With Bainbridge officials still split over two potential locations for the city’s new police station, the Bainbridge Island City Council decided this week to postpone picking a sole site for further study.

Two locations are under consideration for a new public safety center, which would replace the existing police station on Winslow Way and could include a new home for the city’s municipal court, which is now housed in a leased building in Rolling Bay.

One site, known as the Yaquina property, lies between NE Yaquina Avenue and Madison Avenue North and has been on the city’s radar as a potential police station site for years.

The other location is new: the Harrison Bainbridge Urgent Care building on Madison Avenue North.

Although city officials received a verbal offer of a sale of the building and land last fall from its owner, CHI Franciscan Health, city officials did not announce the location as a potential site for the new police station until earlier this month.

Both the Yaquina and Harrison locations have undergone initial reviews by city officials.

Construction costs of a new facility on the Yaquina property have been estimated at $21.7 million, with total project costs pegged at $34 million.

Construction costs for renovating the Harrison site have been estimated at $15.8 million, with total project costs somewhere around $25.6 million.

City estimates on project costs for both locations do not include land acquisition costs. Additionally, city staff has said the final cost and budget for the police station project has yet to be set.

Officials believe the Yaquina site is a good location for a police/court facility, but also note that running a sewer line to the property will cost $547,000. A conditional use permit would be needed because of the existing residential zoning of the property, and officials also note that 10,000 cubic yards of soil would have to be removed as part of the project, at a potential cost of $241,500.

The Harrison property also has a good location with high community visibility, according to city officials, but the downsides include limited access points to the property, the lack of space for a gun range, and extensive demolition that’s needed to refit the building for police use.

At the council’s last study session on the police station project, the majority of the council couldn’t agree on a final site to send back to staff for further examination, and some bemoaned their lack of options. The council was expected to choose one of the two sites at this week’s council meeting, but the topic was pulled from the agenda with the expectation that it will return to the dais in two weeks.

Even so, that delay did not come without drama at Tuesday’s meeting.

After one longtime islander told the council it should revisit the idea of keeping the police station at the Winslow Way location, Mayor Kol Medina had another member of the small audience kicked out of the meeting when he applauded that idea.

Medina, who took over as mayor in January, ordered the police officer who provides security at council meetings to physically remove resident Brandon Fouts after he clapped too loudly.

The Bainbridge council has long had an informal rule against audience members applauding during public comments, but the often-ignored restriction has been sporadically enforced over the years, depending on who is chairing the council meeting and the topic at hand. The council’s governance manual is also silent on audience members applauding, but does note that council members “shall preserve civility, order and decorum” while the council is in session.

Fouts’ ejection from the meeting came suddenly, as several members of the audience applauded the comment to keep the Winslow Way location under consideration for the new police station.

Fouts started applauding after another citizen raised concerns about the new police station and rising property taxes, and said the city should keep the police station in place downtown.

After applause started in the council chamber, Medina blamed Fouts — who was seated at the back of the room — individually.

“No clapping, please. You know that, Brandon.”

When Fouts appear to ask incredulously if he would be thrown out, Medina shot back: “I could. Would you like me to? There’s a police officer right there.”

“I’m serious,” Medina added.

“I’m serious, too. Escort me out,” Fouts replied.

Medina then told the Bainbridge officer to have him removed: “Please take him out.”

In a message Wednesday to the Review, Medina downplayed the incident.

“It was not a big to-do, really, by any means,” Medina said.

Medina said Fouts’ clapping inspired others to applaud, and Medina also claimed that Fouts had been disruptive at previous council meetings.

Regardless, Tuesday’s council meeting didn’t pass without a bit of council-approved applause echoing through council chambers.

Earlier in the meeting, as outgoing Councilman Mike Scott was being honored during his final council meeting, Medina urged the audience to join in the applause and led the clapping from the dais.