Bainbridge Island City Council Regular Business Meeting - May 26, 2026

The Bainbridge Island City Council met on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting covered a proclamation, a wellness program presentation, public comments, consent agenda, city manager's report, and extensive discussion on the Transportation and Water Resources Elements of the Comprehensive Plan, along with several other business items. The meeting adjourned at 9:18 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (7-0): accounts payable and payroll, meeting minutes, a $208,707.54 construction contract with Pavement Surface Control for the 2026 Annual Roads Striping Project (Streets Fund), and Ordinance No. 2026-06 granting a 10-year franchise to Verizon Wireless for telecommunications facilities in public rights-of-way.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Diane West and Maureen Olson (YWCA of Kitsap County) described a fire that rendered the YWCA Alive Shelter uninhabitable, forcing shelter operations into a hotel, and requested financial assistance. They noted the shelter is the county's only 24-hour shelter and serves Bainbridge Island residents.
• Glynnis Cowdery (President of Arts and Humanities Bainbridge and chair of the public art committee) reported that submissions for the “Something New” temporary art program increased from 24 in 2025 to 36 in 2026, attributing the rise to an increased stipend and travel allowance approved by the council last fall. She invited the council to the Festival Finale on May 31.
• Malcolm Gander (Rolling Bay) expressed concerns about the executive summary of the Groundwater Management Plan, stating a sentence that the water supply is “secure for the 20-year planning horizon given steady population growth combined with changes in climate” could be misinterpreted and does not address environmental considerations or the need for proactive management, funding, and implementation of strategies.
• Dawn Janow (resident of Terra Lane) advocated for compromise and balance in the Transportation Element, raised concerns about proposed parking reductions in Winslow, and urged the council to engage in a real community vision process before inserting “community vision” into the plan. She also noted that parking reductions near the ferry terminal conflict with policy TR-10, which calls for adequate parking.
• Bevan Taylor (born and raised islander) criticized the council for walking toward a comprehensive plan that may comply with housing mandates in letter but not spirit, questioned the council’s commitment to actually building affordable housing, and asked whether the council would set housing construction targets and commit to regular reviews.

Discussion Items

• Proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month (May 2026): Read by Councilmember Schneider, accepted by Hannah Abrams, a Bainbridge High School junior, who thanked the council and emphasized the importance of recognition amid rising antisemitism.
• Employee Wellness Committee Presentation: Joel Schwarz and other committee members reported that 66% of city employees participated in the WellCity program in 2025, resulting in $52,000 in medical premium savings (over $418,000 in combined savings over 10 years). The program also includes community outreach activities.
• Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan: Council debated and voted on numerous amendments over an extended period. Key outcomes (see below). The element was forwarded to a future meeting for consideration of approval by a vote of 6-1.
• Water Resources Element of the Comprehensive Plan: Council debated and adopted several amendments (see below). The element was forwarded to a future meeting for consideration of approval by a vote of 6-0.
• Infrastructure Capacity and Land Capacity Analysis (Item 7C): Postponed to a future meeting.
• Ordinance No. 2026-08 – Bonus FAR Extension: Adopted 6-0, extending the sunset provision for the Bonus Floor Area Ratio program for an additional four months to allow completion of the Comprehensive Plan update.
• City Manager Hiring Process Update: Councilmember Mathews (part of the subcommittee with Deputy Mayor Hytopoulos and Councilmember Fantroy-Johnson) presented the schedule: a community engagement event on June 17 (5:30-7 PM at City Hall), candidate panel interviews on June 18 with panels representing community partners, advisory groups, and city leadership. Council concurred with the approach.
• YWCA Alive Shelter Contribution: Councilmember Lant moved to authorize a one-time $25,000 contribution from the council contingency fund to support YWCA Alive Shelter after a fire disrupted operations. The motion carried 6-0.
• Appoint Councilmember Schneider as Additional Liaison to Mobility Advisory Committee: Appointed 6-0.
• “Something New” Art Rotation: Postponed to a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Transportation Element Amendments (all votes recorded):

