BI ignored suit

To the editor:

(The recent) article about the Bainbridge Island City Council being “blindsided” by police-court overruns highlights the ultimate irony of incompetence demonstrated by this governmental body.

Many (but not all) of the councilmembers were in office when the city purchased the Harrison medical facility for use as the police-court. As the Review noted in its article late in 2022, a citizens group called “Bainbridge Taxpayers United” has sued the city for overpaying at least $6 million for this property.

This overpayment has been well-documented – its assessed value was for medical use, not as a police-court facility. By choosing Harrison instead of the cheaper alternatives (such as the Yaquina or Visconsi properties nearby) the council wasted taxpayer funds. The basis of the BTU lawsuit is that the council was influenced by ex-mayor Kol Medina, who was working behind the scenes on behalf of Harrison, a donor to his employer Kitsap Community Foundation.

The ”blindsided” council ignored the BTU lawsuit, never investigating alleged impropriety by Medina and ex-city manager Morgan Smith. The irony of the $950,000 cost overruns is laughable when compared funds squandered on the Harrison purchase. To this date, the council has chosen to ignore its waste of taxpayer dollars by not doing anything to investigate the purchase and get the money returned to taxpayers. In the case of the cost overruns, it would be surprising to no one that they will follow the same pattern of denial here.

Stephen Kersten

Need Sakai Park

To the editor:

Kids and adults deserve, need and are willing to fund indoor recreational facilities considering the climate. Neighboring towns, all representing lower median income, have far greater facilities.

It’s been over eight years since the voters of Bainbridge Island overwhelmingly voted to pass Proposition 1 and buy Sakai Park with a public bond for nearly $6 million. Yet the Parks Board has quietly abandoned the planning process while we continue to pay for the purchase.

Our community (particularly the youth) deserve better than delays and distractions. Visit SakaiParkPetition.com to demand action and answers.

James Maughan

Bainbridge Island