Letters to the editor

Published 1:30 am Friday, July 17, 2026

Masters’ asking the right questions

To the editor:

Nora Masters deserves thanks for bringing an auditor’s perspective to Bainbridge Island’s housing debate in her recent Op Ed. Too often, public discussions focus on intentions instead of measurable results.

Her commentary reminds us that good governance requires accountability, transparency, and evidence—not simply good intentions.

Whether one supports more housing, greater density, or expanded affordability programs, policies should be grounded in clear analysis of costs, benefits, infrastructure capacity, and enforceable outcomes.

Granting additional development rights while reducing the requirement for developers to provide affordable housing raises legitimate questions. Those questions warrant thoughtful public discussion, not dismissal.

Masters also emphasizes risk management. Long-term commitments, procurement practices, infrastructure limits, and financial obligations should be evaluated before irreversible decisions are made.

These positions are not anti-growth. They reflect responsible government. Affordable housing and fiscal accountability can align when decisions are based on complete information and objective analysis.

Regardless of where readers stand, Masters elevates the conversation by asking what every taxpayer should ask: What are we receiving in return, what risks are we accepting, and has the council shown its chosen course will deliver the promised results?

David Schutz

Bainbridge Island

Bainbridge is solarizing

To the editor:

I’ve been delighted to see the broad interest in solar energy on our island.

To date, 351 families have registered with Solarize Bainbridge to have their homes assessed for their solar potential, and 31 have signed contracts. If you’re interested in an assessment, you need to act fast. The deadline to register for assessments is July 31. Sign up at solarizebainbridge.org.

We’re also seeing many institutions getting solar. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and Bethany Lutheran now have their solar installed, and Grace Episcopal will soon follow. Our Bainbridge Public Library got its solar last year, as did the Woodward Middle School. Now the new Helpline House building is solarized.

The Bainbridge Solar Collective, a volunteer group, is finding lots of interest in their tours to homes and institutions that have installed solar systems, where participants learn the details on costs, savings, and the process of getting the installation.

I helped staff the Citizens Climate Lobby booth on the 4th of July and found lots of interest in balcony/plug-in solar—an inexpensive way to lower one’s electricity bill. But to make quick, permitless installation legal in our state, we need the legislature to pass the needed rules. Already, 10 other states have passed such legislation, including Utah, Maryland, and Colorado. Another 9 may soon follow. Time for Washington to catch up!

We’re fortunate to have Laura Ryser as our climate officer at the city. She’s dedicated to implementing our city’s Climate Action Plan and doing lots to encourage solar.

Fran Korten

Bainbridge Island

Adhere to stop signs

To the editor:

Traffic stop signs seem straightforward. You see them and come to a complete stop. They started in 1914, so I assume we all have lived with them for years and know how to read the word STOP.

Why do drivers choose not to stop? Why are those octagon signs so frequently ignored at the peril of a collision? Possibly because those residents are in a hurry to the ferry. Maybe they don’t believe there is a reason to stop, or it could be a driver who lives for the thrill of running through the stop sign.

Since apparently some choose to ignore the word “Stop”, I suggest Bainbridge Island remove all stop signs and replace all intersections with roundabouts. Then everyone can enjoy the thrill! Drivers in a roundabout will think, “It’s mine and I was there first.”

For drivers who miss stop signs, they can go around, and around, and around the roundabout, yelling, “I dare you to merge.” Children who once stopped and looked both ways before crossing can now make it a game, “I dare you to run the roundabout.”

In the United States, there are annually 17,000 injury crashes and 200 fatalities due to running stop signs. 700,000 crashes occur annually stateside because drivers don’t stop at controlled intersections.

So, what do you think? Would we be safer with no traffic stop signs, or maybe just possibly…think about stopping?

Karen Sorenson and Jeff Thompson

Bainbridge Island