Is Bainbridge on a sustainable financial path?

As more Islanders retire, the need to improve operating costs and efficiencies and ensure good use of City assets and investments will become more and more apparent.

Our citizens deserve relief from this pattern of the City spending more than it brings in every year. There are times to borrow, and projects that need to get done, but this can't be sustained year in and year out.

The preliminary 2006 increases spending more, increases City debt about 10%, and brings our debt service to about 15% of the Operating Budget. Even though a consultant told the City years ago we need to be spending about 30%-40% more for roads, the 2006 budget has reduced "recurring road maintenance" by 25% so it is now about half of what is should be.

We need a Council that makes sure each taxpayer dollar is well spent. My primary objection is not the project but how we spend more than we need. For example, an expert in the sewer plant field I sought out and who is familiar with our plant and upgrade project, says we are spending $2-4 Million more than is really needed. Given this person's credentials, I believe it true, but the real point is neither the Executive, nor the Council, are watching these major dollar items. In fact my opponent is Chair of the Public Works Committee that has been overseeing this wasteful project.

As your Council person, I will get more done with each dollar by asking the right questions. It is time we get all we should for our limited resources.

It takes an Island to build a Village, and a Village to build a sustainable Island.

On Winslow, we need to stay focused on our important local needs, our goals and improving livability as we grow. This includes: a) more and healthier businesses that fill local needs and wants; b) available street side parking for outlying Islanders, disabled and elderly to come to town; c) more public places for sitting and walking; d) better pedestrian and bike paths and connections throughout Winslow and to the Ferry and the waterfront; e) preferably a working boatyard and associated marine shops and businesses in the Ferry Shipyard space; f) denser residences focused within walking distance of the grocery stores and the ferry so these people need fewer cars.

Traffic on Winslow Way will still be slow, even if and as we make adjustments with Wyatt at Hwy 305 and/or Madison, Ericksen/Hildebrand, or Madison/Winslow Way.

As we grow, if we stay focused on increasing overall livability and serving our local needs in Winslow, and using a small footprint of infrastructure, we will find a wonderful pedestrian friendlyVillage that absorbed most of the growth and has left the balance of our Island with its rural character and feel.

A Gallon Saved is a Gallon Earned, or How to get more for $10 Million

As Bainbridge upgrades one of its two sewer plants in 2006, they might consider ways to reduce the demand on aquifers, improve thousands of feet of shoreline habitat, reduce the proposed sewer rate increase and increase the capacity of the plant. Other communities might ask similar questions abut their sewer plants too.

This project can reduce water aquifer demand by finding irrigation uses for the recycled fresh water. Every gallon of recycled water the sewer plant pumps into the Sound becomes mixed with salt water and can no longer be used to recharge the aquifers. Only a few hundred yards away from this plant is Wing Point Golf Club which uses a lot of fresh water to irrigate its course. And some say this land is excellent for recharging our aquifers. Better yet, for each gallon of recycled water the golf course is enticed to use, the community can get more than a gallon in advantage. First, each gallon of recycled water will save a gallon in the aquifers. Plus, a large portion of each gallon used will go back and help recharge the aquifers. It may also help increase some stream flows too. So by enticing the golf course to use a gallon of recycled water, the community will get about a gallon and half back in the aquifer.

We are talking a lot of water here. This plan could realistically save over 100,000,000 gallons per year. But we need to ask at what cost. Well consider that if the additional cost for this is recycled water project is $2,000,000, then each gallon saved in the first year costs just two cent. Better yet, the hundred million gallons saved in each of the later years is free. A lot of money, but what a great return. Over a decade, the City could save billions of gallons of water in the aquifers.

And here is a way this plant might also help improve thousands of feet of shoreline habitat. In the not to distant past, the “Sewer Service Area” which is the area the City says it will serve with sewers was a larger area around Winslow. But the City Council reduced this service area, mostly as a way to discourage growth. But sewers don’t really create growth. Zoning regulation and demand are what create or limit growth.

