The City Council of 20 years ago had foresight for the codes necessary to foster the opportunity for providing affordable housing within the City limits with the passage of PMC 18.310.050. This section allows exceptions to the zoning code to provide for affordable housing and supported the passage of RCW 35.83.010, Housing Cooperation Law. The purpose of this Law was to “provide for the cooperation of the City with the goals and objectives of the Housing Authority for the development of low-income housing.”

In 2020, the current City Council opened the opportunity for the use of this Code section by designating two City-owned properties to be used solely for affordable and deeply-affordable housing purposes. The first City property to apply for a land use permit to further council’s intent is the property commonly referred to as the “Triangle Property,” due to its triangular shape. “The Triangle”, located at 609 NE Lincoln Road, is an area that was formerly used by the City's Public Works crew as a staging area during major weather and community events. Now that the Public Works facility has relocated to Viking Way, the space is largely left unused. 

Housing Kitsap, working in partnership with the City of Poulsbo and Gateway Fellowship, proposes to change the use of “the Triangle” to “Nordic Cottages;" two duplexes providing a total of eight, deeply-affordable permanent housing units, common areas for gardens and off-site parking. Housing Kitsap will provide project and property management services. 

The project is the first to utilize PMC Chapter 18.310.050 by requesting exceptions to allow multifamily as a permitted use, to increase the density, reduce the front yard setback and parking requirements. This type of land use application requires a public meeting and recommendation from the Planning Commission, which occurred this past Tuesday, with a unanimous recommendation of approval. A final decision will be made by the City Council at a public hearing, which is scheduled for Wednesday, August 16. 

Engineering Department Update



Mesford and Swanson Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) Project: Construction on this project has wrapped up within the last month and has been completed under budget. This important project upgraded and replaced two PRVs within our water system. PRVs are critical in balancing and reducing water pressures throughout the City-wide system and for providing sufficient fire flow and meeting peak demand during the summer months. The Mesford PRV (near NK High School) was originally constructed in 1974, and the Swanson PRV (near the end of Swanson Way) was originally constructed in the 1950s. The new PRVs provide increased system resiliency and redundancy. 

Marine Science Center (MSC) Sewer Lift Station Generator Replacement Project: Bids were opened on the MSC Sewer Lift Station Generator Replacement Project on July 20, 2023. Seven bids were received, and Henden Electric from Kingston was the low bidder for this project. The scope of the project will be to install a permanent onsite standby generator at the MSC Sewer Lift Station. Currently Public Works must drive a tow-behind generator to this lift station which provides sewer capacity to Downtown and Central Poulsbo. This is critical sewer infrastructure as the lift station pumps 1000gpm and any power interruptions increase risk of potential sewer overflow. An on-site standby generator eliminates this risk and provides system resilience.

Alasund Meadows Gravity – Noll Road Sewer Extension Project: This project is currently out-to-bid, and the City will open the bids on August 8, 2023. The project is to install gravity sewer on Noll Road between the Poulsbo Meadows development and Kevos Pond. This will allow the City to take a small sewer lift station offline and convert sewer to gravity flow. The City completed the design of this project in-house, and we anticipate construction beginning later this summer. 

Johnson to Norum Sewer Main Replacement: The City is currently coordinating with Kitsap County and engineering consultant Consor to design the Johnson to Norum Sewer Main Replacement. This sewer main project is contained within Kitsap County, however it conveys the entire City sewer flows. This is a very important project to accommodate future growth and peak flows within the City, so the City is leading the design effort and Kitsap County will lead the construction effort. The preliminary design has been completed and the design is continuing with a goal of advertising later this year and construction in 2024. 

West Poulsbo Stormwater Retrofit – Nelson Park: The City of Poulsbo is happy to report that we were successful in obtaining a Department of Ecology stormwater grant of $1,062,500 to retrofit stormwater facilities in Nelson Park. The Ecology funded design was completed last year and with the success of the construction funding, construction will be completed in 2024. This retrofit project will re-build and re-construct the existing swales in Nelson Park with two bioretention cells and a cell containing proprietary treatment media. At the conclusion of this project, stormwater from 70 acres of area will be treated to the enhanced water quality standard prior to discharging to the Liberty Bay. This provides a significant benefit to the water quality in our bay. It will also provide an improvement to the aesthetics in Nelson Park. 

The Sophie Apartments: The grading permit has closed out for The Sophie Apartments on Jensen Way. Certificates of Occupancy have been issued for fourteen units out of a total of forty-two. The remaining occupancy has been delayed until electrical equipment is installed, which is currently experiencing an industry-wide backlog due to Covid.

