ArcGIS Story Map. Our Senior Planner Nikole Coleman has taken the initiative to learn ArcGIS Story Map. Story Map is a tool that quickly builds useful and attractive information that is easy to read and digest. Story Map can integrate maps, legends, text, photos and videos and provides functionality, such as swipe, pop-ups and time sliders that helps users explore content.  

Our first project to use Story Map will be the 2024 Comprehensive Plan update. We hope that this tool will help to keep our public better engaged and informed. We will launch this tool along with a survey in early 2023. The survey is seeking input on how and where the City of Poulsbo should plan to accommodate growth to inform future chapters of the comprehensive plan.

Public Participation Plan. In addition, the department will be providing the Planning Commission an overview of our public participation plan for 2023-2024 at our first meeting of the new year, Tuesday, January 10. The plan specifies how the City will engage and inform its citizenry during efforts to update the comprehensive plan. Public participation is an integral part of the planning process and we look forward to engaging our public throughout the year via our surveys, pop up events, community group presentations and planning commission meetings. We will also ensure communication and outreach to our underserved and underrepresented populations.

Housing, Health & Human Services Department Update

Training scheduled-Senior CARES program. Housing, Health and Human Services is recruiting volunteers to be a part of the new Senior CARES initiative. Volunteers will be matched with seniors in our area looking for social connections for weekly phone conversations. No experience needed but volunteers must be 21 or older and pass a background check. Our first training will be January 24 from 5pm to 7pm via zoom.  First step-register here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JTTXD5G. 

Fire CARES-support and expansion. Residents of Kitsap pay a one-tenth of one percent sales and use tax to fund mental health and substance use services in our County. Kitsap County Commissioners recently approved continued funding from this fund for Poulsbo Fire CARES ($65,000) and funding for a new Central Kitsap Fire CARES program ($165,000). This funding—along with a generous grant from the Association of Washington Cities--will help both programs in 2023, and ensure that more people in our area get the help they need when they call 911 in behavioral health distress. Poulsbo Fire CARES has been operating since early 2021 and it’s great to see the program grow and serve as an example for other jurisdictions. More information here: https://cityofpoulsbo.com/poulsbo-fire-cares/ 

Nonprofit spotlight: West Sound Treatment Center. H3 regularly highlights local nonprofits in this newsletter who are providing assistance to vulnerable Poulsbo residents. This month's spotlight shines on West Sound Treatment Center in recognition of the outstanding work the R.E.A.L. Team (recovery, empowerment, advocacy, linkage) does in the North Kitsap area (R.E.A.L teams are funded by our regional Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization and operate throughout Kitsap, Clallam, and Jefferson County). The R.E.A.L. team does outreach to people who need help connecting to resources and recovery services, and they have been regular visitors to the Poulsbo cold weather shelter to help meet the needs of those staying there. More information here: https://westsoundtreatmentcenter.org/real-program/  

...and speaking of the cold weather shelter, thanks to Gateway Fellowship, Kitsap County, and several dozen volunteers, we have been able to provide a warm place to spend the night for 23 nights (and counting). Most shelter staffing is done by volunteers, and most of the volunteer shifts are between 10 at night and 7 in the morning. This is a critical service in our community, and these volunteers are, simply, remarkable. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/2022/12/22/kitsap-emergency-weather-shelters-have-been-open-for-23-nights-in-two-months/69745900007/

Utility Billing Autopayment. 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.

Poulsbo City Hall will be closed on January 2, 2023, in observance of New Year's Day and January 16, 2023, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Garbage services will be on normal schedule for both days.

Snow Route Removal Plan and Map:

The City of Poulsbo Snow Route Removal Plan. 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.

The memo & enlarged map indicate which roads are Primary VS Secondary. The Roads in Orange are State Highway and are maintained by WSDOT.

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

• 6 th Ave

• 9 th 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

• 7 th Ave

• 8 th Ave

• Reliance St

• Dauntless Drive

• Advance Drive

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

Poulsbo Garden Club Gardening Grants

The Poulsbo Garden Club is pleased to be able to award gardening grants to local individuals and organizations for gardening and horticultural projects in North Kitsap (as defined by the North Kitsap School District). For more information and application forms please email the Poulsbo Garden Club at PGCgrants@gmail.com and get your application in before the February 28, 2023 deadline.