When the sewer service area boundary was reduced the effects were: A) fewer waterfront homes and fewer homes on streams are able to hook up to sewer, and; B) less sewer users who pay more for cost of building, upgrading and operating the sewer plant.

The more shoreline and stream side homes hooked up to the sewer system, the better the shore and stream side habitats will be. The City could restore the boundary of the Winslow sewer service area and encourage these hook ups to improve our environment.

If more people are using the system not only is it better for the shorelines, etc, but we also reduce the costs to each sewer user because more people are sharing the system. Instead of having 5000 homes face a 50% sewer rate increase, we might instead have 7500 home facing little or no increase.

The capacity of the sewer plant is heavily limited by the amount of recycled fresh water that DOE allows under a permit to be pumped into Puget Sound. It is unlikely DOE will allow any increase. So a benefit to our community of using recycled water on the golf course is we effectively increase the number of homes that the plant can serve. My rough estimates are use of recycled water on the gold course could increase plant capacity by 10%-20%.

The Bainbridge City Council is now considering a sewer rate increase of about 40-50% (over 5 years) to pay for the $10 +/- Million sewer upgrade project. I hope they will consider the opportunities to reduce the rate increases, reduce draw on the aquifers, improve our environment and increase the capacity of the plant to be ready for the future.

A Transparent City makes better decisions, has less conflicts and costs less too

We are blessed to live among so many intelligent and educated people on our Island. Of course the flip side is quick and educated folks tend to have and hold strong opinions. So much of our lives acculturate us to play our cards close to our vest and be secretive. And less information can makes for bigger differences and conflicts. But in the public arena, public servants (elected and otherwise) should keep in mind they are playing with the peoples’ cards.

As I explore issues, I am amazed at how much public information is withheld. Another common complaint I hear about our City are the surprises. Nobody likes surprises unless they are gifts or windfalls.

We can expand openness and transparency of our City by accelerating the already obvious and natural trend of going paperless. City Hall could and should publish all (future) documents on the City’s web site. This way we improve information access for City staff and citizens, reduce costs (finding, copying and transporting copies), reduce wear and tear in finding information (we just Google the City web site!).

A great deal of info is published on the City web and that is great. But let’s have an open City, reduce costs, save trees, and share all the information with the public. A more transparent City with better information will make better decisions, have less conflicts and cost less too.

Let's get to work on our Working Waterfront!

Let's get to work on our Working Waterfront!

What should be done with the Ferry system's Eagle Harbor Ship Yard is an important and critical question that will impact Bainbridge Island for generations. It needs to be a well thought out and community based decision made after listening to all views and all reasons…not a single person's or narrow group's vision.

As a real estate person, I get "labeled" and some think I might want a "development". That is far from the truth. My personal opinion for the site is "public re-use to incubate a working waterfront". I have done some number crunching to preliminarily "test' this concept. And it is not based on private ownership of the property.

As a note, let me point out I think the concept of "highest and best use" has strengths, but it also has two large weaknesses because it does not effectively consider: 1) time, or; 2) external impacts (like public benefits). I like to consider and watch the evolution of uses and external impacts of a property over time; not just the internal uses at a given moment.

So my opinion of the "Best Use" for the Ferry system’s shipyard is "public re-use to incubate a working waterfront". This means uses that provide broad community amenities from water related and water dependent activities. Condos, non-waterfront retail, offices or ship yards can thrive in many other places. But there is no other place Winslow can have a working community boat yard and a public working waterfront within walking distance to the Island’s highest density. And there is no other entrance to Eagle Harbor and Winslow. But there are other places on Puget Sound for a WSF shipyard, especially if they have $40M for renovation plus 2-5 years to look around. WSF can find an equal or better place with time. The irony of the study done on this site is it did not effectively consider or use time. The study, done for a long term decision, ironically failed to consider taking time to make any change. For example, the study (done in 2002) ruled out one site because it was restricted until 2008. But now 2008 is only 2 years away.

