General Information

• Board Agenda - January 17, 2012 (pdf)
• Board Meeting Packet - January 17, 2012 (pdf)
• Study Session Agenda - January 17, 2012 (pdf)
• Study Session Meeting Packet - January 17, 2012 (pdf)
• Board Meeting Minutes Archive
• Board Meeting Schedule (pdf)
• Board Sub-Committees
• Kitsap Transit Board Members
• Transit Board Resolutions
• 2010-2016 Transit Development Plan (pdf)
• Kitsap Transit Fuel Graph 2005-2012 - Updated January 2012(pdf)
• Transit 101 - 2011 (pdf)
  

Why do we have a Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners and what does it do?

On the third Tuesday of each month the 10-member Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners meets for a regular business meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude by 11:15 a.m. These meetings take place in the Council Chambers of the Norm Dicks Government Center in downtown Bremerton. Some years, the Transit Board takes a summer hiatus and does not meet for a month; typically there is no August Transit Board meeting. The board also forms sub-committees from time to time and there are currently three active sub-committees: the Finance & Personnel Sub-Committee, the Planning Sub-Committee and the Passenger-Only Ferry Sub-Committee. Information on the sub-committees can be found by clicking on the links above.

The Transit Board is a policy-making board. In addition to considering a variety of operational topics, ranging from large bus purchases to software upgrades, it also deliberates on policy issues such as how much Routed or ACCESS service the agency puts on the street.

In terms of basic transit agency operations, items that will cost more than $25,000 must go to the board for approval. The Transit Board also considers items like:

• changes in fares
• federal and state grant applications
• contracts for operating supplies like tires, filters and the printing of new route schedules
• contracts with service providers, like Kitsap Harbor Tours which operates the Kitsap Transit Foot Ferry, and for professional services such as those from attorneys and engineers
• land purchases and construction projects
• going out to bid and later awarding contracts for activities such as rebuilding bus or van transmissions or auto body repair

Finally, the board provides direction in making or changing policies about topics such as Routed and ACCESS service levels, employee compensation, the extent to which the agency allows the use of VanLink vanpools and what constitutes a prudent reserve.

All board meetings are public and anyone may attend. You can read and download board meeting agendas and materials at the links above.

There are ten members of the Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners. Nine of these nine men and women are local elected officials. The three county commissioners and the mayors of the four incorporated cities; Bremerton, Port Orchard, Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo, fill seven of the nine seats. Until 2011, the last two spots on the transit board were filled each January via appointment by the Bremerton City Council president from among those on that city's council. One Bremerton City Councilmember is still chosen each January to serve on the Transit Board. The final elected seat on the board now goes to an at-large member from one of the other city councils. Members of the Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard and Poulsbo city councils express interest to the board chair and the chair chooses the at-large member, who serves a two-year term. There was also another change to the composition of transit boards in Washington State recently. A 2010 change in state law added a non-voting member from one of the unions representing employees at Kitsap Transit, raising the number of board members to ten.