A candidate forum Wednesday brought the city of Bainbridge Island’s $15 million bond proposal to the forefront in a packed city council chamber.
The audience at the forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, left without a full set of answers, however, as one of the candidates for city council dodged a question about how she’d vote on the issue.
Pegeen Mulhern and Ron Peltier, vying for the at-large city council seat in the Nov. 3 election, were joined by candidate Kol Medina and incumbent Councilman Mike Scott, both running unopposed for the North Ward and Central Ward seats. Councilwoman Sarah Blossom was not in attendance.
One of the most obvious points of contention among the candidates emerged in the first five minutes, with questions about the proposed site for a combined police station and court facility. Islanders will vote on Proposition 1 in the November election, a proposal for a $15 million bond sale to pay for the new facility and its location on Madison Avenue.
How would each vote, and did the news about the contaminated soil make a difference?
Mulhern said that while she was glad the environmental issue had been brought to light, she would not be making a public statement on the bond. She said she would leave the decision to voters.
Her response was deemed insufficient by one audience member, who interrupted the forum to push for a clear answer on the issue. He was overruled and admonished by the moderator of the forum.
By contrast, Peltier said he would vote against Prop. 1.
Peltier said the proposed site was not the best location for the police station, and added that a facility near Highway 305 would provide better access, while housing the police and court in the same building would endanger justice.
Both Medina and Scott were in favor of the proposal.
Medina said that while he did not know if the site was the best for the island, he had faith in the city’s decision-making process.
Medina also said he did not know enough about the contamination to know if it affected his decision.
Scott said the combined facility would promote good oversight, governmental interaction and efficiency.
He said that the contamination of the property was unfortunate, but said the city was in the best position to clean it up.
Scott also said is was fortuitous that the city wanted to purchase the site and already had a good use for it.
Other issues addressed by the city council contenders included affordable housing, the Growth Management Act, transportation (with all four opposing a four-lane highway), the open meetings, natural gas and the protection of the environment through the city’s comprehensive plan.
In the second hour, four Bainbridge Island School District candidates took the stage; Lynn Smith, Duncan Macfarlane, Mev Hoberg and Tim Kinkead.
Smith and Macfarlane are facing off for the District 1 seat; both Hoberg and Kinkead are running for reelection.
Renard Burnett, who is opposing Kinkead for the District 4 seat, was not in attendance.
The forum will be broadcast on BKAT — Comcast Channel 12 and WAVE Broadband Channel 3 — at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18; 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19; and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26.