Here are specifics on my opinion of how the public can re-use the ship yard site and incubate a working waterfront. By the way, this is a plan that can pay for the site and improvements. It also brings more benefits to Winslow, Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge, Kitsap County, Seattle, the WSF and the State too.

Add a marina and working boatyard with 200-250 Public Community Boats Slips (perhaps a lease or public private partnership with a marina developer). Rehabilitation and conversion of the existing structures to provide 50,000 to 70,000 Sq Ft of new water related businesses. Examples of these businesses are: Sail Makers; Diesel Mechanics; Boat Riggers; Haul Out Facility; Outdoor and Boat Shed rental space for working on boats, Scuba/Dive Shop; Boat and Kayak Rentals; Gas Dock; Water Taxi to Nikkei Memorial; Marine Store; Harbor Commission office; plus one or two cafes, public seating and tables, etc. Other good secondary uses are ones that also have broad local benefits such as arts & crafts and performance spaces. On uses, I encourage staying focused on the priority of goals for this site and advocate they be: 1) broad public use for water related activities, and 2) incubating a local marine economy of working waterfront businesses on Eagle Harbor.

Overall this should mean 150 to 300 jobs in the above businesses, a range of $10,000,000 to $30,000,000 of new local sales and perhaps $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 of new local State Sales Tax.

In summary, Bainbridge and Winslow could actively connect to the waterfront and its heritage on this parcel. This can be a vibrant place, fun to walk through, and one that cultivates a diverse set of working waterfront businesses, jobs and activities. To me, connecting Winslow to the waterfront should not be mostly passive connections. It should be active connections and that means local jobs and businesses related to the waterfront and lots of public uses.

The Bainbridge City Council could ask WSF, DOT, the Legislature and Governor to have WSF hold its spending for a year. Let's give Bainbridge a chance for public and community input and consideration. And let's give DOT and WSF the opportunity to review their analyses, consider impacts external to the facility, and recognize other locations can work well and possibly even better than Eagle Harbor. This is not a matter of not wanting the WSF on Eagle Harbor. This is a matter of what is the best use of this specific site.

Proper consideration and public input that should have been considered (and wasn't) is now needed before WSF spends $40M for this 30-50 year project.

Density and Growth

This election is about whether we are going to try to fight growth, let more businesses on Winslow die and leave and run into our neighbors buying groceries at Wal-Mart, or work with the change and harness it so we can still see each other at T&C or elsewhere on Main Street.
I have a passion for this Island. I love the old style Main Street and the local merchants. I love the trees and rural parts of our Island. And I love our many different neighborhoods. There is one thing we all know will always be here, and that is change.
The State says we must accommodate growth and we know it is coming. I see change like the river I grew up on. When you try to stand up to the river, it always overwhelms you. But when you learned to use the current and swim with it, we suddenly find it an ally and friend.
The next couple of decades are going to make or break the character of this Island. This is my primary reason for running for Council. Rather than be reactive and indecisive we need to be proactive and decisive. If we swim with the current, we can make Winslow a better and friendlier village while it becomes bigger and denser. If we concentrate and manage our growth and work to transform it into a new friendly pedestrian Village where vital local merchants flourish we can make a great Island a wonderful village and keep a beautiful Island.
Indecisiveness is hurting us and I intend to change that. I am for moving forward to create a better but still down home Winslow where people live, shop, play, have a marina, go to the theatre, participate in Arts walks, and enjoy a vibrant pedestrian Village. And this is the path to preserve and maintain the rural atmosphere, trees and park of the rest of the Island.
It is ironic, but true, that to preserve the character of the Island and our good home town Village, we need to learn to swim with the currents of growth. Otherwise, just like the river, it will overwhelm us and we will have little or no control at all.
I agree with about 90% of Winslow Tomorrow. My intent is to get to the task of implementing it in a cost effective way. It’s going to take an Island to build this Village, and I am passionate about being a good steward of your tax dollars while making sure it gets done.

