Just like in the old school days, the Bainbridge Island City Council is going to take a field trip Tuesday.
Before its regular council meeting, members will board a mini coach, travel to Eagle Harbor Drive and then to Bucklin Hill Road. On the way back it will stop at Green Light Garage. The purpose is to see first-hand the limited space available for its Eagle Harbor-Wyatt Way Non-Motorized Transportation Project.
The council will not discuss the project at its 6 p.m. meeting at City Hall and on Zoom. But it will be asked to take action July 11.
June 20, the council will see a presentation from the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council.
It will show things like:
•Population: Bremerton, 43,970; Bainbridge Island, 24,390; Port Orchard, 15,960; Poulsbo, 12,000; Port Madison reservation, 7,919; and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribe, 634.
•People of color: Most of the county is less than 20%. About a third of the county is 21%-30%. About one-tenth is 31%-40%. And about 1% is 41%-50%.
•History: The state passed the Growth Management Act in 1992 to guide growth. The KRCC was formed to guide growth in Kitsap.
•Focus: On land use to prevent urban sprawl. And on transportation.
•Key objectives: For land use, coordinate population and employment growth planning. For transportation, access federal and state funds, along with to resolve or prevent local transportation issues.
The council will also view a presentation on Affordable Housing and Sustainable Transportation Funding Options.
Existing housing options include: sales tax, real estate excise tax, lodging tax, tax increment finance and limited tax general obligation bonds.
Those last two options are also available for transportation, along with the transportation impact fee and transportation benefit fund, or car tabs.
City Finance director DeWayne Pitts will explain the pros and cons of each option. Such as a bond would only require 50% approval and results in no new taxes. However, it would be paid off with general fund money, which could lower service levels.
Potential funding options include a tax levy for affordable housing; property tax increase for one or more years; general obligation bond; increase in car tabs from $40 to $50; or hike the sales tax 3/10s of 1%.
