Councilman Medina says conflict of interest over Suzuki is resolved

Published 5:08 pm Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Bainbridge City Councilman Kol Medina said this week he will vote on the  council’s decision on the Suzuki property, despite listing one of the applicants for possible development of the land on his conflict of interest disclosure form filed with the city less than three weeks ago.

The city requires council members to list organizations which could potentially cause a conflict of interest for elected officials.

Council members fill out the form every year, and Medina, who was elected to the District 2 North Ward council seat in November, submitted his disclosure form in late December.

On his disclosure form, dated Dec. 30, Medina, an attorney, said he was serving as legal counsel for Housing Resources Bainbridge.

City officials are currently reviewing four applications for development of the publicly owned Suzuki property. Three applications have been received by developers, and the fourth proposal was made by the Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park & Recreation District, which has suggested turning the 13.83-acre property at the southeast corner of New Brooklyn and Sportsman Club roads into a public park.

The three other applicants all hope to develop the vacant property with more homes than allowed under the existing zoning, and varying numbers of “affordable housing” units are a component of all three plans.

Housing Resources Bainbridge, a nonprofit land trust, is a partner in two of the three development proposals submitted to the city.

When contacted about the potential conflict of interest earlier this week, Medina said that no conflict existed.

“I do not intend to abstain from the vote,” Medina said in an email to the Review. “The legal matter I assisted HRB with had no relation to Suzuki or HRB’s programmatic work. As part of that legal representation, I had no involvement with or discussions with HRB about the Suzuki property or any other properties that they currently manage or hope to develop or manage.”

“Additionally, the legal issue I helped them with is done,” Medina added. “So I have no ongoing attorney-client relationship with HRB.”

Medina did not respond to questions regarding the legal issue he had worked on for Housing Resources Bainbridge, or when his relationship with the organization came to an end.