Clerks Department Update

City Hall will be closed on President's Day, Monday, February 19, 2024.

Please plan accordingly so that we may best serve you!

Planning and Economic Development Department Update

The Planning and Economic Development department started off January with discussions at the Planning Commission and City Council surrounding text amendments, proposed changes to the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and a moratorium update. In addition, the Planning Commission welcomed their newest member Jim Schlachter as their former commissioner, Doug Newell, joined the City Council. Welcome aboard both of you and thank you for your service!

The Planning Commission spent their first two meetings in January discussing a Housekeeping, State Mandate and Housing Diversity draft code amendment package. The proposed amendments to the Poulsbo Municipal Code (PMC) are part of the Planning and Economic Development Department's on-going effort to make land use regulations more usable for residents, developers, and City staff by correcting errors, eliminating text ambiguities, codifying internal policies, and reflecting changes in state law. In addition, this amendment proposes to increase housing options within our City. The amendment package will be provided to the City Council during their February 21 workshop before moving forward to a public hearing. 

The Planning Commission also reviewed the proposed full chapter of health and human services as well as land use. Health and Human Services will be a new chapter in the 2024 comp plan to reflect the work being done in the Housing, Health and Human Services Department. The commission only has one more chapter to review (Transportation) before moving into the Capital Facilities Plan.

Additionally, the City Council spent two of their meetings in January discussing where to allow cannabis retail in the city and the appropriate buffers to certain uses. Following planning commission discussions and recommendation at the end of 2023, the council’s first discussion on January 10 included representatives from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board as well as a cannabis retail store owner. Their second discussion centered around buffers to child care centers and ultimately, they agreed to a 100’ buffer to the use and to move the item to public hearing on February 14, 2024.

Also on January 17, the City Council received an update on the two development moratoriums; SR305 and Olhava. Staff provided the input received at an impacted property owners meeting in November 2023 and requested permission from the council to move forward with text amendments to increase height, amend uses including allowing ‘flex space’ and reduce parking. The council directed staff to move forward with discussions with the Planning Commission, which will begin in March.

Lastly, both the City Council and Planning Commission received their first, annual Single Family Housing Report as part of the departments 2023 recap. The report provided a snapshot of the characteristics of new homes permitted. In 2023, 171 new single family homes permits were issued. Notably, most new homes were two stories, contained four or more bedrooms, had square footage between 2000-3000 square feet and two car garages. There was so much interest in this report that we plan to provide a multifamily report as well. The full report will be provided in the February Spotlight.

Engineering Department Update

Alasund Meadows Gravity- Noll Road Sewer Extension Project

This sewer project is mostly complete, except for minor pavement repairs that will take one to two days, followed by road striping. Citizens can expect minor traffic delays during this time. For questions, please contact the Engineering Department at (360) 394-9882.

Poulsbo Complete Streets- There have been two stakeholder meetings, the first in September, which allowed the committee to provide input and lay the groundwork for the development of the Complete Streets Plan. The second meeting took place in November, in which the committee discussed planning efforts and expanded on each goal and objective. Specific information about the Complete Streets Plan, as well as power point presentations and meeting minutes, can be found on our website at https://cityofpoulsbo.com/engineering/poulsbo-complete-streets.

Johnson Parkway Roundabout

Security cameras and lights were recently installed at the roundabout, and landscaping is being finished.

Development Engineering Projects

CMP Apartments- Phase 1 of this 90-unit apartment complex in Olhava is nearing completion while development of the remaining site and buildings has started.

Winslow Ridge- Located on Rhododendron Lane near Vinland Elementary, there is ongoing installation of storm and water lines at the 86-lot plat with approximately 40% of the site work complete.

Eliason Building- The Eliason Building is currently being renovated at the corner of Third Avenue and Front Street. Construction of Phase 2 has begun, in coordination with the on-going work for Phase 1.

Liberty Landing- The pre-construction meeting for the 8-lot subdivision along Hamilton Court NE has been completed. The anticipated construction start date will be in mid-February 2024 with completion before year end.

Johnson Ridge- The 61-lot development located on Johnson Road NE is nearing completion.

Discount Tire- Finalizing their punch list items and closing documents, Discount Tire on 7^th Avenue should have their Certificate of Occupancy by February.

Building Department Update

Water and Sewer Connection Fees were updated on January 1, 2024. Please visit our website for the latest fees: https://cityofpoulsbo.com/building-department.

Finance Department Update

Utility Rate Changes.

