Our island. Our environment.

Bainbridge Island has received a permit from the State of Washington for protected bicycle-lane work at Winslow Way and State Route 305, City Manager John Mauro told the City Council on October 27. He said the city hoped to carry out the work in November, with exact timing weather dependent.

The project would repurpose the former eastbound right-turn lane on Winslow Way at Olympic Drive / SR 305.

Mauro said the work would take place mostly at night to reduce traffic disruption. “We’re hoping we can make it happen in November,” he said, while cautioning that weather could change the schedule.

Why state approval was needed

A city staff report prepared for the August 12, 2025 council meeting identified that Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) approval was required before the city could implement changes. The report proposed replacing the blocked right-turn lane with a permanent bicycles-only lane.

The lane has been blocked after WSDOT changed ferry-loading traffic arrangements in 2024. Those changes prohibited right turns from Winslow Way into the dedicated ferry lane on southbound SR 305. The bicycle project would give that former turn-lane space a new use.

What the city has proposed

The city’s project description calls for removing existing traffic markings, installing a mountable curb and bicycle markings, updating signs, and replacing a solid storm-drain cover with a grated cover. The project will be funded by a $25,000 budget amendment approved by the council on March 10, 2026.

The posted engineering drawing, dated March 12, 2026, shows a bicycle lane approaching the intersection, a mountable curb separating it from vehicle space, and a green bicycle box near the crossing. The drawing is labeled “Plan for Approval.” It documents the proposed layout; it does not establish the exact scope or conditions of the permit Mauro reported receiving.

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Bainbridge property owners who meet Kitsap County’s hardship criteria could gain help controlling English ivy, holly, and Scotch broom under a proposal headed to the county’s Noxious Weed Control Board on November 4.

Those plants are currently excluded from the county’s Stewardship Assistance Program. The proposed expansion would make them eligible through its hardship track. That track requires both a qualifying weed infestation and eligibility under the county’s senior and disabled property-tax exemption criteria.

The distinction matters on Bainbridge: the island’s Cooperative Weed Management Area partnership identifies ivy, Scotch broom, and English holly as its three priority weeds because they are widespread and can displace native plants and degrade wildlife habitat.

The existing assistance program provides up to $2,500 in weed-control services performed by county contractors, rather than cash reimbursement. Participants commit to a two-year management agreement, including follow-up work and access for inspections or treatments. Assistance depends on available funding.

For the hardship track, the linked 2026 exemption criteria include a qualifying age or disability, ownership and occupancy requirements, and household income of $65,000 or less for 2025, calculated under the program’s rules. The proposal would expand the plant list; it does not propose removing those eligibility requirements.

The board’s meeting materials also raise possible annual limits on funding or the number of hardship projects. They do not establish a start date for expanded eligibility.

Separately, the board will consider changes to free weed disposal. The previous program, which included Bainbridge Disposal, ended July 31 after reaching its budget. Options now under discussion include weekend-only service, using private facilities alongside Olalla, and a revised voucher system. No replacement arrangement has been approved in these materials.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Pacific on Wednesday, November 4, at the Poulsbo library’s community room, 700 NE Lincoln Road, with a Zoom option. The board’s meeting page provides the agenda, online access, and public-comment instructions. Written comments submitted through its form by noon that day can be read during the meeting, subject to a two-minute limit.

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Purple foxglove and cherry laurel could join Washington’s noxious weed list next year, putting familiar garden plants under a new spotlight for Bainbridge Island homeowners.

The Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board is proposing four Class C additions for 2027: purple foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), bird cherry (Prunus avium), cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), and bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). It would also broaden the ivy listing to cover Hedera helix, H. hibernica, and their hybrids without the current cultivar restrictions.

What Would Change for Gardeners?

The official proposal makes an important distinction: the four Class C additions would not themselves require landowners to control those plants. County weed boards could, however, subsequently select them for mandatory control. The state says the listings are intended in part to support access to grants and voluntary control efforts.

This rule also would not necessarily ban their sale. The Department of Agriculture maintains a separate quarantine list governing prohibited sales and distribution. Some noxious weeds are already on that list; a change to the weed list should not be read as either a new sales ban or permission to sell a plant already restricted.

