Vacant city council seat still not drawing much interest

Published 10:55 am Monday, December 29, 2014

With just a day left for potential volunteers to step forward, the city of Bainbridge Island still has just one applicant for the vacant Central Ward position on the city council.

The city is looking for volunteers who would like to be considered for appointment to the city council, and the deadline for application packets is 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 30.

The Position 4 seat on the council has been empty since the resignation of David Ward earlier this month.

Ward stepped down as part of a settlement agreement that ended a public records lawsuit in Kitsap County Superior Court that was filed against Ward, Councilman Steve Bonkowski and former councilwoman Debbi Lester after the trio were discovered using their personal email accounts to conduct city business, but had failed to turn those public records over to the city.

The city council hopes to appoint a new council member early next year to complete Ward’s unfinished term, which runs to the end of 2015.

Just one person has applied for the vacant post.

Gary Pettersen, a retired draftsman and computer programmer who has lived on Bainbridge for more than 30 years, submitted a cover letter and application materials for the Central Ward seat earlier this month.

Pettersen, 67, served on the city of Winslow Planning Commission in the mid-1980s and also served for approximately two years on the Bainbridge Island Planning Commission in 2009-2010.