Saying that he has served on functional councils and can help restore a productive approach on that body, Jim Llewellyn has announced his run for the four-year seat in the island’s southwest ward.

“I think my experience from a time when the council was not dysfunctional can help some of the people there move in the right direction,” Llewellyn said. “I think I can provide some leadership to move people down a road that has worked.”

Llewellyn served one term on the council representing the central ward, until he was defeated by Deborah Vann in 2001.

Subsequent redistricting put Llewellyn’s Battle Point residence in the new southwest ward, giving him an opportunity to try again for the council after a two-year hiatus.

Llewellyn said the tension between the council and city staff can be overcome by the simple expedient of becoming friends.

“I made it a point to introduce myself to the city staff, asking them about their jobs and about their families, and getting to know them,” he said. “I didn’t have to go in demanding that they do things for me because if I gave them some lead time, they would do what I needed.”

Llewellyn believes that the internal turmoil has cost the city opportunities to do necessary planning.

He cites the city’s ongoing efforts to pass a subdivision ordinance that responds to legal issues posed by the Supreme Court’s decision in the so-called Camas case, which struck down that city’s requirements for private open space in some developments. But Llewellyn notes that the decision did not come as a bolt from the blue – a state court of appeals had already ruled that the Camas requirement was illegal.

“We could have used that time to develop Plan A, or maybe even Plan B, and been ready with something other than a moratorium when the Supreme Court decision came down,” he said.

He also thinks the council is spending too much time considering issues, rather than making decisions.

“We have process instead of progress,” he said. “At some point, you have got to actually do something.”

One place to start, he said, would be a matter like bicycle lanes.

“You don’t really need a plan for that – start with bike lanes at the schools and move outwards, and spend $100,000 a year,” he said.

Another issue that he thinks needs immediate planning and attention is the ferry maintenance yard. Washington State Ferries has said it may relocate operations to Seattle, particularly if it can get a good price for the five-acre waterfront parcel on Eagle Harbor.

“We’ve missed a chance to take advantage of our waterfront, the way Silverdale or Poulsbo have,” he said. “We need to be proactive and come up with a plan we can be proud of.

“And because the planning horizon is essentially the same as for the Wyckoff site, we can do them both together.”

Other issues on his agenda include planning for a new police and court facility, for which the city has purchased 15 acres of land on the southeast corner of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club roads, and becoming even more active in the efforts to bring fiber-optic cable to the island.

“A number of professional people have figured out how to work out of their home, which is good for slowing development and traffic, but we need to bring the telecommunications options to them,” he said.

On land-use issues, Llewellyn says the council is over-regulating.

“Property-rights issues raise their heads when government goes too far and there is no balance,” he said. “We need incentives and flexibility, and a menu of options rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Llewellyn, a carpenter and occasional builder of one-shot homes, grew up in Bellevue and has lived on Bainbridge for over 20 years. He holds a master’s of business administration from Seattle University.

Both council seats in the southwest ward are up for election this year.

In order to eliminate that situation and stagger the terms, Christine Rolfes volunteered to make her seat a two-year term for this election only, and on that basis, Llewellyn intended to file for Lois Curtis’ seat.

But a slip evidently occurred between the council resolution and the county auditor’s office, with the latter showing that Curtis’ seat is the one that will become a two-year term.

If that is so, Rolfes said that she will file for the two-year “Curtis” seat, and Llewellyn will file for Rolfes’ four-year seat.