For a Bainbridge gardener, the practical questions would remain separate: Is the plant on the state list? Has Kitsap County required its control? Is its sale restricted? A Class C label alone does not answer all three.

Why the Garden–Forest Boundary Matters

Cherry laurel illustrates the ecological concern. The state board documents its escape from gardens in western Washington, with birds carrying seeds beyond ornamental plantings. Cut stems can resprout.

King County’s plant guidance describes how cherry laurel shades native shrubs and tree seedlings and can replace forest canopy trees over time. A hedge’s effects can extend beyond the property where it was planted.

On Bainbridge, the Cooperative Weed Management Area partnership already prioritizes English ivy, Scotch broom, and English holly because they are widespread and damage native vegetation and habitat. The proposed broader ivy listing would intersect with that existing local work.

Comments Due November 2

Written comments are due by 5 p.m. Monday, November 2, at noxiousweeds@agr.wa.gov. The public hearing begins at 1 p.m. Tuesday, November 3, with online participation available. Verbal testimony is limited to three minutes. All times are Pacific.

The rule notice identifies November 4 as the intended adoption date; the changes remain proposed. The board’s meeting page provides online access. Its venue listing differs from the formal notice, so anyone attending in person should confirm the location with Mary Burrows at mary.burrows@agr.wa.gov or 360-561-4428.

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A sewage spill can begin with a clogged pipe, a stalled pump, or a generator that fails when the power goes out. For Bainbridge Island residents, knowing where to report a suspected release can help agencies respond before pollution travels through drains to the shoreline.

Washington now publishes a statewide sewage-spill list. But understanding those records requires separating three things: routine discharge of treated wastewater, conditionally authorized sewer overflows, and accidental releases.

How Sewage Escapes

According to the Department of Ecology, grease and wipes can obstruct sewer pipes, roots and construction equipment can damage them, and rainwater or groundwater entering the system can overwhelm its capacity. Electrical or mechanical failures can stop pumps from moving sewage to treatment.

Some releases occur before sewage reaches a plant. Others happen when wastewater misses a treatment stage, such as disinfection. During emergencies, operators may deliberately route flow around treatment equipment to limit damage and restore operations. An intentional bypass still counts as a spill of untreated or undertreated wastewater; calling it intentional does not establish that it complied with a permit.

Which Systems May Discharge Occasionally?

Ordinary wastewater permits require treatment and impose discharge limits. Bainbridge’s two municipal treatment facilities appear in Ecology’s records under Winslow, permit WA0020907, and Kitsap County Sewer District 7 at Fort Ward, permit WA0030317. Those listings are not blanket permission to release raw sewage.

A different arrangement applies to older combined sewers, which carry sewage and stormwater in the same pipes. During heavy rain, excess flow can leave through designated overflow outfalls. Ecology says discharge permits for 11 Washington communities and systems conditionally authorize occasional releases of this untreated mixture.

Nearby examples include Bremerton, Seattle, and King County’s system regulated through the West Point treatment-plant permit. The remaining entries are Anacortes, Bellingham, Everett, LOTT, Mount Vernon, Port Angeles, Snohomish, and Spokane. Bainbridge Island is not on Ecology’s combined-sewer-overflow list.

The state’s control standard is no more than one overflow per outfall per year on a long-term average—not permission for any spill, anywhere. Permit conditions and compliance schedules still apply, and violations can lead to enforcement.

The Latest Bainbridge Spill Record

The most recent Bainbridge spill we located concerns a July 15, 2026, incident at 428 Harborview Drive SE. The city’s detailed report estimates that 450 gallons escaped over approximately 12 minutes after a power outage and failure of a backup generator to start.

Sewage emerged through holes in manhole lids. Crews manually started the generator, restoring pumping, and cleaned the parking area, landscaping, and drains. The report identifies Eagle Harbor about 250 feet south, but describes the observed spill as contained to pavement, landscaping, a stormwater catch basin, and a connected building drain. It does not establish that sewage reached the harbor.

Ecology received the report July 17. It carries city incident number 26-2743 and Environmental Reports Tracking System (ERTS) number 748284. No newer Bainbridge spill was found in the accessible records reviewed, but the state’s interactive spill table could not be checked fully. July 15 is therefore the latest documented incident located, not a definitive finding that no later spill occurred.

