Bremerton may be flexing its urban municipal muscle in an attempt to force a change in the voting structure of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council, or it may be serious about leaving KRCC. This we do know: The departure of Kitsap’s largest city from KRCC would complicate unified regional planning efforts — efforts that are required by the state’s Growth Management Act.
Here’s our stand:
Bremerton’s recommended changes to the KRCC’s voting structure make sense. A majority vote should mean a simple majority; a quorum should mean a majority of representatives from member agencies represented by at least one delegate. As it stands, Bremerton has a good argument that the current voting structure gives too much weight to Kitsap County, which is only one voting member of the organization.
The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council is important. It is a council of local governments: voting members are Kitsap County; the cities of Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard and Poulsbo; and the Port of Bremerton. Non-voting members are the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Naval Base Kitsap and Kitsap Transit.
KRCC is responsible for the Kitsap Countywide Planning Policy required by the state Growth Management Act; for allocating federal and state funding for transportation; and for information sharing and collaborative action on regional issues.
KRCC facilitates dialogue among its member agencies in the areas of land use, transportation, and growth planning. Should Bremerton leave, it will actually compete with KRCC member governments for transportation funding and will create another step in communicating on regional issues, particularly those related to the Growth Management Act.
Compromise is part of the art of governing. For the sake of unified regional planning efforts and good relations between Kitsap’s governments, KRCC’s members should compromise on this issue. And Bremerton should remain in the KRCC.
Some earlier stories on the issue by our sister newspaper, the Bremerton Patriot:
— Bremerton City Council asks KRCC to make changes
— Bremerton inching closer to agreement with KRCC
— KRCC rejects Bremerton voting structure changes
— Bremerton votes to leave KRCC
