The City of Bainbridge Island is the winner of the 2015 Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Natural Environment, the National Research Center, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado recently announced.

The city is also a finalist for the Voice of the People Award for Transformation in Safety and Excellence in Safety.

“I’m very proud of the work that city staff have done to fulfill our commitment to sustainability and preserving our natural environment,” said City Manager Doug Schulze.

“I also want to highlight the great work that has been accomplished by Chief Matthew Hamner and the officers of the Bainbridge Island Police Department and commend them on being a finalist for the Voice of the People Award for Transformation in Safety and Excellence in Safety,” Schulze added.

The Voice of the People Awards are presented by the International City/County Management Association and the National Research Center.

The city will receive the award at the International City/County Management Association’s 102nd annual ICMA conference in Kansas City, Missouri in September.

The Voice of the People Awards are bestowed upon jurisdictions that best listen and act to improve their communities. The award is based on responses from the National Citizen Survey, in which islanders noted high levels of satisfaction in the areas of natural environment and safety.