How to Report a Suspected Spill

For a spill happening now, Ecology directs people to call 1-800-OILS-911 (1-800-645-7911), available around the clock. Call 911 for a life-threatening emergency. The online reporting form is reviewed during weekday business hours and should not delay an urgent call.

To make an online report, open the Environmental Reports Tracking System form:

Choose whether to report anonymously. Enter the incident location, select Kitsap County, and supply an address, nearby landmark, or map link. Describe when it happened, what you observed, and any drains or waterways involved. Add the suspected source and quantity if known; do not guess.

The form accepts a JPG or JPEG photograph. Contact information is optional for anonymous reports; providing an email address brings a confirmation containing the submitted information. Ecology cautions that submitted information is subject to public disclosure.

For follow-up, Kitsap is served by Ecology’s Northwest Region at 206-594-0000 or nwroerts@ecy.wa.gov.

Where to Check for Warnings

Use Kitsap Public Health’s water-contact advisories for local warnings. Ecology’s spill list covers reports from permitted wastewater facilities after June 22, 2026, but excludes septic systems, illegal dumping, and certain private or unpermitted sewer systems. It aims to post initial information within five working days of receiving a report, so the list is not a real-time all-clear.

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Bainbridge Island has approved two seabed test holes off Wing Point to help design a wastewater outfall extension intended to reduce nearby shellfish-harvest closure areas. The approval limits the drilling season and requires measures to keep fuel, drilling fluids, and waste out of Puget Sound.

The City’s October 29 shoreline decision covers geotechnical exploration—collecting soil samples to help engineers design the project. It does not authorize construction of the outfall extension.

The Army Corps of Engineers authorized the exploratory drilling in March; the City’s October decisions add local shoreline approval and environmental conditions.

In a January 23, 2026, email to the Army Corps, NOAA Fisheries confirmed that the sediment borings are consistent with the Salish Sea Nearshore Programmatic biological opinion and essential fish habitat consultation. The email also requires the Corps to follow the program’s monitoring and reporting provisions. If the project changes, the applicant must notify the Corps and NOAA Fisheries so they can determine whether another verification is needed.

An outfall is the pipe that carries treated wastewater from the treatment plant to its discharge point. The City’s larger project would move that discharge farther offshore, away from commercial shellfish beds. State health protections require precautionary harvest closures near wastewater outfalls even when a plant meets its discharge requirements, according to the Puget Sound National Estuary Program’s shellfish strategy. The drilling approval itself does not close or reopen any harvest area.

A barge-mounted drill rig would take samples at two locations approximately 700 feet and 925 feet offshore from the Wing Point Road area. The work is expected to take eight working days, during daylight hours. The Army Corps of Engineers authorization included in the City’s exhibits allows the investigations between July 1 and August 31, 2027. That is an “authorized work window,” not an announced start date. The timing is intended to reduce risks to fish and avoid the Suquamish Tribe’s fishing season. The City requires at least two weeks’ notice to the Tribe before work begins.

Drilling waste must be removed for disposal off-site, the holes must be filled, and equipment must be checked daily for leaks. Work must stop and Ecology must be notified if a spill or oil sheen is observed.

The City granted a shoreline substantial development exemption for the testing. That category allows qualifying preliminary investigations without a substantial development permit when they meet requirements such as avoiding significant environmental harm, preserving normal public use of the water, and restoring the site. Other environmental rules and permit conditions still apply. The application anticipates temporarily keeping recreational boats away from the immediate work-barge area.

The City also issued a mitigated determination of nonsignificance: its finding that the testing does not require a full State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental impact statement if the required protections are implemented. The notice sets a deadline of 4 p.m. Pacific on November 12, 2026, to file a written appeal with the City Clerk at 280 Madison Avenue North and pay the $530 appeal fee.

The outfall design work is a separate project from the urgent discharge-pump replacement previously reported by Bainbridge Environmental News.

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Bainbridge Island and its three state legislators are asking Gov. Bob Ferguson to delay the proposed roundabout at SR 305 and High School Road, citing unresolved questions about ferry backups and whether smaller safety improvements could meet the intersection’s needs.

The City announced the request October 30. The accompanying letter, dated October 9, is signed by City Manager John Mauro, Sen. Drew Hansen, and Reps. Greg Nance and Tarra Simmons.

