COVID-19

Update - Monday, March 30, 2020

Update at 8:00 p.m.
Beginning Monday, April 6, Kitsap Transit is temporarily reducing bus services. Get the reduced service schedule here.

Update at 1:00 p.m.
The Kitsap County Treasurer’s Office encourages property owners who are financially able to pay first half or full year property taxes early to fund essential services needed now and in the months to come. Property taxes fund essential services in state and local government, including cities, counties, public health, schools, fire districts, ports, hospital and other districts. 

Kitsap County will temporarily extend the property tax deadline for residential and commercial taxpayers to May 31, 2020. Read the full update here.

Update at 11:00 a.m.

Status of City & BI Metro Park & Recreation District parks
During the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order, we encourage people to visit parks by walking, biking or running (and to follow social distancing guidelines). At this time, vehicles are not allowed in parks.

As of March 30, police officers will begin issuing warning tickets to anyone whose vehicle is blocking the entrance to a park and/or parked in an area not designated for parking (e.g. along the street).

The City and BI Metro Park & Recreation District support the safe use of parks during this public health emergency.

We understand the inconvenience and that not everyone will have easy access to parks but this decision was made to close all Bainbridge parks to vehicle access to minimize large gatherings. In the days leading up to this decision, Park District staff observed large gatherings, overflowing parking lots and people not following the social distancing guidelines established by health professionals. We are committed to slowing the spread of COVID-19 and hope that our community will respect the temporary changes put in place.

The park changes will remain in place throughout the duration of the Governor’s ’Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order.


Stay Home, Stay Healthy
We continue to support Gov. Jay Inslee’s ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order requesting all Washington residents stay home to reduce physical interaction to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. The order will remain in effect until April 6. For non-essential businesses, the rules will remain in effect until April 8. It’s possible the order could be extended. To learn what is considered an essential service, read the statewide order here.

  1. Emergency Operations Center
  2. Donation Requests
  3. Emergency Proclamation

The City activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Monday, March 16 to manage and prioritize resource requests across the community, and to coordinate additional communication and outreach. During this time of uncertainty, the City is focused on three main goals:

  • Support public health guidance 
    • The City is working to support the public health emphasis on slowing the speed of transmission of COVID-19.
  • Support the community
    • As the lead emergency response agency, the City will continue to be a resource for community partners and to manage the work to address requests for resources and planning.
  • Continuance of City services 
    • The City aims to provide essential municipal services that are fundamental to the community, such as Police services and support for utilities and other public infrastructure.

City Manager Morgan Smith and Emergency Management Coordinator Anne LeSage provided an update on the City’s COVID-19 response during the March 24 Council meeting. Watch the update here.

  1. City Operations
  2. Community Resources
  3. Health Information
  4. Governor's Orders
  5. Stay Informed

City Hall and the Police Station are closed to walk-in services through at least April 10. The City has implemented changes to its processes to allow residents to access as many City services as possible through electronic submittals, email and phone.


Customer Counters
The following City of Bainbridge Island customer counters are closed to walk-in visitors:

  • Police Department
    • The Police Station lobby is closed to the public. If you need to report a crime or speak to an officer for any reason, please call 911. For other questions or assistance, you may call the station office at 206-842-5211. Office staff is available to answer your calls between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you get voice mail during this time, please leave a message and staff will get back to you as soon as possible.
  • Municipal Court
    • The Bainbridge Island Municipal Court is closed to the public through at least April 24. Judge Sara McCulloch approved an emergency administrative order Monday, March 23 to postpone and reschedule matters at the Municipal Court, located at 10255 NE Valley Road. Read the order and exceptions here.
  • City Hall
    • Planning & Community Development
      • Appointments for submitting building and land use permits are no longer required. All building and land use permits should be submitted at pcd@bainbridgewa.gov. Additionally, planners and inspectors can continue to be reached by email and phone (see staff directory).
      • Building inspections can be scheduled by emailing inspections@bainbridgewa.gov or by calling 206-780-3789.
    • Public Works – Engineering & Water Resources
      • Staff is available by phone at 206-842-2016 or send an email to pwadmin@bainbridgewa.gov.
      • Inspections are temporarily suspended.
      • Development Engineering 
        • Counter hours are suspended until further notice. Please send all questions (with “DE Question” in the subject line) to pwinspections@bainbridgewa.gov. A Development Engineering staff member will respond within 5 business days.
      • Project support
        • For all inspections, see above. Inspections will not be scheduled sooner than 2 business days after receipt of a request if received prior to noon, or 3 business days if received after noon. Appointment times may be longer depending on availability.
        • For projects currently under review, contact the assigned Development Engineering staff. For submittals or resubmittals, please contact PCD.


