Poulsbo Municipal Code and Comprehensive Plan Changes. Amendments to the development regulations within the Poulsbo Municipal Code (PMC) can be requested by individual citizens or driven by initiatives of the mayor or city council and as required by state legislation. This year, the Washington State legislature passed several bills that will require amendments to the PMC and comprehensive plan specific to how we plan for and accommodate housing and plan for climate change. 

The 2023 Legislative session came to a close on April 23, 2023 after commencing on January 9, 2023. The session began with upward of 50 bills specific to housing, land use planning, transportation, and climate change. The City has identified four notable bills that will require amendments beginning in January 2025:  

• House Bill (HB) 1337 will require the city to increase the amount of accessory dwelling units per lot from one to two, with some exceptions. It also precludes the city from limiting the size of the unit below 1,000 square feet. This bill is aimed to address the housing affordability crisis of 1.1 million homes the state is predicted to need in the next 20 years.

• Additionally, HB 1042 will require the city to readily allow existing buildings zoned for commercial or mixed use to create additional housing beyond current development regulations and to be exempt from certain standards such as setbacks and parking. 

• To produce housing more expeditiously, permit review timelines are expected to shorten. Permit timelines are mandated by state law and the time allowed to review and approve a permit (without modifications from the applicant or the city) has customarily ranged from 90 to 120 days. The state passed Senate Bill (SB) 5290 that is expected to shorten review timelines. This bill is contingent on grants to consolidate and expedite permit reviews and is required to take effect by January 1, 2025. 

• Finally, SB 1181 will require the city to include a new element in our comprehensive plan specific to climate change, targeted at reducing greenhouse gases and vehicle miles traveled. Additionally, this bill focuses on resiliency to climate change and natural hazards by requiring a natural hazard mitigation plan that prioritizes actions that benefit overburdened communities.  

Public Works, Engineering and Building Department Updates

Staff Updates.  Public Works has done some new employee hiring as well as promoting within. We will be wishing a Happy Retirement to Joe Walker later this fall and have promoted Victor Cienega to fill the Services Foreman position. 

Public Works places roughly 115 signs and barricades, water barricades, and 100 cones on many of the City streets and parade routes to safely direct traffic and pedestrians.Staff are then set in place for weekend restroom cleaning, and grounds and street cleaning; and trash cans are placed along 6th Avenue for the parade. One year, the City had a “Keeping the City Clean” team in the parade, made up of City Hall employees in matching shirts, who walked the parade route in front of the street sweeper with brooms and boomboxes, while the former mayor (Donna Jean Bruce) threw candy from the street sweeper. This was one last chance to make the street really shine! 

Hanging the roughly 75 large flower baskets is an event in itself! Public Works picks up the baskets from Valley Nursey in Port Gamble utilizing dump trucks and a trailer to haul all the flowers at one time without damaging them. The next morning at 6:00 am, they begin to hang the flower baskets around downtown utilizing a forklift and man-lift cage. This requires two flaggers for traffic control, two truck drivers, a forklift operator, and two employees to hang the baskets. Public Works is often involved in helping get the carnival moved in, as well. On Monday morning after Viking Fest is over, Public Works returns and picks everything back up, removes street signs and barriers, repairs any damage, and cleans everything. Some of Joe’s fondest memories of Viking Fest are helicopter rides that would fly over Poulsbo and Liberty Bay during Viking Fest, and in the 1980s, when a local dragster driver brought his car downtown and it was so loud that it shook the whole downtown corridor! 

Building Permitting and Construction Activities. The Building Department had a very busy month! They issued 45 permits for the month of March, with a total valuation of $4,839,126.54. Current projects under construction in Poulsbo include:

Crack Seal Program. Crack Seal streets completed in 2022 are noted in yellow. Those circled in green will be addressed in 2023 along with a few other areas. 

Pressure Reducing Valve Replacements. Upcoming Pressure Reducing Valve Projects for Mesford and Swanson will be completed this summer.

Westside Well Operational Status. Westside Well – Iron and Manganese Treatment Facility is running and working well!