Directed by the Poulsbo Municipal Code (PMC), utility rates are subject to annual adjustments on January 1^st using the prior year’s June 30^th Consumer Price Index – All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Poulsbo’s geographic area. The rate changes effective January 1, 2024, for Water, Sewer, Solid Waste, and Stormwater will be 4.6%.

Have you considered suspending your irrigation account for the season? For a $40 fee, not only will this save you base charges, but it can also play a role in protecting your system against winter damage and water loss. For more information, contact the Finance Department at (360) 394-9881 or Public Works at (360) 779-4078.

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.

💧 Indoor Water Conservation

Here are some simple tips to use water efficiently and help protect our environment by conserving our most precious natural resource. You could even save a little money!  

• Check for leaks. A single dripping faucet can waste hundreds of gallons a week.  
• Choose efficient WaterSense labeled products and use 20% less water.
• Locate your master shut-off valve. Shutting off your water supply can prevent flooding and property damage in an emergency.

In the Kitchen

• Only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
• Scrape dirty dishes instead of pre-rinsing.
• Hand washing? Fill two sinks, one for washing the other for rinsing.
• Garbage disposals are water hogs. Compost your food scraps instead.
• Fill a bowl with water to wash fruits and vegetables.
• Keep a pitcher of cold drinking water in the refrigerator.

In the Laundry Room

• Only run full loads.
• Match water level to load size with the load selector.
• Wash in cold to save water and energy. Cold water also keeps clothes from fading.



In the Bathroom

• Silent toilet tank leaks can waste hundreds of gallons each year. Check yours by placing toilet dye test tablets in the tank. After 10 minutes, if dye ends up in the bowl you likely have a leaking toilet flapper.
• Check for intermittent leaks in toilets (such as the chain wrapping around itself or faulty flapper valves).
• Take shorter showers.
• Try the 10-gallon challenge: Most shower heads use about 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm). Can your household limit showers to 4 minutes each?
• Install a WaterSense labeled shower head that uses 2.0 gpm and you get 5 minutes until you reach 10 gallons.
• Install a shower head rated for 1.5 gpm and you get 6 minutes and 40 seconds until you reach 10 gallons. 
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
• Fill the sink instead of running the faucet when shaving.
• Remember that wipes clog pipes! Be sure to dispose of wipes, mop refills and paper towels in the trash can instead of the toilet.

Public Works Department Update

 A few pipes burst in the ceiling of the Public Works Department building because of the sudden cold weather. Luckily, the leak was detected promptly, and the Public Works team was able to repair the damaged flooring in record time.

Our crews did an excellent job of spreading de-icer on the roadways to maintain safe driving conditions during the cold weather. You may see this vehicle out and about putting down brine to help keep you safe.

 During the cold weather, some park restrooms were closed due to frozen pipes. Repairs are in progress and all facilities should be restored by February 1st.

New City Council Members Rick Eckert, Doug Newell, Pam Crowe and Planning Commission Representative, Jim Schlachter toured the city with our Public Works Director, Diane Lenius, City Engineer, Josh Ranes, Public Works Superintendent, Mike Lund, and Contract Administrator Manager, April Zieman.

Cold Weather Preparedness. At any time, unpredictable weather can sneak up on you and wreak havoc on unprepared water pipes. Being prepared can make all the difference when you only have moments to react. There are many precautions you can take now to help minimize later impacts.

Before Freezing Weather

• Disconnect and drain hoses from outside faucets. Cover or wrap outside faucets to prevent them from freezing.
• Turn off and drain irrigation systems and backflow assemblies.
• Wrap backflow assemblies with insulating material. Wrap outside faucets with insulation or newspaper.
• Cover foundation vents with foam blocks, thickly folded newspaper or cardboard.
• Insulate hot and cold pipes in unheated areas, such as the garage, crawl space or attic.
• Show household members how to turn off water to the house in case of emergencies.
• If your home will be unoccupied for an extended period of time, you may want to seek additional information about winterizing your home.

During Freezing Weather

• Open cupboard doors under sinks, especially where plumbing is in outside walls, to let interior heat warm the pipes.
• Temporarily, keep a steady drip of cold water at an inside faucet farthest from the meter. This keeps water moving, making it less likely to freeze.
• If you are away for any length of time, shutting off the water can reduce the chances of broken pipes. Leave the heat on at least 55 degrees. Shut off water to the house and open all faucets to drain pipes; flush the toilet once to drain the tank, but not the bowl.
• Be a good neighbor. If a neighbor is away or you are next to a vacant house, notify us if you see a suspected leak.
• Check on the elderly and make sure they're OK.

