Bainbridge council may need help from governor to fill vacancy

Published 11:30 am Saturday, April 11, 2020

Bainbridge Island City Hall has yet to see a single application come in from anyone interested in an appointment to the city council to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Matthew Tirman.

Tirman officially stepped down from the council Feb. 28.

Residents interested in applying for the South Ward, Position 3 seat must have lived on Bainbridge for at least one year as of March 17, and be a resident of the South Ward.

City spokeswoman Kristen Drew said Tuesday that no applications for the seat had yet arrived at city hall.

Less than two weeks remain before the deadline hits for applications.

Interested South Ward residents have until 4 p.m. Friday, April 17 to submit an application.

City officials noted at this week’s council meeting that Bainbridge faces a 90-day deadline to fill the position. Then, under state law, the appointment would be made by the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners.

City Attorney Joe Levan told the council during Tuesday’s Zoom meeting that he has had discussions with the Association of Washington Cities, which has approached Gov. Jay Inslee’s office with the request that municipalities that need to make appointments be excused from the 90-day deadline, due to the difficulties posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Some believe an emergency proclamation would be needed by Inslee for the law to be suspended.

The council appointment is subject to a confirmation vote from the city council, and the new council member will serve until the results of the November 2021 General Election are certified.

After the application deadline, the city council is expected to interview candidates at a following council meeting, and then make an appointment.

The schedule for interviews, however, remains up in the air due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It’s also likely that the council will need to conduct interviews via Zoom video conferencing, as in-person council meetings cannot be held due to the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order by the governor.

The council serves as the legislative body of the city. The council is responsible for setting policy, adopting the annual budget, adopting laws, determining the services the city provides and the funding levels for those services, and appointing people to its advisory boards and commissions.