Government event set for March 31

The Bainbridge Resources Group will host a forum on the form-of-government initiative this month.

On March 31, community members and proponents will discuss the topic, “What is the Council Manager Form of Government?”

The highlight of the event is a keynote speech by national consultant on municipal government, Carl Neu.

Since 1976, Neu has worked with over 600 local government entities, state and national municipal and county associations.

Following his keynote speech, an open question-and-answer session will take place. The session begins at 7 p.m. in the Bainbridge High School Commons.

The citizens of Bainbridge Island will be asked to vote May 19 to change the present form of city governance from the mayor-council form to the council-manager form.

BIPD sees spike in island car prowls

Bainbridge police officers have seen a dramatic rise in thefts from cars in recent weeks, according to BIPD Lt. Sue Shultz.

The thefts have occurred throughout the island, but the highest concentration of incidents has been in the north Madison area. On March 10 alone, police took six car prowl reports in that area, Shultz said.

Most thefts are made from unlocked vehicles and were preventable, Shultz said.

“Historically, around the community car prowls happen when people leave valuables in their cars and leave them unlocked,” Shultz said. “I would highly suggest they park closer to their homes and lock their cars.”

–Tad Sooter

North-end sewer put on the shelf

Fay Bainbridge State Park is unlikely to see a sewer anytime soon.

The proposed treatment plant at the park would have also supplied sewer service to Point Monroe and some of the Lafayette Avenue neighborhood.

Plans and most of the permitting for the sewer have already been approved by the city, but funding setbacks at the state level have effectively ended the project.

“The state turned their back on the whole thing… it’s been taken out of our hands,” said Point Monroe resident Tom Thatcher. “The project down here is the shovel-ready type of thing and the state just doesn’t have much money. Our biggest hope is if they could keep (Fay Bainbridge) as a state park, and when the economy turns maybe we can try this again.”

In December, State Parks listed Fay Bainbridge for possibility of closure or transfer. Before the listing, funding for the sewer was pushed back to 2015.

Some Point Monroe residents are still holding out hope that a Local Improvement District might allow for power lines to eventually be grounded on the sand spit, and some backers of the sewer are pursing grant money possibilities to re-start the project.

However, according to interim Public Works Director Bob Earl, it will be hard to secure funding since the status of the park is still up in the air.

“The drive behind the sewer is drying up,” Earl said. “It’s too bad because this project has everything. The economic time has caused it to be set aside.”