If Your Pipes Freeze

• Try and determine which pipe(s) are frozen. If some faucets work but others don't, that means pipes inside your home are frozen.
• If a pipe is frozen, assume it may be broken and will leak when thawed. Local hardware or home improvement stores may carry leak repair supplies. Be ready to shut off your water in a hurry when the line thaws.
• If there is no water at all to your home, the problem may be at the street. Call us at (360) 779-4078.
• NEVER thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame. You may start a fire and at the very least, your pipe will burst. Use hot air from a hair dryer or the exhaust from a vacuum cleaner.
• If your pipes are frozen, contact us so we can ensure that water is flowing from your meter correctly. However, our crews are not able to help fix frozen pipes between the water meter and the house and inside the house.

If A Pipe Breaks

• Determine if it's hot or cold water:

If it's hot water: Turn off the water to your water heater. Cold water should still be available to the rest of your house.

If it's cold water: Turn off the main water shutoff valve. Water will not be available to the rest of your house.

• Call a plumber to assist you with repairs and get your water in working order.
• Call 911 (as a non-life threatening emergency) if you need your meter shut off after hours in the case of a break.

Snow Route Removal Plan and Map:

The linked memo & enlarged map indicate which roads are primary vs. secondary. The roads in orange are state highway and are maintained by WSDOT.

The City will concentrate at the outset of an event on keeping the Primary Roads open to traffic. As the weather allows and as the crew get caught up the Secondary Roads will be plowed.

The remainder of the City streets will ONLY be plowed as time and weather allows. The City of 

Poulsbo does not plow or maintain private roads.

Primary Roads (Roads in Blue on the Map)

• Lincoln Road – Noll to Hwy 305
• 10th Ave – Lincoln Road to Liberty Road (Fire Dept)
• Noll Road Lincoln to Hostmark
• Hostmark Street
• Iverson Street
• Front Street
• Sunset Street
• Bond Road – Lindvig to Hwy 305
• Lindvig Way
• Finn Hill
• Viking Ave
• Olhava Way
• Olympic College Way

Secondary Roads (Roads in Purple on the Map)

• Fjord Drive
• 4 th Ave Iverson to Torval Canyon
• Torval Canyon
• 6th Ave
• 9th Ave
• Lincoln Road – Iverson to Hostmark
• Tollefson Street
• Caldart Ave
• Gustaf St
• Bjorn St – Gustaf to Noll
• Noll Road – Hostmark to Hwy 305
• Mesford Street
• Forest Rock – Caldart to 12th Ave
• 12th Ave – Forest Rock to Watland Street
• Watland Street
• 10th Ave – Forest Rock to Liberty Road
• 7th Ave
• 8th Ave
• Reliance St
• Dauntless Drive
• Advance Drive
• Johnson Parkway – Noll to Small RBT
• Claret Loop – Finn Hill to Malbec
• Malbec St
• Westwood St
• Urdahl Road

Roads that may be CLOSED in adverse snow or ice conditions due to the steep grade of the road. (Roads that are Red on the Map)

• Forest Rock Lane – 12th Ave to 10 Ave
• Torval Canyon – 1 st Ave to Front Street
• Baywatch Ct (Private Road)
• Haven Ct
• Holm Ct
• Johnson Parkway Small RBT to 305
• Sunrise Ridge Ave from Crystallia Ct to Johnson Road

News You Can Use

Notice from the Kitsap County Assessor's Office.

Housing, Health, and Human Services Department Update

The Judge's Corner.

Common Moments, Common People   

We sat on the windless warm deck, eating crab a friend had dropped off, chatting casually, looking over our neighborhood. The neighbors on one side chatted happily as they played with their dog. Below us BBQ smoke rose as steaks cooked. Next door three wonderful children happily played together in their back yard.

I thought of Graham Nash and Dave Johnson.

The story goes that Nash (Crosby Stills & Nash) and his housemate in Laurel Canyon, Joni Mitchell, had been to town shopping and were home, she with a flower holder she'd purchased, he ready to start a fire in the fireplace for an end-of-the-day wind-down. Alone, Nash wondered if this common moment held any magic; if there was a story, or song, in it. He went to the piano and began a tune that would become Our House.       

"I'll light the fire. You place the flowers in the vase that you bought today..."    

Common moments. Those times that seem normal, not dynamic, unremarkable segments of our day-to-day lives. Yet sometimes there is surprising and enormous beauty in the moment if we just look.

