The removal of plastic flamingo ornaments at the Madison Avenue and High School Road roundabout on Bainbridge Island has ruffled the feathers of some community members.

BI resident David Dunn, owner of the first flamboyance that appeared near the roundabout, shared his support for the roadway ornaments.

“It started as a joke with my high school-age daughter and her friends. My wife brought home a massive bag of flamingos a year ago and they were sitting in my garage. My daughter and her friends put some out a couple of months ago and they slowly disappeared,” he said.

Social media chatter picked up around the merits of placing the flamingos in a public place. Some have voiced support for them, while others have requested stronger penalties and enforcement actions.

The city passed an ordinance in 2014, which prohibits the placing of objects in a public right-of-way without a permit and items will be declared a nuisance and removed, the ordinance states.

As of June 18, seven SeeClickFix reports had been filed, which the city’s Public Works department responds to. No police reports regarding incidents had been filed as of June 18, city communication coordinator Shannon Hays said.

Hays also said placing of items in a public place can raise broader concerns around a public forum.

“If one type of decoration is allowed, the city must allow all types, including displays that could be considered inappropriate, offensive, or polarizing. As a public agency, the city cannot regulate the type of symbols displayed in a public forum. That’s why we have consistent standards in place, especially in areas like roundabouts, to help keep our public spaces safe and, as much as possible, content-neutral for everyone,” she said.

Regarding enforcement action, Hays said the department may attach a removal notice and retain the item until an owner picks it up.

“The object shall be taken into custody and stored at the owner’s expense,” the ordinance states.

Dissatisfied with the removal, Dunn took his concerns to city leadership. Public Works director Chris Wierzbicki responded to Dunn, saying he could coordinate with the department to retrieve his flamingos. Dunn said he has since been able to retrieve them.

As of June 24, a flamingo balloon and a plastic penguin are missing from the roundabout. The current whereabouts of the penguin are unknown.

“The flamingos have always just been about fun and whimsy. The city made it confrontational for reasons that no one understands. Bainbridge is unique and this is just the community having fun and causing no harm. It brightens people’s day,” Dunn said. “ We love that the community has embraced this and we’re looking forward to various iterations of the flamingos during festive periods.”

Meanwhile, Hays asserts the city is trying to mitigate distractions on the road and maintain a neutral stance regarding concerns of creating public forum.

“Decorations, like the flamingos or other signs and symbols, in high-traffic areas like roundabouts can distract drivers, which is particularly concerning near schools and the public library, where pedestrian safety is critical,” Hays said.