026 study session). That item was then considered separately and also approved 7-0 after a brief discussion on study session scheduling. Accounts payable and payroll were approved as part of the amended consent agenda.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Roundabout opposition (6 speakers): Mike Suraci, Ron Peltier, Gloria Saylor, Colleen Smith, Ellen Cork, and a late speaker all expressed strong opposition to the proposed roundabout at High School Road and SR 305. Concerns focused on pedestrian safety (crosswalks vs. overpass), emergency vehicle access (especially to the ferry for Harborview), ferry queue interference, cost, and lack of community input. Mike Suraci noted he had donated blood earlier (176 pints total) and felt the roundabout design ignored pedestrian concerns. Colleen Smith, mother of the student who read the land acknowledgment, urged a study on ambulance transit times during construction.
- Creative District support (2 speakers): Ann Smart and Jackie Muth provided an update on the Bainbridge Creative District, its 2021 state designation, upcoming events (Asian Arts & Heritage Festival in May, Creative Thread Festival in September), and recertification efforts. They distributed a handout.
- City Manager brochure comment (1 speaker): Former councilmember Jon Quitslund praised the brochure but suggested adding references to Kitsap County connections and demographic data to balance the Seattle-centric description.
Discussion Items
5.A. Briefing from WSDOT / Washington State Ferries
Steve Roark (Olympic Region Administrator, WSDOT), Sarah Ott (Olympic Region Traffic Engineer), and Hadley Rodero (Deputy Director for External Relations, WSF) presented.
- Roundabout at High School Road & SR 305: Roark described the safety program using crash data from 2015-2020 (29 crashes, 1 fatality, 3 serious injuries) that ranked this intersection #12 statewide. A roundabout was identified as the countermeasure, with federal data showing a 37% reduction in total collisions, 75% reduction in injury crashes, and 90% reduction in fatal crashes. He presented updated conceptual designs incorporating community feedback: separate bike/pedestrian crossings, raised crosswalks, rectangular rapid-flash beacons, chicane to slow northbound traffic, and narrowing of the southbound exit lane. Construction is expected in 2028, with pre-design wrapping up in July 2026.
- Winslow Way & ferry traffic: Ott explained operational improvements already made (ferry-only lane) and future plans: relocating signal indications, upgrading signal cabinet via grant, additional pavement markings, and coordinating with the city to repurpose the right-turn lane for cyclists.
- World Cup preparations: Rodero outlined enhanced security, staffing (24/7 at terminal, additional state patrol), two spare vessels staged at Eagle Harbor, and activation of emergency operations centers during the 22-day event. She also noted the sailing schedule update process that will begin in spring 2026, with community engagement through a task force (20-25 members) and a target of a new schedule by fall 2027.
Council members voiced strong concerns about the roundabout’s impact on ferry queuing, pedestrian safety (especially multiple-threat crashes), emergency vehicle access, and traffic diversion to side streets. Several questioned the modeling for single-lane vs. multi-lane roundabouts. Specific requests were made for modeling of ferry queue interactions, emergency response data, and consideration of an overpass or single-lane design. Deputy Mayor Hytopoulos and councilmembers Nelson, Fantroy-Johnson, and others argued that the safety benefits did not outweigh the severe disruption to the island's only ferry access, with 4.9 million riders annually.
A motion by councilmember Nelson, seconded by councilmember Lant, was made to direct the interim city manager to draft a resolution for a future business meeting stating the council does not support the roundabout. After debate, the motion passed 6-1 (Mayor Moriwaki opposed). Councilmember Schneider suggested asking WSDOT for a written response to their concerns before finalizing the resolution.
5.B. City Manager Recruitment Brochure
Interim City Manager Schroer introduced Heather Gantz from Raftelis, the search firm. Gantz presented the brochure, noting it was based on a community survey (nearly 400 responses), individual council conversations, and staff input. Council reviewed the brochure section by section, providing edits:
- Page 2 (position description): No major issues.
- Page 3 (priorities): Edited the sixth bullet to remove the phrase “while thoughtfully navigating a community where growth, density, and environmental preservation are deeply held and often competing values” and replaced it with “thoughtfully in a community where growth, density, and environmental preservation are deeply held values.”
- Page 4 (successful candidate): General approval; councilmember Nelson noted the survey highlighted ethical leadership and fiscal management as top traits, but the brochure worded it appropriately without overemphasizing distrust. No changes.
- Qualifications section: Councilmember Nelson raised a concern about language that could be seen as a DEI preference; city attorney Andrew Soling will review for legal compliance. Tabled for attorney review.
- Community section: Several edits requested: (1) Add mention of connection to Kitsap County (revise “Seattle’s closest island getaway” to “a gateway to the Kitsap Peninsula”); (2) Include Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network (BARN); (3) Acknowledge small-scale manufacturing (e.g., boutique manufacturing, internationally recognized businesses). Council agreed to task the subcommittee and interim city manager with incorporating these changes and meeting Thursday morning to finalize.
A motion to approve the brochure as amended (incorporating the feedback discussed) moved by councilmember Fantroy-Johnson, seconded by councilmember Mathews, passed unanimously (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Roundabout resolution: The council passed a motion 6-1 directing the interim city manager to draft a resolution opposing the roundabout at High School Road and SR 305 for future council consideration. WSDOT was asked to provide written responses to specific concerns (ferry queue modeling, emergency access, multiple-threat crashes) before the resolution is finalized.
- City Manager brochure: Approved unanimously (7-0) with minor edits to the priorities and community sections. The subcommittee will finalize language by Thursday, April 2, 2026, and the brochure will be released by Monday, April 6, 2026.
- Consent agenda: Approved as amended.
- Study session: Cancellation of April 7, 2026, study session approved 7-0.
Meeting Transcript
Recording in progress. All right. Good. I call the March thirty-first, twenty twenty-six meeting to order. And um City Clerk, would you please call the roll? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Christine Brown, City Clerk. Please state for the record if you're present after I call your name. Mayor Morwaki. Present. Deputy Mayor Hytopolis. Present. Councilmember Matthews. Present. Councilmember Fantro Johnson. Present. Council. Councilmember Nelson. Present. Councilmember Land. Present. Councilmember Schneider. Present. Thank you. All present. Seven to seven all here. And now let's please do the pleasure of allegiance. And to the Republicans one nation under God. Thank you very much. And as would happen last week, we have another student here to read our land acknowledgement. It's Hazel Smith. She's a fifth grader from Sakai Intermediate School. So welcome, Hazel. Go Hazel. Everyone soil is scarced in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every play and grove has been hollowed by something sad or happy, a then in the days long vanished. Chief Seattle, 1854. We would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is within the ancestral territory of the Sequamish people of the clear salt water. Expert fishermen, canoe builders, and basket weavers. The Sequamish lived in harmony with the land and waterways along Washington Central Salish Sea, as they have for thousands of years. Here, the Sequatish live and protect the land and water of their ancestors for future generations as promised by the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855. Thank you so much. And this is a place that isn't scary. Um agenda's before us. I would accept a motion to approve the agenda. So moved. I second. Move by Councilmember Nelson, seconded by Councilmember France Johnson. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.
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