Power outage snarls traffic
A failed transformer in the Port Madison area was responsible for a brief, north end power outage Tuesday morning, according to a Puget Sound Energy spokesperson.
According to PSE, a circuit was blown shortly after 7 a.m., cutting power to about 1,200 homes. Traffic signals on State Route 305 at Day Road and Sportsman Club Road were also left dark, creating long backups amid the morning commute.
Power was restored at 8:02 a.m., according to PSE.
Park District lid lift rolls on
The Bainbridge Metropolitan Park District will put its plan for purchasing new parkland before voters Nov. 4.
At its last meeting, the Park Board approved a ballot measure asking for a $0.16 lift of its property tax levy, which would make it $0.75 per $1,000 of assessed home value in 2009. Proceeds from the lift would be used to purchase and develop new open space, trails and parks.
At a meeting Thursday the Park Board will consider the selection of a committee to write a description of the levy, as well as accompanying pro and con arguments for the general election ballot.
It will also vote on a resolution creating an advisory committee to oversee land purchases if voters pass the lid lift.
Park Board Chair Ken DeWitt said the board will begin considering candidates for the committee.
“We want to know that if the measure passes, they will be ready to go,” DeWitt said.
The committee would make an annual report to the board on its activities and its recommendations for how the revenue should be spent. The proposed lid lift is projected to bring in $1 million to $1.2 million in added revenue in 2009.
Bainbridge residents interested in serving on the advisory committee can contact the park district office at 842-2306.
The Park Board meets 6 p.m. Thursday at the Aquatics Center on Madison Avenue.
Fireworks ban still on table
This year’s fireworks figures are in.
Since June, Bainbridge firefighters have responded to six fires caused by fireworks, according to numbers presented by fire officials last week to the City Council’s Community Relations Committee.
Damage from those fires was estimated at $2,000; none of them resulted in injuries, officials said.
The CRC last week continued its work on a new fireworks ordinance.
An outright ban of fireworks on the island is among the options being considered, though the committee is still early on in the process. Eventually a draft ordinance will be presented to the full council.
As it stands now, certain types of fireworks are legal during a window of time on the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve.
Fire safety and enforcement issues are among the reasons why leaders are considering a ban.
Bainbridge police responded to 36 fireworks-related calls for service between mid-June and mid-July. During that period they also investigated four explosions caused by fireworks, resulting in an estimated $5,000 in damage.
A ban by law can’t take effect until 12 months after its passage. As with any proposed legislation, the city is required to accept public comment on the issue.
Islanders have in the past shown little interest in a fireworks ban. Nearly 54 percent of island residents said in a 2004 advisory vote that they would oppose an outright ban on fireworks.
Comp plan changes ahead
City Councilors will get their first look tonight at this year’s batch of proposed amendments to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
Required by the state, the Comp Plan is the master document on which land use, housing, transportation, capital facilities, and utilities decisions are based. The plan is updated each year as issues arise.
Proposed amendments would address non-motorized and sewer issues on the island.
The council tonight is also slated to take public comment on the Capital Facilities Plan, and make a decision on whether to reallocate federal grant funds to either Wing Point Way or Winslow Way.
The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