Dave Johnson (who I never met) was one of the best law professors, and life professors, I, or anyone, ever had. A journalist for the Lewiston Morning Tribune, in the 1970's he thought a weekly common about folks randomly drawn from the local phone book would be well received. Other journalists were skeptical, until the great roving reporter Charles Kuralt heard Johnson's idea and said, "That's one of the best ideas I have ever heard.” So "Everybody Has a Story" began a thirty-year Friday morning, front page, journey into the hopes, dreams, and lives of common, randomly selected people. During the time I lived in Asotin, five miles from Lewiston - and when Mom would send me the columns from the past week’s paper - I loved every column. Just as Graham Nash saw the beauty of common moments, Dave Johnson saw the beauty in common people.

"Staring at the fire, for hours and hours, as I listen to you play your love songs all night long for me, only for me...”

Perhaps the best time in my law practice is after our work is done. The clock is off, and I can just chat, and get to know my new client. Over the past years I have learned I was sitting across the table from a multiple-time national champion animal trainer, a person who had a volcano named after her, and the stepparent of an Oscar winner.             

"Come to me now. Rest your head for just five minutes. Everything is done. Such a cozy room, the windows are illuminated by the evening sun shines through them fiery gems for you, only for you...”    

One of the parts of aging is the increased appreciation of quiet, often mundane, moments. Now unburdened by the day-to-day training and behavior modification parents must perform, I can enjoy a morning chat with a friend or an hour getting Saturday morning groceries, as I catch up on the news with neighbors. I appreciate the quiet beauty of reading a story to a child or getting a call or email from an old friend. I have learned that the BBQer below me, the laughing children next door, and our wonderful neighbors walking Harry, all have much to add to my life if I take a minute to talk to them.    

So often, too often, we measure our lives by dramatic moments. Winning this or achieving that, reaching this goal, or failing to meet that performance measure. We tend to remember births and deaths, weddings, and holidays. Few people ask, “Did you enjoy cleaning up after dinner last night?” or “How exhilarating gassing up the car must have been.” No one ever says, “I was so inspired by you taking out the garbage I took mine to the road, too.” While not every moment can instigate a song or story, not each second can be a life adventure, more than we initially accept have beauty and interest in them.                                  

“Our house is a very, very, very fine house, with two cats in the yard, life used to be so hard. Now everything is easy ‘cause of you...”

Or, perhaps as Dave Johnson says it:

“A newspaper’s headlines might feature a jet that crashes, but I think the truly important news is that all the other planes routinely take off and land. Sometimes the most important lessons are found not in the pinnacle of what we consider news, but amid the ups and downs experienced by everyday people. Epiphanies will always be elusive. Most of the answers to life’s riddles hide not in the profound, but in the ordinary; not in the unusual, but in the conventional; not in the celebrity pages of a newspaper, but perhaps in the white pages of a phone book.”    

Dinner on the deck. Being with friends and family. It is not only the dramatic moments that give our lives (as a dear friend calls it) Pow! It is seeing the beauty in common moments and our family, neighbors, and new friends. Like starting a fire while someone you love puts flowers in a newly purchased vase. Or sitting on the deck eating crab a friend dropped off, enjoying the sounds of a normal neighborhood.

 Copyright Jeff Tolman 2024. All rights reserved.

Poulsbo Garden Club Update

The Poulsbo Garden Club is excited to be able to offer $6,000 for garden and horticulture projects in the North Kitsap area (as defined by the North Kitsap School District boundaries). Applications and more information are available by emailing us at PGCGrants@gmail.com. All applications must be submitted by February 29, 2024. Please contact us NOW and get your application in to help with your project!

Our monthly meeting for February will be on Saturday, February 10, starting at 9:30 with a short business meeting and then featuring a special speaker. Watch our Facebook page at Poulsbo Garden Club or email us at PoulsboGardenClub@gmail.com for more information. We invite everyone to join us! 

Parks and Recreation Department Update

Volunteer Vacancies. Poulsbo's Parks and Recreation Commission and Poulsbo's Tree Board each have one vacancy. If you know of a quality candidate, please have them apply!

You may now find a role description for P&R Commissioner via the webpage Parks and Recreation Commission Webpage *under Resources section.

Information about the Tree Board may be found via the Tree Board Webpage.

Please use the application found on the above webpages or link to it here for convenience: Boards and Commissions Volunteer Application. We appreciate follow-up calls to verify applications were received! Parks and Recreation Main Line: (360) 779-9898