Poulsbo council approves contract with LAZ Parking and midyear budget amendment for downtown enforcement

Poulsbo City Council members voted July 16 to authorize the mayor to sign a three‑year contract with LAZ Parking and to approve a midyear budget amendment to fund the first months of a downtown parking enforcement program.

City staff said the contract will fund manager and customer service support, a mobile license‑plate‑recognition patrol, technology and program setup. Council and staff said the program will be rolled out in stages: new signage and employee parking arrangements first, followed by light enforcement (with warning notices) and eventually robust enforcement tied to a paid‑parking rollout next year.

Why it matters: Council and downtown business owners have said lack of turnover in prime spaces reduces customer access. Staff and LAZ representatives said enforcement is intended to increase turnover, free up spaces for visitors, and gather data—average length of stay, block‑level occupancy, and employee parking patterns—that will inform paid‑parking design and enforcement levels.

Key details: Heather (city staff) told the council the three‑year maximum cost in the vendor proposal would be roughly in the mid‑seven figures if the city chooses the most robust staffing and services; staff requested only the remainder‑of‑year funding now and said the rest would be addressed in the 2026 budget cycle. LAZ Parking senior manager Laura Larson described services that include a parking manager, customer service, a mobile LPR (license plate recognition) vehicle and handheld scanning, and an employee permit administration service.

Council members pressed staff on implementation specifics before voting. Questions included the precise enforcement start date, whether enforcement would begin with warnings, how signage and time limits would be set (2‑hour vs. 3‑hour zones), how invoicing and billing would work, whether the contract allows the city to scale enforcement up or down, and whether equipment such as an immobilizer or tow‑in‑place device would be used (police indicated they do not intend to use immobilizing devices).

Staff answers and next steps: Staff said signage and parking‑time maps will be finalized before enforcement begins. They said a grace/warning period will be used at rollout and that LAZ will supply monthly reports and invoices based on actual services provided; staff also said they will bring proposed code updates (fines, delegated enforcement authority, reparking rules) to council for adoption before full enforcement and paid parking launch. LAZ said initial implementation of LPR vehicle and systems is likely to take roughly eight to ten weeks after ordering the vehicle and hardware; staff suggested a lead‑in period to allow outreach and signage installation.

Vote and outcome: Council voted to grant the mayor authority to execute the LAZ contract and to approve the requested budget amendment to begin services; council members recorded their affirmative votes during roll call and the motion passed. Staff said the city will begin with light enforcement and can adapt staffing levels seasonally and by council direction.

What remains: Staff will bring a downtown parking signage/time‑limit plan and proposed code changes (including updated fine tiers and rules about re‑parking) to council. The timeline for moving from hourly enforcement to paid parking remains subject to council direction and the data LAZ will provide during the phased rollout.

Ending note: Council members and the vendor emphasized “adaptive management” — the program will evolve based on measured effects on turnover, business feedback and seasonal demand.