The signers want the pause considered during development of the state’s 2027–29 transportation budget. They call for further analysis of ferry queues that extend through the intersection, updated safety information, and a comparison of incremental improvements with the cost and scope of a roundabout. A delay would leave the project available for future consideration.

The announcement is a request, not confirmation that the state has postponed construction. As of October 31, WSDOT’s project webpage still says pre-design is complete and the project has moved to a design office.

Safety and Ferry Queues

WSDOT says the intersection qualified for safety improvements because of its crash history. The agency’s selection process used 2015–2020 data showing 29 intersection-related crashes, including one fatality and three serious injuries. Its crash analysis identified a roundabout as the most effective alternative for reducing the targeted crashes and their severity.

The agency lists a $4 million project budget covering preliminary engineering, right-of-way, and construction, with costs subject to change. Funding comes from WSDOT’s safety improvement program.

The preliminary concept includes sidewalks, bicycle facilities, crossings, a connection to the Sound to Olympics Trail, and pavement markings intended to discourage drivers from blocking the intersection. WSDOT cautions that the design phase will refine those features.

Those walking and cycling connections make the decision consequential beyond vehicle traffic. The question is how to address ferry queues while delivering safer passage through an intersection used by people traveling in several different ways.

Neither the City’s announcement nor the letter specifies an alternative improvement package or a proposed length for the delay. The next development to watch is the state’s response to the request.

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Bainbridge Island residents will have a new year-round option for disposing of unwanted paint, pesticides, batteries, and other household chemicals when Kitsap County opens its North Kitsap Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility on November 4.

The facility at 23300 Arness Creek Road NE in Poulsbo will provide free household hazardous-waste collection. It will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 to 4 p.m., closing for a half-hour lunch.

The county says the new location will make proper disposal easier for residents of Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, and North Kitsap. In its October 26 announcement, Solid Waste Program Manager Kevin Bevelhimer described the opening as “expanding access to an essential service.”

Accepted materials include cleaning products, herbicides and pesticides, household and automotive batteries, antifreeze, gasoline, solvents, paints and stains, compact fluorescent bulbs, and fluorescent tubes. Appliances, electronics, empty containers, fireworks, ammunition, and marine flares are not accepted. Propane tanks larger than one liter are also excluded.

For some items, island residents can continue using Bainbridge Disposal’s transfer station at 7215 Vincent Road. Its specialty recycling includes motor oil and filters, antifreeze, automotive and household batteries, compact fluorescent bulbs, and properly contained sharps. It also accepts large appliances, scrap metal, and specified electronics. However, the transfer station excludes hazardous waste beyond its listed exceptions; the new county facility fills that gap with broader household chemical collection. Bainbridge Disposal’s fees depend on the material, so residents should check its requirements before visiting.

Most households bringing small loads of common hazardous waste will not need an appointment. An appointment is required for more than 50 containers, loads totaling more than 50 gallons, or any container larger than five gallons. Limits are based on container capacity, not how much product remains. Potentially dangerous materials, including unknown chemicals and deteriorating containers, also require an appointment.

Residents should check the county’s accepted-items list, preparation instructions, and holiday closures before loading their vehicles. The county advises keeping products in their original containers and never mixing different products.

At the facility, trained staff will sort and package the waste. Licensed contractors will then transport it to approved recycling and disposal sites outside Kitsap County. The collection service provides an alternative to putting hazardous chemicals into garbage, drains, soil, or waterways.

A Reuse Shop will offer free, usable household products, including leftover paint and automotive supplies, during operating hours. Qualifying businesses and organizations can use a separate Small Quantity Generator disposal program, which requires appointments and is not the free household service.

According to the county, construction began in September 2025 and cost $13 million. The building includes spill-containment features, automated fire-response systems, and backup power. Native landscaping and bioswales—planted areas that help manage stormwater—are among the site’s environmental features.

Questions about disposal options or facility operations can be directed to Kitsap County at 360-337-5777.

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Bainbridge Island’s Mobility Advisory Committee has an approved 2026–2027 work plan, with added encouragement to learn from other transportation groups and use data when advising the City Council.

