BREMERTON — The Bremerton City Council is mulling a possible exit from the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) if changes aren’t made to KRCC’s proposed interlocal agreement.

The council unanimously rejected the agreement at its March 4 meeting and then discussed scenarios in which the city left KRCC at its March 11 study session.

Ultimately, the council chose to send a letter to KRCC Board Chair Robert Gelder to express their grievances. The letter was drafted by Council Chair Greg Wheeler, Leslie Daugs and Dino Davis, all of whom represent Bremerton on KRCC.

In the letter, the council requested three changes to the interlocal agreement (ILA) before it will consider passage:

• KRCC board enter into open discussions with the membership about the current voting structure and consider possible changes to that structure.

• KRCC present for consideration a detailed financial comparison of the two options available under the amended ILA relating to directly employing staff or contracting for services.

• KRCC present a proposal on how the membership dues will be structured to support the financial scenarios that are set forth in item two above.”

The letter also states that if the city will reconsider adopted the ILA if it is satisfied with the responses and any proposed amendments related to the requests.

But if the city isn’t satisfied with KRCC’s response “it is likely that the city council will re-evaluate its relationship with KRCC.”

Gelder said he doesn’t have a response to the letter of yet as it requires a dialogue between KRCC and the council.

The voting structure within KRCC — namely the amount of power given to county commissioners — has caused the most grief.

“The county by law is required to work with us and yet the county thinks that they, for some reason, should have some kind of stranglehold on the operation of that body,” said Councilman Roy Runyon. “I think it’s juvenile, paternalistic and it is not how partners should operate.”

Under current rules, the KRCC can’t hold a vote unless two of the three county commissioners are present.

“This means that the other members aren’t able to convene a meeting and pass items without the county being involved,” Gelder said. “Conversely, the commissioners have no ability to pass anything without having at least two cities agree.”

Case against leaving KRCC

Bremerton Public Works Director Chal Martin and City Engineer Tom Knuckey lobbied against leaving KRCC because it would change the way city projects are funded.

“I just think it would negatively impact that dynamic,” Martin said. “Partnerships are just essential to getting things done these days.”

Much of the funding for city projects comes from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). Essentially, KRCC competes against other entities at the Regional Project Evaluation Committee (RPEC) for project funds.

“You’ve got this large group of communities on the other side of the water that kind of look at us as the outsiders and it’s a very difficult group to be funded through,” Knuckey said.

The city would still be eligible to receive project money from the PSRC, but Martin believes it’s easier to be funded working as a Kitsap County group.

“It really is helpful to have our little Kitsap County group as representatives in that room because pretty much we stick together,” Martin said.

Once secured, PSRC funds are then distributed amongst KRCC members. Those funds are called the “county set-aside.”

In 2014, Bremerton received $1.4 million from in set-aside money to preserve Austin Drive and improve crosswalks. Martin said he could easily see a scenario in which the city wouldn’t have received funding for one of those projects if it hadn’t been part of KRCC.

“The advocacy for those projects still comes from the countywide group and the countywide transportation planners and others,” Martin said. “They understand the countywide needs and they understand the priorities of the individual jurisdictions.”

Martin believes the city will lose project money without the set-aside money.

“There is no support from the other RPEC members on the other side the water to, really, continue the Kitsap set aside,” Martin said. “People generally feel that’s more money than population would otherwise pull over here and further that our projects are lame compared to the high, heavy industrial projects over there.”