Upping fees, legislative goals on Nov. 12 BI agenda

Increases in fees and goals for the state legislature highlight the agenda for the Bainbridge Island City Council Nov. 12 at City Hall and online on Zoom at 6 p.m.

The council will look at numerous fee changes, including:

1. Special events fee would go from $74 to $100. Cost of service is $480. Other cities charge: Everett, $130; Poulsbo, $75; and Port Orchard, $50.

2. Dock fee goes from 57 cents to $1.20 per foot per day. Would cover costs and has not gone up in years. Evaluation of 12 ports shows median of $1.51 a foot per day average.

3. Clerk certified copy fee up from $1 to $10 per document. Cost of service is $48. Fee has not gone up in years.

4. New backflow inspection and testing fee $40. All customers are required to do it. Devices on pipes protect drinking water from contamination. Fee covers cost.

5. Right of way permit goes from $285 to $485. Lower price is for one-time cost of service while new one is for five-year permits that require ongoing staff time.

Other fees that will change include: Animal and business licenses; copy, utility, building and planning, and fire and fire inspection, and miscellaneous fees; deposits; parking; permits; facilities rentals; and taxes.

The council will also discuss top legislative priorities for 2025:

1. Reliable ferry service and ferry line management. Increase availability and workforce. Reduce cutting in line.

2. Winslow Workforce Housing Project. Asks for $5 million for up to 100 housing units on former police station site near ferry terminal. The city has donated land and $3 million for the low-income project.

3. High School Road Fish Passage. State plans to build a roundabout at Highway 305 and High School Road. BI found out too late to apply for state funding. So it it is asking the legislature to fund the culvert replacement associated with that project.

4. Protect the Privacy of City Newsletter Subscribers. BI doesn’t want Public Records Act to apply to its 1,500 subscribers of its city newsletter. In a recent election a candidate used that list to promote a political campaign. Community feedback said that impacted their trust in city government.

Also, the council will update its sign code. Businesses can have three sandwich board signs with a yearly permit that are banned on public property but can be on private property with permission. Temporary 9 inch by 24 inch commercial signs must be within a 2-mile radius. Noncommercial signs can be displayed up to 36 days a year. BI can remove non-compliant signs and store them for up to 90 days before disposal.

The council also will consider a request to remove a red oak tree at the BI Historical Museum for safety reasons and discuss state regulations related to beaver activity on BI.

City manager Blair King will give his report on downtown parking limits. Staff has installed 34 new parking signs in Winslow at a cost of $3,500. Many areas have a three-hour parking time limit from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be a bicycle corral on Winslow Way. About 24 parking tickets have been handed out since adoption Sept. 10, but that number is expected to increase when a new parking enforcement officer starts work in mid-November.

In the consent agenda, requiring all to participate in backflow inspection and testing program; adding heritage trees to Planning Commission duties related to historic preservation; advertise for Eagle Harbor-Wyatt Way safety improvement project; spend $55,013 on greenhouse gas study; OK home compostable products for 2025; and $660,00 for human services awards (see graphic). It also plans to OK home compostable products for 2025 including: clamshell containers, cone cups, cup sleeves, hot beverage cups, cutlery, drinking straws, food boxes, food wax paper, napkins, pizza boxes, platters, salad bowls, serving tongs, stirrers, takeout trays and tasting spoons.

Proclamations include: National Native American Heritage Month; Transgender Awareness Week and Nov. 20 as Transgender Day of Awareness; and Small Business Saturday Nov. 30.