Council unanimously approved the amended plan on October 27. The decision moves forward the advisory program described in our earlier story on community route reviews and better maps.

Councilmember Leslie Schneider proposed language encouraging members to attend or watch meetings of like-minded mobility and transportation groups for learning and exchanging ideas, “without representing the city in any official capacity.”

It also encourages members to research and understand transportation data sources and bring relevant measures into committee discussions and recommendations.

Deputy Mayor Kirsten Hytopoulos and Councilmember Mike Nelson said the revised language addressed concerns they had raised in the earlier discussion. Council voted separately to approve the amendment and then the amended work plan.

What residents could see

The plan presented for approval includes walking, biking, and rolling route reviews in 2027, intended to identify problems such as difficult crossings, gaps in connections, and hazards near schools. Findings would go to the council for consideration and action.

The committee’s work also includes helping develop printed and digital route maps, reviewing the Island-Wide Mobility Plan, considering places where transportation options connect, and assisting with a process for residents to request traffic calming and small transportation projects.

Approval gives the committee a program for research and recommendations. It does not itself authorize any specific improvements, which still require further city action.

The work is part of the city’s effort to make walking and cycling more practical alternatives to driving. Meeting information is available on the Mobility Advisory Committee’s page.

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Bainbridge Island council members advanced two approaches to conserving water on October 27: examining unusually high residential demand and returning to the question of whether treated wastewater could serve useful purposes instead of being discharged.

The decisions came during the 2027–2028 budget hearing. Neither imposes a new limit on household water use, and neither approves construction of a wastewater-reuse system.

A closer look at high-volume customers

Deputy Mayor Kirsten Hytopoulos proposed a public works budget item to assess disproportionately high consumption within the city’s water utility, focusing particularly on seasonal demand and discretionary outdoor use.

The work would identify the number of high-volume users, their relative consumption, and their effect on system capacity. Staff would also evaluate the city’s authority to use measures such as tiered rates, surcharges, consumption limits, or flow restrictions, then recommend policies for council consideration.

Council approved the direction unanimously. The cost remains for staff to recommend; the amended motion asks staff to find funding within existing budget resources rather than pull the cost from the general fund balance.

The proposal drew questions about fairness between neighbors served by different utilities. Councilmember Ashley Mathews raised the possibility that city customers could eventually face consequences that KPUD customers would not.

“I think the purpose of this motion is to do what we can within our sphere of power,” Councilmember Mike Nelson said, supporting work within the city’s utility while encouraging cooperation with KPUD.

The motion requests analysis of possible tools; it does not decide which, if any, to use. Any new appropriation must still be incorporated into the final budget ordinance; the council’s second budget hearing and anticipated adoption are scheduled for November 10.

Wastewater reuse returns for another look

Councilmember Mike Nelson initially proposed a budget line for beneficial wastewater reuse and a staff funding recommendation. He withdrew that motion after colleagues said council needed to review the options before assigning money.

His replacement motion, approved unanimously, directs City Manager John Mauro to bring a recommendation on wastewater beneficial reuse back to council.

The discussion included the possibility of using treated wastewater for irrigation to reduce groundwater withdrawals. Nelson recalled an earlier option involving the Wing Point neighborhood and golf course, but council did not choose a project, confirm a cost estimate, or approve a financing method.

Councilmember Leslie Schneider supported returning to the work and reviewing where the city had left off. Councilmember Ashley Mathews suggested that the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee could help develop recommendations. The adopted motion directed the city manager; it did not explicitly assign the work to that committee.

Mauro said beneficial reuse is already an action in the groundwater management plan. The next useful milestone will be a recommendation explaining the available options, their water-saving potential, and what further study or investment each would require.

Other groundwater proposals did not advance

Council rejected a separate request for a recommendation on obtaining hydrology or hydrogeology expertise to implement the groundwater plan. Nelson had revised that motion to remove an explicit request for an additional full-time position.

Members also rejected a proposed recommendation on incentives for voluntary monitoring of individual wells. Discussion centered in part on whether these requests belonged in the budget hearing or in a broader review of the groundwater plan’s implementation priorities.

The decisions follow the water-conservation investments outlined in our earlier budget report article. They are also separate from the urgent pump-replacement work at the Winslow Wastewater Treatment Plant; the reuse vote does not establish the status of that equipment work.

