The Bainbridge Island City Council has put off a decision on whether the city should build a combined police/fire station with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department.

On a 4-3 vote, the council decided to continue the discussion of a possible joint facility at an upcoming council study session.

The delay means the city won’t meet an Oct. 1 deadline set by the Bainbridge Island Fire Department for a decision on whether the city would join with the fire department in building a dual use facility that would be used by both agencies.

Fire commissioners sent a letter to the city council in mid August that asked for a council decision by Oct. 1 so the fire department could pursue a bond measure at the ballot box in February. Bainbridge fire officials have been talking for months about replacing their headquarters facility on Madison Avenue near Highway 305, replacing the south end station, and making improvements to the department’s north end fire hall on Phelps Road.

According to a consultant firm’s study on a dual facility, a combined police department and fire station would save taxpayers approximately $2.3 million, not including land costs.

Bainbridge officials have been considering replacing the city’s current police facility on Winslow Way, a former fire hall, with a new building. Four options are under consideration:

Building a police station at a location south of city hall;

Building a police station at a location north of city hall;

Building the facility at the fire department’s location for Station 21 on Madison Avenue; and

Building the facility at the fire department’s location on fire department property near Station 21.

At their meeting Tuesday night, council members delayed a decision until they could have further talks, plus more public input, on which way to go.

Council members Anne Blair, Val Tollefson, Roger Townsend and David Ward voted to push back a decision, while Steve Bonkowski, Sarah Blossom and Wayne Roth voted against the proposed postponement.