Term Expires December 31, 2025

About Councilmember Quitslund

My values and objectives as a member of the City Council have been formed by experience on Bainbridge Island and elsewhere. I grew up on the Island, entering 1st grade in Winslow in 1945 and graduating from BHS in the stellar class of 1957. Graduating from Reed College in 1961, I chose an academic career, earning a Ph D in English Literature from Princeton and teaching at George Washington University from 1964 to 2000. I gained a great deal from living in the multi-cultural and politically charged environment of Washington, D.C., for all those years. My wife and I raised two sons, born in 1970 and '73, and with them we spent many summer months with my parents and extended family here. I never lost touch with my roots on Bainbridge Island, and returning home for an active retirement was a foregone conclusion.

In retirement, my wife and I soon became involved in the Island's cultural and political life; since Toby's death in 2017, my participation has intensified. In the 2000's, I wrote about local politics and volunteered on citizen committees dealing with environmental issues and land use policies. From 2012 to 2021, I served on the Planning Commission. I have worked closely with City staff and Council members on revisions of the Municipal Code, and I was deeply involved in the update of our Comprehensive Plan that was completed in 2016. While I lack formal training, I have learned to think like a long-range planner. I have also seen how, on the Council, political considerations sometimes prevent the discussion and implementation of appropriate goals and policies.

Under direction by the City Council and City staff, the Planning Commission performs quasi-legislative tasks and provides recommendations; the City Council decides the general direction for the City's policies and has the final say on Ordinances and Resolutions. Having spent nine years spotting flaws and gaps in the Municipal Code and providing rationales for recommendations, I feel well-prepared to serve the people of Bainbridge Island on the City Council. I will do my best to provide a consistent, clear, and judicious voice on the issues that come before the Council. Where I can, I will contribute to the Council's long-range planning and problem-solving agenda. I have a history of working well with others, paying attention to the relevant facts, and reaching decisions with an understanding of big-picture perspectives.

I am available (to South Ward residents in particular) via the email and phone numbers at the top of this page. (My name, address, and land line are also still published in the phone book.) I haven't set specific office hours, but I can arrange to meet with individuals and groups of citizens on issues that are coming, or ought to come, before the Council.

Conflict of Interest Statement

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