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The Bainbridge Island City Council voted 6–1 on October 27 to authorize a water-sharing agreement with Kitsap Public Utility District, advancing a connection intended to provide supplemental summer water to South Bainbridge customers.

Deputy Mayor Kirsten Hytopoulos cast the dissenting vote. She said she supported the intertie itself but wanted stronger reporting requirements on efforts to address unusually high residential water use.

The action authorizes City Manager John Mauro to execute the agreement. It does not establish that construction is complete or that water is already flowing between the systems.

Councilmember Mike Nelson, who said he had initially opposed the proposal, supported the revised agreement’s seven-year term, seasonal limits, and later reviews of conservation and other conditions. “I don’t believe it’s the long-term solution,” he said.

Nelson described the agreement as a response to a short-term need. Councilmember Lara Lant stressed the shared interests of residents served by different utilities, while Councilmember Leslie Schneider said the city also had a responsibility to address high use among its own customers.

What the agreement provides

As detailed in our earlier report on the proposed agreement, the intertie would connect the city’s Winslow system and KPUD’s South Bainbridge system on Eagle Harbor Drive near the head of Eagle Harbor. It would also allow emergency sharing in either direction, subject to available water.

The agreement presented to council provides up to 40 gallons per minute of seasonal supply in the first year, between May 15 and September 15. Section 5(A) lists that supply as 6,911,309 gallons per year. Starting in the third year, supply could increase by up to nine gallons per minute annually for five years, with each increment listed as 1,554,311 gallons per year, to a maximum of 85 gallons per minute, listed in the agreement as 14,689,382 maximum gallons per year. These annual gallon amounts are those stated in the agreement for the seasonal supply, which remains subject to availability.

Those increases are subject to annual review of growth in connections, conservation efforts and results, and progress toward a new source well. The agreement runs for seven years or until KPUD develops a new source, whichever comes first.

KPUD would lead design, permitting, and construction and pay project costs. Required utility and state approvals would still precede construction.

Conservation remains a separate decision

Hytopoulos argued that the utilities need to address exceptionally high users as well as move water between systems. Her concern included continued pressure on the Fletcher Bay aquifer.

Later in the meeting, council supported her proposal for an analysis of high residential consumption within the city’s own utility. That work is intended to identify high-volume use, like golf courses, assess its effect on system capacity, and evaluate possible responses.

The study direction imposes no new household limit or surcharge. Its scope is the city utility; KPUD’s customers are served by a separate public utility district.

KPUD maintains South Bainbridge customer updates. Those notices will be important for tracking the next steps beyond the council’s authorization.

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LED lighting benefits the environment by cutting electricity use substantially. But when lower operating costs encourage brighter fixtures, more lights, or longer hours, some savings are lost—and Bainbridge Island’s night skies suffer.

Researchers call this a rebound effect: cheaper light encourages greater use. Excess illumination can spill into neighboring homes and habitat, while light escaping upward or reflecting from pavement creates skyglow that washes out stars.

Color matters too. Lumens describe light output; color temperature, measured in kelvins (K), describes its appearance. Higher-temperature white LEDs generally contain more blue light, which contributes disproportionately to skyglow. DarkSky International recommends 2200K or amber outdoor lighting options where possible. A low purchase price says nothing about whether a fixture is suitably warm, shielded, or sized for the job.

DarkSky International warns that artificial light disrupts bird, mammal, marine life, and insect feeding, reproduction, and migration. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says nighttime lighting can attract migrating birds, exhausting them and increasing collision risks. In a 2021 English study, researchers found 47 percent fewer moth caterpillars in illuminated hedgerows than in comparable unlit locations, with stronger effects under white LEDs than sodium lamps.

For Bainbridge’s wooded neighborhoods, wetlands, and shoreline habitats, those findings raise concerns about lighting beyond the pavement it serves. Insects pollinate plants and feed birds and bats. Darkness is part of that habitat.

Darkness also supports the Battle Point Astronomical Association’s Battle Point Observatory, where darker skies help reveal faint celestial objects. The association connects astronomy with conservation: an October 1 notice urged residents to dim or switch off unnecessary outdoor lights during bird migration.