  • Public Works – Operations & Maintenance
    •  Staff is available to respond by phone at 206-842-1212 or email at pwom@bainbridgewa.gov. As part of our usual process, please call 911 for emergencies and after hours. Report non-emergencies through SeeClickFix. 
  • Finance & Administrative Services
    • We are not accepting in-person payments at this time. If you need to make a payment while City Hall is closed, we have several options available:
      • Court fines and certain planning/building permits (For questions regarding available payment options for your permit, contact Planning & Community Development at 206-780-3750)
        • By phone: Call 1-866-480-8552 to use our third party vendor, PayGov.
        • Online: Pay online at PayGov or on the City website. 
        • Pay box: Put a check or envelope in the pay box located near the disabled parking area on the east end of City Hall.
      • Tenants of Dave Ullin Open Water Marina payment options for moorage fees:
        • Call the front desk at 206-842-7633 to pay with credit or debit card.
        • Use the drop box outside City Hall.
      • Utility billing


City Council
On March 24, the Governor issued an order modifying, suspending, and waiving provisions of the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) and Public Records Act (PRA) to limit in-person contact and address other issues related to the COVID-19 situation.

Under the Governor’s order, City Council meetings can only occur remotely (i.e., not in person), and can only address matters that are necessary and routine or are necessary to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and the current public health emergency.

Based on clarifying guidance from the Washington State Attorney General’s Office, the requirement that meetings are not to be conducted in-person applies to Council members as well as to the public.

The Council confirmed that it plans to meet weekly throughout April. The next meeting is scheduled for April 7 and will be held remotely. The only topic for this meeting will be an update on the City’s COVID-19 emergency response. The start time for the April 7 meeting, the remote platform, and details on public access will be communicated later.

The City Attorney’s Office continues to assess the requirements of the Governor’s orders as they affect City services. 


City Advisory Groups
All City Advisory Group meetings, including Planning Commission and the Design Review Board are canceled through April 30.


Community meetings

  • The City is not accepting new reservations for meetings at City facilities through April 30.
  • All community training and workshops (e.g., emergency preparedness programs) are canceled through April 30.


City Events

  • The Boaters Fair, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, is canceled.


Status of construction activity
On March 25, the Governor released additional guidance for construction activity in his ’Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order. Under the Governor’s order, “construction is not considered to be an essential activity.” As a result, all construction – residential and commercial – is not authorized while the order is in place and is subject to limited exceptions.

Please refer to the Governor’s orders for more specificity, but in sum there are exceptions to this order for:

  • Construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing construction) for all essential facilities, services and projects included in the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” document provided by the Governor’s office.
  • Residential construction related to emergency repairs and projects that ensure structural integrity.

For additional information on limited exceptions to the order, please see the Governor’s construction guidance memo issued March 25.

If an activity allowed under this order requires a building inspection from the City of Bainbridge Island Building Department, please contact the Inspection line at 206-780-3789 and see the March 26 Building Inspection Update memo.


Update on Public Works projects
The Public Works Department continues to evaluate whether to proceed with the construction of public infrastructure projects on a case-by-case basis, including public projects constructed by private entities (such as Puget Sound Energy and Comcast) that are regulated through the City’s right of way permit process.

As of March 26, the City has made the decision to proceed with an ongoing drainage improvement project at Waterfront Park, and one private project in the public right of way involving the removal of Comcast utility poles on Miller Road.

City contractors performing the construction of public works projects are being provided with safety and sanitation guidance developed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to ensure proper mitigation procedures for working during the COVID-19 outbreak.


Update on BHS 100 Building Replacement project activity
At this time, Washington school districts have been advised by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) that “Neither the [governor’s] proclamation nor the list of essential functions would preclude [school districts] from continuing your construction projects at this time.”

Based upon this instruction from OSPI, BISD does not object to its contractor and subcontractors continuing construction operations on the BHS 100 Building Replacement project. It is vital that construction workers follow the proper social distancing measures put in place by the Governor.

BISD’s construction partners, however, may select to not work during this time and this could inevitably cause some project delays. Read the BISD update here.


Kitsap County

  • Learn about the status of Kitsap County government services here.