Poulsbo approves three-year West SOG stormwater outreach agreement with Kitsap County

The Poulsbo City Council authorized the mayor to sign a three-year interlocal agreement (ILA) with Kitsap County to continue the city's participation in the West Sound Stormwater Outreach Group (WestSOG), staff said.

Rachel Bowen, the city's stormwater permit coordinator, told the council the ILA covers public education and behavior-change programs required by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, including digital campaigns, school lessons and maintenance of dog-waste ("Mutt Mitt") stations.

Bowen said the three-year agreement runs through 2026'128 and that the city's share of the total WestSOG budget would not exceed $21,109 for the period. She described a $5,000 annual regional contribution to the Puget Sound Starts Here digital campaign, an annual $500 allocation for Mutt Mitt station supplies, and budget for a new behavior-change campaign and program evaluation.

Councilmember Gary Eckert asked if there were substantive changes in the ILA; Bowen said the legal preamble remained the same but program content is shifting after evaluation of the prior natural yard care campaign. She said WestSOG will pivot toward a new campaign that may emphasize preventing bacteria pollution from leaking dumpsters, a topic Bowen said better fits Liberty Bay's total maximum daily load (TMDL) work.

Bowen described how cities share WestSOG costs based on population and said smaller cities like Poulsbo pay less of the total budget while receiving access to social-marketing consultants and regional campaign assets. Council voted to authorize the mayor to sign the ILA; the council recorded unanimous approval.