Be careful what you wish for.

The Bainbridge Island City Council could heed that advice as it puts together its priorities for 2025-26. Amid budget concerns, funding could be an issue in accomplishing the goals.

In starting the discussion, deputy mayor Jon Quitslund said they shouldn’t focus on pet projects. “It’s the difference between competition and collaboration,” he said. “There’s lots of things in the hopper,” but if we each focus on an agenda we “won’t get any work done.” He said if they can build continuity they can look how “one project leads to the next and build upon that.”

City manager Blair King asked the council for up to seven priorities, as the city is working on hundreds of projects. In the end, the council decided each would send a personal list to King, who would compile them and come back with ones members prioritized in common, and others that were popular. The final list will be made after that.

But the council had a hard time even getting started on what ended up being a long discussion.

Councilmember Kirsten Hytopoulos said they need an organized structure of projects. Councilmember Leslie Schneider suggested a scorecard on how well they are doing on projects would help set a hierarchy.

“There’s a mishmash of stuff that doesn’t belong on the same list,” Hytopoulos said. ”We could have seven different conversations. We need to focus on what we want to do. What’s our vision?”

Schneider asked: “Are we on course? Do we need to change course?”

Mayor Joe Deets said, “It’s a tough discussion, but a necessary one.” He added they need to trim the list “before we start going down a rabbit hole” where talks won’t be effective.

“We have to address lots of things we’ve neglected over the year,” Quitslund said. “Stuff’s been left unattended for years and years.”

Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki suggested starting with the previous list. “Let’s start here, and see how we’ve changed our minds. We agreed on this.”

So the council went through the previous list, which was: 1. Climate Action Implementation 2. Winslow Subarea Plan 3. Housing Action Plan, Housing Needs Assessment, Housing Inventory 4. Groundwater Management Plan 5. Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade/Beneficial Water Reuse 6. Transfer of Development Rights Program 7. Small Lots Development Regulations.

Most decided to keep 1, 2 and 3. Most wanted off 6 and 7. Nos. 4 and 5. had some support.

Councilmember Brenda Fantroy-Johnson said some no longer fit, so they need to let King know which ones aren’t a priority anymore. She wanted to add equity, emergency services and an improved city website, “which has been a thorn in my side since I’ve been here.”

Councilmember Ashley Mathews also wanted equity added. Moriwaki wanted road maintenance. Hytopoulos wanted sustainable transportation and improved city services (such as roads and the website). Moriwaki wants to keep groundwater management on the list because it’s needed to make sound building decisions in the future.

“We’re pretty close to consensus,” King said.

Schneider said equity doesn’t belong. “It’s part of government’s inner process. It’s how we do business.” Moriwaki agreed, saying it’s more of a behavior than an issue.

Mathews disagreed, saying, “There’s real power in having it written down.”

A city slide presentation shows many projects BI is working on.

It says mandated projects include: Completion of Comprehensive and Winslow Subarea plans; new laws on permits; compliance with population allocations, which lists four projects; Americans with Disabilities Act updates; and Utilities and infrastructure preservation, which lists 15 projects.

Four other projects are listed as contingent on other action, including: development rights, permit backlog, shoreline management and critical areas.

Dozens of other projects are listed as ongoing under categories such as: climate action, emergency preparedness, affordable housing, sustainable transportation, utility planning and economic development.

Seven other projects are listed in the planning phase, including: the city website, sea level rise, more officers and ferry system fixes.

King said that list should show to the council the difficulty for city staff to manage everything.

Schneider said the final priority list should focus on things the state is requiring the city to do, and see how those different things can fill community needs.

King admitted that “some things we’re not going to get to anyway” because of the volume of work being done simultaneously. But, of course, if there is too much the “quality of work starts to diminish.”

Fantroy-Johnson said because of mandates, “Whatever we say here things are going to be done anyway.”