  • Reinsert Section M (Community Character) into the Comprehensive Plan on page TR-5 as amended (striking “open drainage ditches”): Carried 7-0.
  • Add language to the Islandwide Mobility Plan to conduct citizen outreach and a feasibility study of connecting Erickson Avenue and Hildebrand Lane: Carried 7-0.
  • Strike “fiscally responsible” from Transportation Vision 2044: Failed 1-6.
  • Retain “while retaining emergency vehicle response times” in Policy 8.1 (page TR-15): Carried 6-1 (Schneider against).
  • Add new Policy TR 1.5 (receive recommendations from Mobility Advisory Committee on amendments to Island Wide Mobility Plan and Transportation Element): Carried 7-0.
  • Remove “existing” from Safety and Maintenance Goal TR-9: Carried 7-0.
  • Add new policy to Environmental Element: “Encourage the use of electric and hybrid vehicles where possible.” Carried 7-0.
  • Remove Policy 9.1 in its entirety and refer to Mobility Advisory Committee: Carried 7-0.
  • Strike Policy TR 5.1: Failed 2-5.
  • Restore “Include transportation projects and” and remove “Maintain” in Policy TR 9.2: Carried 7-0.
  • Strike “low-volume” from Policy TR 2.5: Failed 3-4.
  • Motion to restore “motorized” in Policy 9.3: Withdrawn after realizing “non” was missing.
  • Add sentence to Policy TR 6.6 about reevaluating speed limits for efficient movement of goods: Carried 6-0 (Schneider abstained).
  • Retain “maximize parking” in TR Action #2: Carried 7-0.
  • Strike TR Action #1: Failed 2-5.
  • Reinstate Policy TR 11.4 (“Minimize the use of street lighting outside of Winslow, except to address safety”): Carried 5-0 (Lant and Fantroy-Johnson abstained).
  • Amend Policy TR 2.7 to add “and feasible” after “when appropriate”: Failed 3-4.
  • Forward Transportation Element to future meeting for approval: Carried 6-1 (Nelson against).

• Water Resources Element Amendments (all votes recorded):

  • Restate language on page WR-3 to add “other household chemicals” and note that wastewater treatment plants contribute to long-term groundwater loss: Carried 7-0.
  • Restate language on page WR-4 to note that on-site sewage systems provide a significant source of groundwater recharge: Carried 7-0 (with addition of “also”).
  • Restate language on page WR-6 to reference “established groundwater level thresholds”: Carried 7-0.
  • Replace first sentence of Policy WR 2.1 with “Recognize that the entire Island is designated by the Washington State Department of Ecology as a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area, meaning that the entire Island is a critical area under the Growth Management Act.” Failed 2-4.
  • Same motion without “under the Growth Management Act”: Failed 3-3.
  • Change first paragraph of Water Resources Introduction (page WR-2) to include USEPA sole source aquifer designation language: Failed 3-3.
  • Change Policy WR 2.16 to “Maintain and advance a comprehensive program…” including static water levels: Carried 6-0.
  • Add “water levels and” before “the quality of their well water” in Policy WR 2.9: Carried 6-0.
  • Add “while maintaining a low risk of septic system failure” at end of Policy WR 5.3: Carried 6-0.
  • Restate “regional retrofit stormwater facilities” as “regional development of Bainbridge Island retrofit stormwater facilities” in Policy WR 4.14: Carried 6-0.
  • Add “Climate Change Advisory Committee, Environmental Technical Advisory Committee” to Policy WR 2.11 under WR Action #2: Administrative change (no vote needed).
  • Forward draft Water Resources Element to future meeting for approval: Carried 6-0.

• Bonus FAR Extension: Ordinance No. 2026-08 adopted 6-0.

• YWCA Contribution: One-time $25,000 from council contingency fund approved 6-0.

• Appointment: Councilmember Schneider appointed as additional liaison to Mobility Advisory Committee 6-0.