Winslow has a growing number of these over-bright LEDs. Look no further than new parking-lot LEDs at the Congregational Church on Madison Avenue and the office complex behind 231 Winslow Way E. as appearing far brighter than their tasks require.

Despite limited Bainbridge code provisions, they prove inadequate to protect our environment and night skies. While Bainbridge already requires some outdoor lighting to be shielded, directed downward, and controlled to prevent light trespass, these requirements do not require DarkSky-certified fixtures, set a maximum color temperature, or set maximum brightness. Many “dark sky communities” have codes that specifically address these additional night sky protections.

More light does not automatically mean greater safety. A study covering 62 local authorities in England and Wales found evidence that reducing street lighting does not increase collisions or crime. Similarly, a 2000 Chicago study found no “conclusive evidence that increased alley lighting had an effect on crime.” Brighter does not automatically mean safer.

DarkSky and the Illuminating Engineering Society recommend lighting only where and when needed, using the lowest necessary level, shielding it carefully, and choosing warmer colors. Timers, dimmers, and motion sensors can preserve useful illumination while giving neighboring homes, wildlife, and the night sky a break. And the City code can be improved to better protect our environment and night skies.

If these things matter to you, write your City Council here.

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Bainbridge Island council members called for more money for human services and affordable housing on October 27, while advancing work on heavy residential water use and wastewater reuse during their first public hearing and Council meeting on the proposed 2027–2028 budget.

The evening produced spending directions and requests for further work, but no final budget. Council continued the hearing to November 10, when the city’s budget calendar anticipates possible adoption.

The proposal entering deliberations totaled $154.5 million, including transfers: $84.3 million in 2027 and $70.2 million in 2028, City Manager John Mauro told the council. Those figures describe the proposal before the evening’s changes; they should not be read as a newly adopted spending total.

“I think we should vote on our intentions,” Councilmember Leslie Schneider said during the funding discussion, arguing that staff could return with the sources of money and council could then decide whether to accept them.

More support for community services and housing

Council unanimously directed an additional $75,000 for human services over the two-year budget period. Councilmember Lara Lant’s final motion replaced an earlier proposal to explore an inflation-linked funding increase.

The distinction matters for future budgets: the vote added a specific amount for this biennium, rather than adopting an automatic annual increase tied to the Consumer Price Index. Finance Director DeWayne Pitts told council that its existing policy, adopted in 2025, uses a minimum of 1.5 percent of budgeted general fund expenditures.

Council also unanimously supported moving $100,000 from an existing approximately $425,000 affordable-housing balance to the Housing Trust Fund, with spending authorization for the fund’s purposes. The final discussion focused on that existing balance, rather than an earlier suggestion to redirect a $100,000 professional-services line.

The decision followed testimony from Housing Resources Bainbridge and residents seeking renewed direct support for community housing providers. Councilmember Ashley Mathews pressed for a funding mechanism that would respond to those requests. Staff emphasized that transferring money between accounts and authorizing its expenditure are separate steps.

A separate $100,000 contribution toward completion of the Bainbridge Island Senior and Community Center won a 5–2 vote. Deputy Mayor Kirsten Hytopoulos and Mayor Clarence Moriwaki opposed it, raising concerns about the funding approach. The discussion did not settle a specific offsetting cut.

Council unanimously added a community needs assessment to its budget directions. Mauro offered a preliminary estimate of about $125,000 and said he believed the last assessment was conducted in 2016. The estimate was a starting point, not a contract price.

A future park project comes out

Council voted 6–1 to remove the Olympic Drive Park project from the proposed capital improvement plan, including $1 million in real estate excise tax funding listed for 2029. Councilmember Brenda Fantroy-Johnson opposed removal.

Several members said the project could return for a clearer discussion of its scope and purpose. The removal does not by itself free $1 million for the 2027–2028 operating budget: Pitts explained that the park money belonged to the next biennium in the longer-range capital plan.

Water work advances, with spending questions still open

Council supported an analysis of disproportionately high residential consumption in the city’s water utility, including seasonal outdoor use and possible policy responses. Staff are to recommend a cost and find funding within existing budget resources, rather than drawing on general fund balance.

Members also unanimously asked Mauro to bring back a recommendation on beneficial wastewater reuse. That motion replaced a proposed new budget line. Council did not select a reuse project or approve its construction funding.

