Even though a decision had been made to have three Bainbridge Island City Council and three planning commission members on the steering committee for the Comprehensive and Winslow Subarea plans, an effort to expand that took place April 18.
Deputy mayor Jon Quitslund asked to have a member of the Racial Equity Advisory Commission added. “I feel strongly about this,” he said. “We did practice exclusion” in the past, adding they didn’t mean to. Therefore, decisions favored “middle-class white folks.”
Adding a REAC member would show “we will look out for people unlike ourselves.” He said such a move would help change the community for the better. “We should include to the extent we can those whom we have in various ways discriminated against in the past. We have a lot to overcome in our attempt to move forward,” he said.
Mayor Brenda Fantroy-Johnson agreed, adding that’s what the planning commission recommended.
But Councilmember Kirsten Hytopoulos said that recommendation was for a committee devoted only to public engagement. The steering committee being set up now is higher level.
Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki said they represent all of the city.
As a result of that, Hytopoulos said they each will look at the plans with equity and climate change lenses. “Those assets are integrated” in the process.
Rather than add one more person to the steering committee, Councilmember Leslie Schneider said all of them will look at the plans with various lenses to make sure all are involved.
Councilmember Joe Deets said don’t forget business. “It’s critical that all voices are heard. Whether they’re on the steering committee itself is not relevant. It’s on us to make sure we’re doing our job to be inclusive.”
Hytopoulos reminded everyone that the reason this process is taking place was because consultants and city staff were making many of the decisions on the Winslow plan. She said a thorough public engagement process already has been established, reaching out to groups that don’t normally participate in the process.
To make sure advisory committees are involved, Hytopoulos said the steering committee can take issues to those panels to get their expertise. She said the steering committee is not there to right the plan, but to make sure all the parts are there.
City staff recommends the council consider the following committee tasks: Review and critique public engagement plan; Provide recommendations on planned public outreach; Provide recommendations concerning deliverables, work plan and schedule; Assist staff and consultant team in maintaining community perspective and hierarchy of issues and outcomes; Assist staff with monitoring budget and cost containment; Report meeting summaries and project activities to respective council or commission.
Quitslund asked that communication with the community be added, while Schneider mentioned equity and Hytopoulos climate, too.
The council named Schneider, Quitslund and Hytopoulos to the steering committee.
City manger Blair King said staff will prepare a resolution for the April 25 meeting.