Join Our Engineering Team!

The City of Poulsbo is seeking to add a talented Development Review Engineer to our team. For a full job description and to apply, please visit our website at www.cityofpoulsbo.com/human-resources-employment-opportunities. Open until filled: applications will be reviewed beginning August 3, 2023.

Building Department Update

Building Activities. The following permits have been issued through the Building Department:

Please Note:

New Water/Sewer Connection Fees will go into effect on August 1, 2023. Please check our website for updated fees at https://cityofpoulsbo.com/building-department/.

Housing, Health, and Human Services Updates

Happy Mid-Summer from Kim and Jen in the Housing, Health, and Human Services Department!

Nordic Cottages Update. After over a year of gathering input, creating plans, and submitting reports and applications, The City of Poulsbo Planning Commission considered the merits of the Nordic Cottage Project at its July 25^th meeting. It gave its unanimous approval. The City Council will consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation at its August 16^th meeting and decide whether to grant exceptions to City Code to create this low-income housing. H3 is deeply appreciative of the hard work—and expertise—Housing Kitsap and Coates Architects has provided to this project.

A peek into the Poulsbo Planning Commission Meeting:

Senior Planner Nikole Coleman provides Staff expertise

A review of Housing Kitsap's Nordic Cottage Project in relation to Poulsbo Municipal Code

A review of Housing Kitsap's Nordic Cottage Project in relation to Poulsbo Municipal Code

New State Drug Law Prompts New City Response. In 2021, the Washington Supreme Court declared the state’s drug possession law unconstitutional, which had, for decades, made drug possession a felony offense. In 2023, our legislature passed a law-making drug possession and use a gross misdemeanor (SB 5536). There are many complications here, but one result is clear: drug cases that were heard, in the past, in county courts will now be heard at the city level. The City of Poulsbo and the Poulsbo Police Department have a new obligation to enforce drug related laws--and provide meaningful opportunities for diversion for those amenable to treatment.

In light of SB 5536, H3, with the encouragement of the Poulsbo Police Department and Poulsbo Municipal Court, obtained funding from the Olympic Community of Health to create a Health and Resource Center (HRC). The HRC will serve individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring health conditions who have been charged with drug related offenses at the Poulsbo and Bainbridge Municipal Courts. The HRC, during its pilot year, will operate in Poulsbo and be open once a week. Visitors to the HRC will be able to access—without an appointment or insurance requirements—a variety of services including peer support, substance use disorder services (including medication assisted therapy), health and telehealth services, navigation to mental health services, job coaching and shelter/housing. A shower will be on site with hygiene supplies available. Kitsap Sun coverage here: https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2023/07/23/the-new-health-and-resource-center-in-poulsbo-will-be-a-one-stop-shop-for-addiction-treatment/70439451007/

Senior Specialist Office Hours:  Senior Specialist Eric now has weekly office hours at the Parks & Rec Building every Wednesday from 11am to noon. Come by, say hello, and pepper him with questions; he’s a great source of information about senior activities, resources, and assistance. Caregivers and Friends of Seniors (FOS's) always welcome.

Finance Department Reminders

Seasonal Averaging for Sewer Billing. The sewer portion of your utility bill is based on the metered water used. The City recognizes for residential accounts there may be summer irrigation not flowing into the City’s sewer system, so it takes the winter (November to May) monthly average of water usage and applies this “seasonal averaging” when calculating the sewer portion of your bill from June to October each year. Please remember that you are still billed for all actual water usage.

** MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Seasonal averaging watering began around Memorial Day & end around Leif Erikson/Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day. **

Utility Billing Auto-Payment. The City offers auto-pay as an option to pay your utility bill. Have your payment automatically deducted from your bank account on the 20th of every month. Click here for additional details and an application. If you’d like an application mailed to you, please contact the Finance Department at (360) 394-9881.

Community Book Reading Event

The City of Poulsbo and partners are sponsoring a Community Book Reading, culminating in a discussion and celebration event set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 21 at City Hall. The book selected for the community reading is “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” by Isabel Wilkerson. The book is a Pulitzer Prize winner and a New York Times Bestseller. Wilkerson is also the author of the award-winning novel, “The Warmth of Other Suns.”

Please visit this link to learn more about this Community Book Reading Event: https://cityofpoulsbo.com/city-council-community-book-reading/

Parks and Recreation Department Update