Trees and Green Belts

Some people are very concerned about trees and green belts, so here is my current take on this issue. We need to encourage not just any vegetation or buffer, but good and better vegetation and buffers. Buffer requirement are good, but motivating people to have quality green belts is better. Along with quantity requirements, we need quality incentives. Our City is in the perfect position to be a resource for education and support to residents and businesses who want to plant trees and encourage positive vegetation.
I look at the “buffer” along High School Road east of Kitsap Bank. It appears little or no encouragement or effort was made to make the greenbelt or buffer healthier and look better. The planting strip, between the sidewalk and road was planted by the City after all the homes were built and sold. Then after the fact, the City planted grass (that needs to be mowed) in front of a “native” buffer that had no enhancement of encouragement.
I don’t intend to point fingers at any one but this example shows me we are not coordinated on the look and the City is not as concerned about low maintenance plantings as they need to be. In fact, there are many plantings the City has not maintained just to come back and rip them up and start over again a few years later. We need to develop some standards that encourage good plantings that will last along time and do not need a lot of care and weekly mowing.
Real sustainability in greenbelts and buffers is encouraging ones that can be left alone after the first year and they become low or no maintenance, are drought and freeze tolerant, and encourage good complementary habitats and bugs.
We need an outreach program where experts, like county extension agents, can encourage and motivate residents to improve and enhance good vegetation and buffers that will last generations. A 15’ foot buffer of scrub is not like 8 feet of dense evergreens. I want to encourage and motivate quality stewardship.

Water Supplies and Conservation

I hear “my best available science is better than your best available science”, and “we have a water crisis”, as well as “we have an abundance of water”.
So we have some conflicting information. What is our goal? Generally, we don’t want to run out of water and we want our water to be good. The fact is we have a limited water resource, we just don’t know how much. But if we run out we have very major problems. So if we conserve we are better off. So the smart thing to do is to treat our water as the valuable and limited resource it is and take good reasonable measures to conserve without going overboard.
Our City is not doing all they can in this area. For example Sewer rates which are about to be changed even as proposed do not weight for conservation as many other Cities. Lower use, for basic needs folks like seniors and good conservationists, needs to be encouraged.
Most water users (outside of City, PUD and So Bainbridge Water customers) have no water meters. In the water conservation business this is bad. We need to motivate people to conserve. If they don’t know how much they are using, then how do they really know. We need to encourage voluntary meters in a big way.
Next year (2006) your City is planning to spend $8M to improve Winslow sewer treatment to the point that the recycled water output is at a near drinkable level and all of this recycled fresh water into the Sound. 50+/- acres of irrigated golf course is only yards away. In the South West, where water is treated as a valuable resource, golf courses are watered with recycled water. If we water a golf course with recycled water, (rather than pump it into Puget Sound), we reduce demand on our aquifer AND help recharge our aquifer. This is the kind or conservation and sustainability I will bring to our City.

Critical Areas Ordinance

An important element missing in our CAO and other laws is a focus on goals and results. Most generally agree our goal here is to improve our stewardship of our streams, habitats, waterfront and steep slopes. And what results do we want? Generally, more people being better stewards, on more property.
The current CAO is full of rules and requirements for consultants and the result will be a few lawsuits and some technical compliance on just a few parcels because its focus is properties under permit. By educating and reaching out to all who have critical areas, we can start improving all of our streams, slopes, etc. rather than just a few. So I want to see a City Outreach program designed to encourage cooperative efforts of all residents on properties that impact critical area to improve their stewardship.
The CAO needs to emphasize the carrots, by educating and motivating, rather than just rule legislating and alienate. Almost to the last person, people on Bainbridge all want to improve and protect their property, their slopes, and the wildlife and fish. I have been on a steep bank or waterfront for decades. No one from the State, County or City ever initiated an offer to help educate me, or any neighbors, on how I might improve things. I know almost all my neighbors wants to be better stewards, and I think most of yours do too. So let’s use outreach, education, motivation and cooperation to ignite peer pressure and improve more critical areas sooner. And we can use the other rules currently evolving in the CAO to keep a watch on stewardship of properties undergoing development and change.