February 16, 2016

Podcast: Community Cafe Bainbridge:
Stories of first 10 years of all-island City in the 1990s

<i>Podcast: Community Cafe Bainbridge:</i> <br>Stories of first 10 years of all-island City in the 1990s

BCB Community Cafe Bainbridge Island - 150In this 42-minute conversation about the birth of the home-rule Bainbridge Island city in the 1990s, we hear stories from former officials from the old days.

You’ll hear: Andy Maron of the 1988-91 Home Rule Committee and the ensuing 1991-99 City Council; former council member and 1997-2001 mayor Dwight Sutton; and Lynn Nordby who served as City Administrator from 1991 to 2003.

1992 aerial view of Winslow from the north, looking down Highway 305 and Madison Ave toward the buildings of Winslow (before City Hall existed in 2000)
Click on the image above to enlarge it. This is a 1992 aerial view of Winslow from the north, looking down the curves of Highway 305 and the dead-straight Madison Ave toward Eagle Harbor and the buildings of Winslow (before City Hall was built in late ’90s)

Stories like these will be shared at City Hall at 5:30pm on Tuesday March 1st, at the public commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the all-island city.

In this podcast, hear the anecdotes and amusing stories that these three city founders share about:

    • how it felt to start up an all-island City for 15,000 in place of the Winslow city for 2,500
    • creating the first Comprehensive Plan in 1991-94
    • life at the City prior to having a City Hall
1995 City Council . Back row: Ben Dysart, James Docter, Charles Averill, Andy Maron, Annette Stollman. Front row: Shirley Keith, Janet West (Mayor), Dwight Sutton.
1995 City Council . Click image to enlarge. Back row: Ben Dysart, James Docter, Charles Averill, Andy Maron, Annette Stollman. Front row: Shirley Keith, Janet West (Mayor), Dwight Sutton.
    • what it was like to apply for a top City job
    • staffing a larger city, and the first-ever union contract of 1991
    • 3 major road projects in 1991-94: High School Rd, Ferncliff, Brien/Bjune
    • the challenges of an early Public Works site next to a vineyard in Winslow
    • creating a public square and building a City Hall
    • the start of the ongoing search for a home for the police and court
    • responding to concerns of harbor users and liveaboards
    • starting the clean-up of the Wykoff creosote plant
1999 City Council
2000 COBI City Council and Mayor. Click image to see enlarged version. Standing: back row: Liz Murray, Michael Pollock, Lynn Nordby (City Administrator), Merrill Robison, Christine Rolfes, Jim Llewellyn. Front (seated): Lois Curtis, Dwight Sutton (Mayor), Norm Wooldridge.
  • the novel approach to cleaning-up the Vincent Rd landfill
  • expansion of the Winslow sewer plant
  • handling the controversial issues of the day

Credits: BCB host, audio editor and social media publisher: Barry Peters.