The was no question among Bainbridge Island city councilmembers at a recent meeting that a facility to help recovering addicts transition to a more stable lifestyle is needed on North Kitsap.

The main objection was some members were left in the dark about it.

Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson spoke during public comments about the need for such a facility. She talked about a recovery residence that Poulsbo just opened. But she said more can be done through partnerships. “We need more mental health and addict diversion,” she said, adding any one entity can have a hard time paying for such things.

She said a group—which includes some BI councilmembers and other government leaders, along with nonprofits associated with affordable housing and food banks—has met a few times to discuss the need. Poulsbo is applying for a grant to help with planning for an overnight center and possibly longer transitional housing with vocational opportunities.

“The problem doesn’t stop at the Agate Pass Bridge,” Erickson said, encouraging BI’s involvement.

In the end, the council decided to continue moving forward on the issue, although now with official approval for staff to get involved.

But BI Councilmembers Clarence Moriwaki and Kirsten Hytopoulos were especially outspoken, upset that they were not informed of what was going on by other councilmembers who were part of the meetings.

“It’s not about hurt feelings,” Hytopoulos said. But it’s gone “too far down the road without looping in the council.”

Moriwaki said there are opportunities at meetings for members to share what they’re doing. “I prefer a lot more heads up,” he said, adding instead of talking about office hours this is the type of information that should be told during council reports.

Councilmember Leslie Schneider said she’s not against a facility just because, “I got left out of it.” She said it can be hard to let everyone know everything that every councilmember is working on.

Those who have been part of the meetings said talks were preliminary, and now is the time to get the rest of the council involved.

Mayor Joe Deets said it was time to see the level of interest of the full council. “I’m not ready to commit any finances,” he said. They are not trying to “hide anything.” They just want to know if the full council wants to keep moving this direction in a more formal way.

Councilmember Ashley Mathews said she would like to stay on the group, and that, “This is the start of the conversation to work together as a council.”

Hytopoulos said she is concerned that BI could be talking about “throwing funding to another community, and saying, ‘You take care of it.’” She is concerned BI isn’t doing anything to help people on BI. “I don’t want us to shirk our responsibility.”

Deputy mayor Jon Quitslund and Councilmember Brenda Fantroy Johnson said the problem is real — even on BI.

“My own family experience with addiction and recovery” is proof of that, Quitslund said. “It’s a problem in every community. The more we can do together the more we can do.”

Fantroy-Johnon said: “If we think we’re exempt from it here in Bainbridge,” we’re wrong. She added it’s an equity issue. “Not everybody who lives here can have their child go to a private facility and get help.”

She said facilities are needed closer to home. “There are kids dying out here in Bainbridge from addiction,” she said, adding they should not have to go all the way to Port Orchard for help. “They’re off drugs and need a leg up now. They’ve done the hard work … and need an affordable place to stay so they can make a life for themselves.”

Finch golden

The Finch Green Project is golden when it comes to tax exemptions.

The council approved expanding the Multifamily Tax Exemption to include the Bethany Church affordable housing development. The council delayed expanding it more until after the city’s Comprehensive Plan is completed.

Moriwaki pointed out the development is just across the street from the previous boundary for the tax exemption. The exemption was adopted in 2021 to encourage more affordable housing developments. It allows tax breaks for 12 or 20 years in Winslow and Lynwood Center.

Some councilmembers suggested the exemption be allowed islandwide wherever affordable housing is OK’d. But Quitslund said he did not want the council to “overreach,” instead waiting for the Comp Plan to get done before expanding the tax break any further.

Moriwaki said this change sets in motion the process of how changes can be made, which include a public hearing. “We can consider others later,” he said.

City manager Blair King and city attorney Jim Haney said city staff could bring back options on what areas could qualify. Haney said infrastructure and the need for affordable housing in that targeted area must be shown. But King said he appreciated that the decision would mean one less thing staff would need to work on right now.

During public comments, Housing Resources Bainbridge director Phaedra Elliott urged the council to make the decision it did, saying the tax break could lower costs of the Finch project $600,000, which would have a “ripple effect” leading to more subsidies.

Architect Jonathan Davis added, “Every little thing you guys can do to reduce the cost” of affordable housing will help not only Finch Green, but similar projects.

Council priorities

Councilmembers were surveyed on their top priorities. All but Moriwaki said Climate Action Plan implementation. All but Quitslund and Hytopoulos put affordable housing. All but Quitslund and Deets put city website improvements. And all but Moriwaki and Deets put the Sustainable Transportation Plan. Those were the top four issues. Right behind those were: The Comp Plan, groundwater management, housing action, permit backlog, solid waste contract and the Winslow Subarea Plan. Schneider voted for the most issues with 23; followed by Mathews with 16; Quitslund and Deets with 15 each; Hytopoulos with 13; and Moriwaki and Fantroy Johnson with 12 each.

In the last biennium, the priorities were CAP, HAP, Winslow, wastewater treatment, transfer of development rights and small lot regulations.

Mathews and Fantroy-Johnson wanted equity added. “I’m worried that if it’s not written down — out of sight out of mind,” Mathews said, adding even if it’s not on the list it should be added as a guiding principle.

Moriwaki argued that was unnecessary because everything in BI is done with an equity lens. “It’s not an action, it’s a behavior,” he said, adding the city has shown its commitment by spending hundreds of hours getting training for staff because it’s “such an important priority. The city has gotten the message.”

When others persisted, and eventually prevailed, Moriwaki said it’s just another case of the council changing the process because it didn’t like the outcome. “That’s how the chips fell. Asian Americans get it, too. But this city does not tolerate any kind of intolerance. Let’s stick with the process we agreed to. That’s what our citizens expect of us.”

Two councilmembers said they were surprised by the lack of support on certain issues.

Schneidner said the transfer of development rights was on the previous list but not this one, even though the goal was not accomplished. She said an email from planning commissioner Sarah Blossom to the council said, “It’s now or never.” Schneider said maybe the math is too complicated for the council to understand. “A few years from now there may be no property to transfer,” she said, adding, “It could be a real boon to help some folks stay on the island. Let’s continue to look at this as part of affordable housing.”

Deets said he was surprised road preservation didn’t make the list because the council had just talked about its importance, approving more funds each year for it. But he said he didn’t want, “To get too tied up with this. It’s a list. It’s not like other items are not important.”

Quitslund said the Puget Sound Regional Council makes it mandatory for some of the issues to be in the city’s Comp Plan. He mentioned race equity, climate action and affordable housing as examples. Also in the Comp Plan will be transportation, which would include road maintenance. “They will be addressed if we get the Comp Plan done right,” he said.

Public comments

Davis complained about traffic calming recently installed on Grow Avenue. He said his kids felt safe riding their bicycles there before the “white sticks” were put up. There is no shoulder so now they have to ride in the middle of the street. It’s not safe because traffic doesn’t slow down, he said. “Safe streets are extremely important” if you want people to get out of their cars and ride bikes.

Two others, who live on boats in Eagle Harbor, asked the council to help fund a mobile pumpout program. They said there is only one such free facility there, and it gets extremely busy in summer when tourist boats join local ones. People living on boats provide affordable housing, they said, and proper disposal of sewage is good for the environment.