What Are Bainbridge Island Council's Most Significant Challenges?
The City of Bainbridge Island faces many challenges. These are areas that have been considered and discussed throughout the years, but it is time to dive into:
The biggest challenge we face, because affects all of those other concerns, is:
How Bainbridge Island will respond and react to the continuing trend of the State Legislature imposing new rules on local jurisdictions regarding land use, housing, and development regulations -- things that have historically been subject to local control.
When we became an all-Island City, the entire Island was designated as an Urban Growth Area under the Growth Management Act, our entire Island is treated exactly as any other City although it would be more appropriate be be characterized as a small county, with a relatively small population.
We have chosen to concentrate growth in a more urban area – Winslow – so that we can retain the more rural-feel of the rest of the Island. We also have an obvious natural boundary – our shoreline. Unlike other cities, we can’t annex additional land to create more capacity. So what has, and will continue to be an issue, is that we will have to fight or find ways to comply with these state-created, one-size-fits-all regulations that could be very difficult to implement here because the regulations are designed with an eye towards a typical city, which we are not.
Inadequate Non-Motorized Transportation Network
The city has two transportation related plans. The Island-Wide Transportation Plan from 2017 and the Sustainable Transportation Plan from 2022. It is in the process of creating a third plan called the Island-Wide Mobility Plan that will combine the information from the two previous plans. At some point the city needs to stop drafting new plans and execute the plans that are already in place. To continue to plan and not implement leads to frustration by the community and is a waste of resources.
Council vs. Planning Commission: Local Government 101
Council:
-
The City of Bainbridge Island is a non-charter code city with a council/manager form of government. The City Council members are elected officers, each of whom have been a registered voter and resident of the city for a period of at least one year preceding their election.
-
The responsibilities and authority of the city manager and the City Council are regulated by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Section 35A.13.
-
The City Council is the legislative branch of city government. The City Council can set public policy in two major ways:
-
By enacting ordinances during the year
-
By establishing budgetary (taxing and spending) policies
-
-
Council duties also include defining the functions, powers and duties of city officers and employees.
-
Elected by Bainbridge Island Citizens in specific wards for primaries, and island-wide for general election.
Planning Commission
-
7 Members Appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the city council. following application process. All seven members of the commission shall be residents of the city. The members shall not be employees or officers of the city or appointed to another city committee, board, or commission, except for specialized committees or task forces of limited duration.
-
The Planning Commission (PC) was established pursuant to RCW 35A.63 to serve as an advisory body to the City Council.
-
The primary role is to provide recommendations to the City Council, Planning Director and Hearing Examiner, and to consider legislative and quasi-judicial matters, with its primary responsibility to prepare, review and update the Comprehensive Plan and BIMC 2.14.020 in consultation with the director.
-
Each commissioner shall endeavor to understand and agree to uphold the city’s adopted comprehensive plan.
Water Resource Management
Priority number one is to finish the Groundwater Management Plan and to do so in a way that the public has a high degree of confidence in it. That piece is really important. It needs to be a plan that the public can accept and support.
The Groundwater Management Plan will provide essential data for the City to be able to demonstrate what that carrying capacity is because at some point, the City may have to request alternative treatment under the Growth Management Act.
Beyond the Groundwater Management Plan and understanding our carrying capacity – there’s also water in and water out.
Water out – The City, and other water purveyors, have very little control over water consumption. The primary stick they have is tiered water rates, so it costs more to use more. However, that only works for those on water systems. There are around 1400 wells on the Island, most of them private or small, community systems. We will primarily have to rely on education and people’s good will and good sense to encourage water conservation.
Water in – They City needs to also consider what it can do to at least maintain the groundwater recharge we currently have. We already have regulations in place regarding stormwater controls for new development that assist with water quality and recharge rates.
But the City could do more. I think the City should fully develop its development right transfer program because, in addition to supporting the goal of concentrating growth in our designated center, that program would also assist in preservation efforts, which in turn would have a positive impact on aquifter recharge rates.
Addressing Our Aging Infrastructure
Additional growth will put pressure on our existing roads that we already have trouble maintaining. The roads we use to access grocery stores. Doctors offices schools are already congested. We have intersections that aren’t safe. Traffic is probably the one problem that every islander can agree. Not enough attention is paid to traffic impacts of proposed developments. Our code doesn’t adequately require mitigation for these impacts. The City Manager hired a consultant who has told the city council that in order to just maintain our roadwork. They’ll need to ask the taxpayers for additional money. Utility infrastructure is aging and will need to be replaced overtime, but that cost will have to be paid for by a small rate payer base. While a lot of these costs on their own may be incremental, together they add up and make it even more difficult for people to continue to live here.
Issues
Planning for Growth and Affordable Housing
With careful planning, strong environmental protections, and a commitment to thoughtful design, we can create housing that meets community needs without sacrificing Bainbridge Island’s natural beauty or small-town character.
During my previous tenure on City Council, I consistently advocated for affordable housing. We’ve made progress, but rising costs and limited infrastructure have made the challenge harder. If we want Bainbridge to remain a place where young families, teachers, first responders, and small business owners can live and thrive, we need renewed focus and creative solutions.
Affordable housing is essential to maintaining a healthy, vibrant, and complete community. Bainbridge should be a place where young families can afford to live, grow roots, and contribute to the fabric of our island—whether as teachers, first responders, small business owners, artists, or volunteers.
We need balanced, thoughtful planning that meets state requirements without compromising our identity. That means listening to residents, protecting our environment and infrastructure, and making intentional decisions that reflect our long-term vision. Preserving our small-town feel doesn’t mean stopping growth—it means shaping it in a way that keeps Bainbridge livable, connected, and distinctly ours.