Housing, Health, and Human Services Update

Happy Older Americans Month from Housing, Health, and Human Services! May was first declared Older Americans Month in 1963 by the Kennedy Administration and every administration since has continued the tradition. This year’s theme, according to the federal office of Health and Human Services, is “Aging Unbound,” and Americans are encouraged to take action to combat stereotypes, increase understanding of ageism, and hit the “reset” button on how we think, talk, and act about aging.

Over 20% of the population in Poulsbo is over 65 and those numbers are projected to grow significantly in the next few years. It is estimated that 50% of seniors rely on social security for income, and we know, here in Poulsbo, that a large percentage of this population lives on low and fixed income. Here at H3, we focus, throughout the year, on advocating and supporting our senior population, particularly those with low incomes and/or struggling with health conditions.

Poulsbo Fire CARES is a partnership between Poulsbo Fire and the City of Poulsbo to help people using 911 connect to non-emergency services. For the first few months of 2023, almost 60% of the people CARES served are over 65. The CARES team helps seniors access resources they didn’t know about or were unsure how to get, and has been able to bring ramps, rails, and other safety equipment into many Poulsbo homes.

H3 also manages a volunteer program called Senior CARES. We’re matching local volunteers with local seniors who have expressed interest in social interaction—in this case, friendly, weekly phone calls. This program, as it grows, will reduce loneliness, create new relationships, and keep our seniors connected to their community. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in volunteering, please check out this link: Senior Cares Application.

Poulsbo Fire Cares | City of Poulsbo

New Additions. We are pleased to welcome the city’s first full-time Senior Support Specialist, Eric Andersen. You may have seen Eric visiting the library or Senior Center over the past few weeks; he’ll be leading walks for seniors around town and holding information sessions for older adults and caregivers this spring and summer. Eric has lived or worked in Poulsbo, on and off, for the last five decades and we’re so glad to have him as a City resource.

Also new to H3 is Administrative and Project Assistant, Jen Pettigrew. Hailing from Colorado, Jen has a background in accounting and finance and is very excited to be a part of H3—and support our senior initiatives.

Finance Department Update

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 can begin 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.

Parks and Recreation Department



Seeking Poulsbo Advisory Tax Committee Member Volunteer. Do you own a Poulsbo rental? Operate overnight lodging, such as a hotel, Airbnb, VRBO? The City of Poulsbo is seeking a Poulsbo Advisory Tax Committee member to join our Lodging Tax Grant Program. With our Lodging Tax Grant Program, local organizations can apply for the grant to help bring more guests and visitors to stay and play in Poulsbo, aka spend the night at Poulsbo lodging!

This year’s funding included supporting the

• Poulsbo Film Festival and
• PetsWalk,
• maintaining the webpage https://www.visitpoulsbo.com/,
• adding weekend hours to the Visitors Center,
• growing the four Poulsbo Historical Museums,
• contributing to Historical Downtown Poulsbo,
• assisting in the improvements to SEA Discovery Center, and so much more!

By being a Committee member, you will help steer how the grant is allocated.

Download the application and learn more about the City of Poulsbo Lodging Tax Grant Program and 2023 Schedule: https://cityofpoulsbo.com/lodging-tax-grant-program/

Interest and questions can be sent to Lin Wilson, Special Events Coordinator: lwilson@cityofpoulsbo.com, or by phone at 360.394.9771

Poulsbo Garden Club

Upcoming Events. The Poulsbo Garden Club gave gardening grants totaling over $4,880 to 12 local organizations for their gardening projects including Raab Park P-Patch, Poulsbo Fire Department, Cub Scouts Pack 4571, Poulsbo Historical Society, Kingston Middle School Horticulture Club and Buck Lake Nature Area. Money for these grants is raised at our annual Plant Sale which will be the first Saturday of May, at Raab Park in Poulsbo from 9 am to 1 pm. Many wonderful plants, including annuals, perennials, veggie starts, house plants and fabulous garden art, will be on sale at VERY reasonable prices!! Mark your calendar for May 6th at Raab Park to give your garden a jump start this year! For more information, please contact the club at poulsbogardenclub@gmail.com.