REVIEW BAINBRIDGE ISLAND
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2011 | Vol. 111, No. 41 | WWW.BAINBRIDGEREVIEW.COM | 75¢
PAWS:
Kitsap Week takes a look at PAWS work with animals. INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Civil Service issue reaches state level
WHERE WE’RE H E A DE D
Open government ombudsman Tim Ford recommends a ‘redo’ of closed meetings. By DENNIS ANSTINE Staff Writer
Joel Levin/Courtesy Photo
Just another typical summer day of give and take for bicyclists and motorists on the lower half of North Madison Avenue, at least it was until the city put a 5-foot shoulder on the northbound stretch earlier this year..
A look at island transportation By JESSICA HOCH Staff Writer
Somewhere between sustainability and convenience lies a question that communities around the globe are trying to solve. If reliance on oil and reducing energy usage remain two of the world’s most critical environmental problems, then what will
the community of Bainbridge Island do to contribute a solution? How do residents propose to get around the island’s 27 square miles on foot, bikes, buses and wheel chairs in the next 20 years? It’s a question without a clear, cohesive community answer, but not one lacking ideas or solutions. Transportation and its
First of two stories on transportation issues on Bainbridge. future on Bainbridge Island will continue to be an important SEE TRANSPORTATION, A5
The Civil Service Commission’s hot potato has reached the state Attorney General’s Office, and Tim Ford, the state’s open government ombudsman, has tossed it right back into the lap of the city. Assistant Attorney General Ford was asked to offer an opinion on three non-noticed meetings that were attended earlier this year by the three-member commission (CSC) and city officials, including City Manager Brenda Bauer and City Attorney Jack Johnson. In an opinion, Johnson said the meetings “appeared” to be lawful, but Ford has questioned that conclusion and recommends that the CSC and the city “redo” the meetings, and any actions taken therein,” in an open public meeting. The request for Ford’s input came from Kim Hendrickson, the CSC’s former secretary/chief examiner whose job was terminated Aug. 12. Since then she has filed a complaint with the city’s Ethics Board
and a petition to have two of the Civil Service body’s three commissioners recalled for malfeasance in office and dereliction of duty. The most injurious part of Hendrickson’s many charges against commissioners David Hand and George McKinney was that they (and the third commissioner, Robert Fernandez) attended the “special” meetings. She claims the meetings were used to reorganize the commission and, because she wasn’t part of the new process, her job was terminated. According to Hendrickson, Fernandez, who has since resigned his post, wasn’t named in the complaint or recall petition because his action “was not a pattern like it was for the others.” She said he came forward on his own and admitted wrong and he was also “told by the city attorney that attending the meetings were legal,” Hendrickson said. The meetings in question were held in January and May after SEE CIVIL SERVICE, A4
Fort Ward fire house earns historical designation By JESSICA HOCH Staff Writer
If there were an award for most interesting space for a closet Suzane Bartel would take the cake. Some of her wardrobe is housed in the base of an early 1900s fire hose tower, one of the amenities that comes from making a home in a historic fire house. “Suzane is inspired,” said her husband, Arthur, who together have worked to restore the historic building since July 2003. “She is an artist, and this is one way she works out her creative vision. I am along for the ride.” After several years of restoration work the Bartels were recently awarded placement on the Bainbridge Island Historic Register
through the Historic Preservation Commission (BIHPC). Their Fort Ward fire house is one of 17 properties on the island. “The commission considered it a very important structure in our island’s history as it is one of the few remaining buildings from Fort Ward when it was a functioning military fort,” said Dave Williams, chair of the BIHPC. “Expanding our register, we are reinforcing the value our community places on our unique history and the importance of preserving physical reminders of that past for future generations to appreciate.” The fire station, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in March 2012 was one of the permanent buildings of Fort Ward, designated
in records by either property No. 14 or 105. Construction was completed March 23, 1912 according to the U.S. Army Quartermaster General order and blueprint records, which said the construction cost totaled $12,000. Fort Ward is an island location rich in historical significance, as one of nine military bases authorized to be built be Congress in the state of Washington during the late 1800s. The blueprints used for the Fort Ward fire station appear to be generic, used for all military fire stations built around the Puget Sound during the time period. In fact, the fire station at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island is home to an SEE FIREHOUSE, A3
Jessica Hoch/Staff Photo
Years of restoration have earned the Fort Ward home of Arthur and Suzane Bartell a place on the Bainbridge Island Historic Register.