A separate request for a recommendation on obtaining hydrology or hydrogeology expertise failed after discussion of staffing costs, existing positions, and the skills needed to implement the groundwater management plan.

These decisions build on the conservation and climate proposals described in our earlier budget coverage, including rain garden and cistern rebates, Solarize Bainbridge, and e-bike assistance. The October 27 votes did not constitute final adoption of those programs’ proposed appropriations.

What still has to happen

October 27 was the first public hearing on proposed Ordinance 2026-14, covering the 2027–2028 budget and the 2027–2032 capital improvement plan. It followed presentation of the proposed budget on September 22 and the property-tax hearing on October 13, according to the city’s published budget calendar.

Staff must now translate the spending directions into revised figures and resolve the funding questions for council review. The second hearing is scheduled for November 10; council can consider further changes before voting on the final ordinance. November 10 is the anticipated adoption date, not a guarantee that the budget will pass that night.

Bainbridge’s budget code follows Washington’s biennial-budget law. Under RCW 35A.34.120, council adopts the final budget by ordinance after the hearing and before the new biennium begins on January 1, 2027. The ordinance establishes appropriations; the October 27 motions directing proposed changes did not substitute for that final vote.

The six-year capital plan also extends beyond the two-year budget. A project listed for a later year is part of long-range planning, rather than an immediate appropriation for the current biennium. After adoption, the city’s code calls for a mid-biennium review during 2027, so the two-year plan can still be modified.

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Bainbridge residents can learn about reducing conflicts with bears and cougars at a wildlife coexistence presentation announced for Thursday, November 12, at 4:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Island Senior Community Center, 370 Brien Drive SE.

The event announcement identifies Cole Janowski, a regional wildlife conflict specialist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, as a speaker. The program will discuss bear and cougar biology, their roles in local ecosystems, and ways to reduce conflicts between people and wildlife. A panel question-and-answer session is also planned.

The announcement says Janowski will discuss “ways to reduce conflict with the wildlife around us.”

Preventing those conflicts can begin at home. WDFW advises securing garbage, birdseed, pet food, and livestock feed so bears do not learn to associate neighborhoods with easy meals.

“Garbage management and removing attractants is the single best way to reduce human-bear interactions,” WDFW wrote in a report submitted to the Legislature in January 2025.

The agency says prevention can protect people and property while reducing the need to kill bears that become a public-safety risk after growing accustomed to human food sources.

Photo: U.S. Forest Service, via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (public domain). Illustrative black bear photograph; not a Bainbridge Island sighting.

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Bainbridge residents have more time to comment on the environmental review of a proposal to expand wetland protections. The new deadline is November 12, 2026, at 4 p.m. Pacific, replacing October 30.

The City’s reissued notice explains that staff inadvertently omitted an upload to Secure Access Washington. Public notice and agency emails had gone out; the City extended comments as a precaution. The new period runs October 28–November 12.

Ordinance 2026-15 would remove an exclusion for qualifying wetlands unintentionally created by road construction. Our earlier article explains the proposal.

Email environmental-review comments to pcd@bainbridgewa.gov. The Planning Commission hearing is also November 12, during the meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific at City Hall, with remote participation available. Check the agenda for the hearing’s specific time.

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Site assessments have been completed at all Bainbridge Island School District schools as part of an indoor-air-quality and building-equipment review. A report explaining the findings and recommending improvements is expected in late October.

The progress update appears in facilities materials prepared for the October 29 school board meeting.

Apollo Mechanical Solutions Group is preparing the report. District staff say it will help guide planning for a potential bond measure and improve daily building operations.

The available update describes the assessment’s progress. It does not include air-quality test results, identify a specific air-quality problem or establish that every building meets a particular standard. Those questions cannot be answered from the progress report alone.

Separately, the facilities update describes ventilation work underway at Woodward Middle School. Part of the retrofit is complete, while changes to the fire-suppression system associated with new ductwork are still being finalized.

Work on another air-handling unit—the equipment that circulates air through a building—is scheduled for December.

The October 29 school board meeting begins at 5:45 p.m. Pacific time in the BISD Board Room, 9530 NE High School Road. The agenda provides information about remote access.

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