Finally! The Review gets a real website

After years–seriously–years of rumors that the Bainbridge Review was getting a new and better website, they went live today. Check it out here. It’s part of pnwLocalNews.com, which appears to collect news from all of Black Press’s Sound Publishing and King County publications.  I can’t tell whether the feature that lets you post a “letter to the [...]

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The “everyone’s doing it” defense

The following email exchange (a public record) among sitting City Council members and City management occurred yesterday. Councilman Snow seems to have forgotten that communication to a Council quorum about City business, even in email, may constitute Council action, which must be done at a properly noticed public meeting. But that’s the least of the worries about his remarks: [...]

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Island home prices down 10% from six months ago

This post has been updated as of 5/1/08. Still the “Top Commuter Town” As if the many For Sale signs around the island aren’t proof enough, recent statistics show how the national real estate downturn has hit the local market. The median price of home for sale on Bainbridge Island was $629,000 as of April [...]

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Veteran waits for City response on hiring policy

This letter was sent to me for publication by islander George Beavis. I know there are a number of issues before the city that appear more important; but please read on. There are some attributes of this and other problems before the city seem to be a common thread. Recap. COBI told the American Legion [...]

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Something to read with your morning coffee

Grab your cup of coffee and check out these links about things near and dear to islanders with a political bent: Former City Council member Bob Scales has written a “10-Step Program for Municipal Financial Success”, now posted on the Bainbridge Island Postscript. With his four-year view from inside, Scales gives a sense for how the City fell into the poorhouse “overnight.” 

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Planning director resigns

This press release was sent out today from the City of Bainbridge Island: Greg Byrne, the City’s Director of Planning and Community Development, has resigned to take a position in Oregon, Mayor Darlene Kordonowy announced today. “Greg has made important contributions to the organization and to the management team,” Mayor Kordonowy said, noting the Planning [...]

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Tragedy, farce and taking cuts

                                              Kids. Families. The natural environment and the way we enjoy it. The small-town feel. Ask almost any Islander what he/she loves about Bainbridge and you’ll get variations on these themes. The island’s priorities were out in force at last night’s City Council meeting. Dozens of soccer and lacrosse players showed up, some straight from practice, [...]

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Get serious, City Hall

Last week the City finally admitted that Mayor Darlene Kordonowy’s administration has spent us into a hole over the last two years and, because of the current economic downturn, we’re not going to be able to crawl out any time soon.  You’d think that a responsible administration would be diligently addressing the money problem with a real plan for [...]

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Thanks, tulip planter

I’m watching snow and hail pelt my apple trees as I post this. But some unknown gardener on Crystal Springs created a mass of spring color along the road that defies prevailing conditions, even today. There has to be a metaphor in there somewhere.

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Finance director boards the “Straight Talk Local”

At Tuesday’s Council Finance Committee meeting, City Finance Director Elray Konkel served up some straight (though belated) talk about City finances. And the news is grim. With caveats about the difficulty of making projections in such a dramatic economic downturn, Konkel’s message was basically this: City revenues for the first quarter of ’08 are 50-60%–about $800,000–under budget. If the trends continue and no [...]

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