Inside Bainbridge

After three years and by a rough count 28 study sessions, 47 public meetings, and one protest march, the Bainbridge Island City Council has, at least for now, laid the Shoreline Master Program to rest with a 4-3 vote approving the update at last night’s (Wednesday, May 15) City Council meeting. What happens next is…

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by Julie Hall and Sarah Lane Having a thick head of hair, Roger Townsend doesn’t often wear hats. So he won’t miss his hat when he tosses it in the race for the Bainbridge Island City Council. Townsend will run for the South Ward position, to be vacated by Kirsten Hytopoulos who will not run for…

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A large native Douglas fir tree on Bainbridge Island has become more than an impressive 100-foot tall living member of our local ecosystem. It has become a symbol, at least to some of the people who live near it. To understand its significance, some background is necessary. In March a large densely wooded area of…

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On Friday, April 26, Bainbridge Fire Commissioner Glen Tyrrell announced his resignation, effective May 1, 2013. Tyrrell has served the Bainbridge Island Fire Department in various capacities for over 10 years. He was Interim Fire Chief from 2006 to 2007, after joining the Board of Commissioners in 2000. Speaking about the resignation, Fire Chief Teran said, “Both…

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Public Works Director Lance Newkirk announced his resignation today, April 26. Newkirk has worked for the City of Bainbridge Island (COBI) for over 15 years, the last 4 as the public works director. This is the fifth high-profile departure from COBI management in just over a year. The exodus began with the sudden firing of…

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Central Ward community members (this Ward comprises primarily those residing in the Winslow area) are invited to a public meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting will be hosted by Central Ward Councilmembers Dave Ward and Debbi Lester, as well as our new City Manager Doug Schulze and Mayor Steve…

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Val Tollefson has announced his candidacy for the Bainbridge Island City Council North Ward seat, currently held by Bob Scales, who is not seeking re-election in November. A long-time Islander, Tollefson moved to West Port Madison in 1977 with his wife Mary Ann Tollefson and their two young daughters. Val and Mary Ann now have two grandchildren who are students…

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It’s bad enough that fish and mammals in the waters of the Northwest Pacific are amped on caffeine because of our coffee-loving culture here. (That’s no joke: read more.) But let’s give them a break from our medications by turning them in for safe disposal on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Coordinated by the U.S….

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The budgets recently passed by the Washington House (on April 12) and Senate (on April 5) seem to have overlooked the fourth-largest industry in the state (in terms of its impact on the economy): Tourism. The Senate budget originally included no tourism funding. Under pressure from the Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA), the Senate recently added…

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Dear Editor: It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing that I won’t seek reelection. Having taken time to listen to family, friends, colleagues, and constituents, and although many encouraged me to run again, my family and I agree it would be best to step aside now and encourage new candidates to come…

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Bainbridge City Manager Doug Schulze announced this afternoon that he has hired Matthew Hamner for the position of Police Chief. Hamner will leave his position in the Indianapolis Police Department as Chief’s Executive Officer at the rank of Major. He has served in that department for 23 years in numerous positions, including in the Neighborhood…

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Despite its earlier announcement that it would stop Saturday mail delivery as of August 5 in order to stanch its external budgetary bleeding ($15.9 billion in 2012), the U.S. Postal Service now says the show will go on. Because the USPS is funded by Congress, when Congress says jump, USPS does, and Congress’s stopgap budget,…

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Dear Councilmember Blossom, Experience in recent months indicates that when a citizen wants to express a concern about a Council member’s potential conflict of interest, they will be ruled out of order by City Council if they come to a public Council meeting to express that opinion orally, and will be told to put it…

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Bob Bosserman has declared his candidacy for Bainbridge Island City Council in next November’s elections. Bosserman is running in the South Ward Position number 3, a seat currently filled by Kirsten Hytopolous, who will not be running for re-election. Bosserman served on the City’s Utility Advisory Committee and currently sits on the Board of the Bainbridge…

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U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer will be visiting Bainbridge this Friday to address the public at the April Chamber of Commerce Breakfast. He will fill in attendees on the latest from the other Washington, placing special emphasis on issues of interest to businesses. Congressman Kilmer represents Washington’s 6th District. He is traveling throughout the region during…

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Five lucky contestants have been selected out of a field of nearly 60, yes 60, applicants for Bainbridge Island Police Chief. After over a year of searing performance reports, resignations by both Police Chief Fehlman and Police Commander Sue Shultz, and a lawsuit fingering two officers and the city for failing to train its officers…

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City Manager Doug Schulze made a presentation to the City Council Wednesday night, at their request, of his analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing the city water utility to the Kitsap Public Utilities District (KPUD). His analysis made a very compelling case for not outsourcing and, when he was done, it was hard…

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On Monday, March 18, the Bainbridge Island Ethics Board made short order of dismissing an ethics complaint against Councilmember Debbi Lester. The complaint was submitted by Islander Tom Golon. It stated that Lester should recuse herself from voting on Shoreline Master Program (SMP) matters because her husband Ryan Vancil, a land-use attorney, has worked for…

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Of the 306 Nooksack members currently facing disenrollment from their tribe, an estimated 50 are Bainbridge Islanders. All are of mixed Nooksack and Filipino descent. A resolution recently passed by the Nooksack Tribal Council claims that the the original declaration of Nooksack tribal membership given to the ancestors of these 306 tribal members was illegitimate….

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by Julie Hall with Sarah Lane Bainbridge Islander Tom Golon filed an ethics complaint on March 12 against Bainbridge Island City Councilmember Debbi Lester for an alleged conflict of interest. According to Golon’s complaint statement, “Debbie Lester of the City Council is compromised on her voting for the SMP updates – specifically, conforming vs. non-conforming…

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