Port Orchard says Saints Car Club cruise canceled over safety; downtown businesses urge council to intervene

Port Orchard city leaders announced at a council meeting that the Saints Car Club annual downtown waterfront cruise will not take place this year after event organizers said they could not meet safety requirements tied to road closures, Mayor Rob Putansu wrote in a March 3 press release read aloud at the meeting.

The release said city staff and the city’s insurance provider concluded that allowing moving vehicles to mix with large numbers of pedestrians presents “serious public safety concerns,” and that the city had offered mitigation options that were not acceptable to the event holder. The statement included a quote attributed to Port Orchard Mayor Rob Putansu: “This is a very unfortunate outcome. However, the city’s paramount duty is to provide for the safety of our residents and visitors.” The release also noted the Saints Car Club had not submitted a permit application and that no denial had been issued.

Why it matters: the cruise draws thousands to downtown Port Orchard and business owners say it is a major revenue day for small merchants. Several speakers at the council’s public comment period urged the city to keep working with the club to find a safe, workable approach that preserves both public safety and downtown economic activity.

Business owners and event supporters described the local impact and offered alternatives. Sylvia Morgan, an owner of Peninsula Bevco, read a letter written by her son and described the family’s plans to expand into an adjacent space for a banquet room. The letter argued the city’s current permitting process is broken and described multi‑month delays while applications are routed to an outside private consultant. Morgan warned the downtown business community is at risk if event-driven sales disappear: “That day … is the second-highest grossing sales day in our seven-year history,” she said.

Other commenters urged compromise. Teresa Fox of Bremerton told the council she believes the city clerk’s office must bring a street‑closure permit to council for approval and argued staff escorts, high‑visibility clothing and radio communication could allow safe vehicle departures during the event. Longtime event organizer Van Velist said the cruise has run for decades without injury and promotes civic pride and downtown sales; he said the Saints presented an escort plan to staff.

City staff framed the decision as a risk‑management issue. The press release read at the meeting said staff and the city’s insurer judged vehicle‑pedestrian interactions during the cruise to be an unacceptable risk; staff told the council that proposed mitigations offered during multiple meetings with the event holder were not acceptable to the organizers.

What the council did: there was no formal council vote on the permit at the meeting. Council members and speakers said they would continue conversations with the mayor’s office and city administration; several members encouraged further negotiations between the Saints Car Club and staff.

Community context and next steps: supporters asked the Saints to reapply and urged the city to work to “unstick” the process. Staff reiterated that no application denial has been issued and said city leadership hopes to continue discussions with event organizers with the goal of restoring the event in future years.

Ending: The council did not resolve the dispute at the meeting. Business owners said they will continue to press for a negotiated solution while the city maintains it will not allow vehicle operations that it deems unsafe during public events.