The Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation Department is rolling out a new Metro Park Premium Membership.
This new pass will provide the holder with access to both the BI Recreation Center and the Aquatic Center. It is only available for residents of BI.
Recreation Division director Madison Collins also said fees for youth to use BIRC will increase to help maintain operations. Cost for seniors will now be separate and will stay the same.
Recreation superintendent Bryan Garoutte said basketball league games are starting with 33 teams and 350 kids.
During board members comments, Commissioner Dawn Janow asked if the number of youths declining on BI is having an effect on park programs. She knows the number of kids on BI is declining because the BI School District has been saying for years how its budgets keep going down because lower enrollment means less money from the state for schools. She said parks is doing a great job taking care of recreational needs of youth. In terms of long-range planning, she suggested thinking of ways to work toward a more balanced population in terms of age and income brackets.
Commissioner Tom Goodlin said parks can make BI attractive to families by being responsive to them and providing them ways to recreate and be active. Commissioner Jay Kinney said that regarding the aging population of BI the park district will continue to fulfill its mission regardless of what the population mix will be.
Kinney said that parks is in the process of buying the Comcast Property and will take the position of eminent domain. There is a disagreement with Comcast about the value of the property so there is a trial set for February, however, it could be resolved before then. It will be a great addition to Strawberry Hill Park, he added.
Commissioner Tom Swolgaard said that it is amazing how popular Pia, the troll at Sakai Park, continues to be.
In staff reports, park services director Dan Hamlin said the Strawberry Hill Park dog park main area is open while the detail work is being finished. It was decided to leave the existing small dog area until the skate park is expanded.
Staff met with Stemper Architecture Collaborative to discuss adding lanes to the Ray Williamson pool and associated costs.
Staff had a meeting with the Department of Ecology regarding the Blakely Harbor Park cleanup project. Hamlin said it is all the responsibility of Port Blakely Tree Farms.
Staff learned that adding the active use component at Sakai Park in the area exempted from the grant will keep the park district in compliance with the grant conditions.
Administrative Division director Amy Swenson said she found out that parks can make larger payments to pay the principal down on the BIRC bond.
Also, Goodlin took the oath of office. He was elected in November 2023 to a six-year term.
Swolgaard was named chair, Janow for vice chair, Goodlin secretary, Commissioner Ken DeWitt treasurer and Kinney at large board member.
Executive director Terry Lande proposed and the board agreed that Hamlin be named acting executive director. Lande plans to leave on an extended vacation no later than March 1 through next fall. Swenson will be assistant executive director and Natural Resources manager Lydia Roush will be superintendent.
She also thanked Hamlin and Swenson for stepping up. She also thanked Lande for being mindful of the transition process so that there is as little disruption as possible.
Swolgaard said that he and DeWitt were on the board when Lande was hired, and he was hoping to never have to replace him, but he feels good about Hamlin as acting executive director.
Lande said while on vacation he would work with Hamlin, Swenson, Collins, park district attorney Hayes Gori and the chair of the board Swolgaard. He also said that if the board or Hamlin decide not for him not to be executive director when Lande returns from vacation that he would come back from retirement for 90 days to take the helm during the hiring process for a new executive director.
