Public hearings on the budget and property taxes will take place at the Bainbridge Island City Council meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at City Hall and on Zoom.

Property taxes will go up the state-allowed 1% without a vote of the people. City property taxes, which make up about 40% of the city’s general fund, are about 8% of residents’ tax bills.

Councilmembers were told a few weeks ago that the two-year budget will bring in $146,000 more than it spends. However, there are already three requests since that budget was made that, if approved, would more than deplete that cushion.

One is for $250,000 from Squeaky Wheels, a local bicycle club. The money would be for a Spot Improvement Fund that would pay for ad hoc projects. While not asking for an amount, it also requests more funding for the Sustainable Transportation Plan, especially to finish the nonmotorized route from Lynwood Center to Winslow.

Also, the Suyematsu Farm Legacy Alliance asks for $180,000 for maintenance on those facilities. The other request is $10,000 a year from Western Washington University to help pay for a small business development center in Kitsap County.

In presenting the budget and Capital Improvement Plan earlier, city staff said it is balanced without using reserves. In a presentation it points out that Vancouver, Centralia, Everett, Spokane, Bellingham and Edmonds are cities facing huge budget crises, leading to layoffs.

Without action, BI could have issues, too, as interest earnings have declined and property and sales tax growth is slow. On the spending side, personnel costs are up 6% and operational costs also are up, led by insurance, which will increase 30% over the two years.

To balance the budget, each department in the city cut costs, for a total of almost $3.35 million. There will still be 141 full-time employees, but 3.5 positions that had been approved will remain vacant.

Spending and revenue are both around $47.5 million. Water, sewer and stormwater programs have to pay for themselves, so rate hikes could be coming.

Another public hearing on both budgets will take place Nov. 12.

Presentations also will take place on renewable energy, road preservation, sign regulation and wastewater.

-The city received a grant to have 100% renewable electricty on BI by 2030. It was one of 12 communities in the nation to receive the grant.

City staff worked with stakeholders like schools, fire, parks, sewer district, Puget Sound Energy, ferries and more. Technologies like solar rooftops and carports were recommended along with anaerobic biodigestion for converting waste to energy, and wind and marine energy. Already planned are electric heat pumps, electric vehicles and electric ferries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Another part of the report looks at threats to current infrastructure such as PSE transmissions lines and substations. Also, 18 community disaster hubs, including Battle Point Park, Bainbridge High School and Fort Ward Community Hall were looked at along with city facilities like City Hall and the wastewater treatment plant; the ferry terminal; and fire stations. Hazards include severe storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, wildfires and sea level rise.

-The road preservation presentation will show it is cheaper to maintain roads now than to have to completely fix them later. Funding is not keeping up, so options that could bring in more money would be increasing the sales tax, having a targeted levy or using car tab taxes.

-Regarding sign regulations, the city has noticed a huge increase. Key changes include allowing up to three sandwich board signs for each business through a yearly permit; temporary signs would have to be within two miles of the business; and the city can remove noncompliant signs and hold them for 90 days before disposal. To come up with the law, the city researched what is done in other tourist cities and talked to local stakeholders like the chamber and downtown association.

-The wastewater agreement would be with Kitsap Sewer District 7 for 25 additional connections on the sound end of BI. It would like to start the process to pay for and connect five requests that have already been made.

Highlighting the consent agenda is the BI Historical Museum’s request to obtain the old police station clock. Also on that agenda are: $257,000 for the sewer grinder pump project; an agreement for the county to house city prisoners; and for the city to apply for three low-interest loans for the wastewater treatment plant upgrade.