Poulsbo leaders outline phased paid parking, enforcement and new employee lots downtown

Poulsbo city staff and Port of Poulsbo commissioners on May 28 outlined a two‑phase plan to improve downtown parking that begins with stepped‑up enforcement and could move to paid parking, employee permits and new signage.

The city is soliciting proposals from private parking enforcement firms this week and expects results next week, Josh Raines, Poulsbo city engineer, told the joint meeting. "Request for proposals are out right now soliciting parking enforcement companies to provide us proposal and a price, to implement enforcement," Raines said.

Why it matters: City leaders said paid parking would create a local revenue stream to add parking and pay for long‑term investments. Councilmember Gary McVay said the rate included in the council’s earlier resolution is $2 an hour and would be enforced between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.; staff also said about 50 new employee parking spaces are being arranged with local property owners.

City staff described the phased approach as: (1) start enforcing posted limits and clean up signage this summer, and (2) implement a paid parking system as a second phase. Raines said the likely paid program would use mobile/app payments rather than kiosks.

"The rate would be $2 an hour, and would be enforced between 10AM and 6PM," Councilmember Gary McVay said, describing the resolution the council previously approved. McVay and other council members said the money from paid parking would stay downtown and be used to create or lease more parking.

Discussion points and next steps - Enforcement now: The initial step is to enforce time limits (the city is considering a two‑hour limit in many downtown spots) and update signs. Several council members urged enforcement to begin even if paid parking is delayed. - Paid parking later: Some members, including Port Commissioner Jeff Fyle, said moving directly to paid parking would better serve boaters and day users who want to pay for longer stays. "Just enforcing a 2 hour limit is gonna be really painful, and you would rather go to a paid parking model because people could pay," Fyle said. - Employee parking: Staff said agreements are nearly finalized to add roughly 50 employee permit spaces on privately owned lots (First Lutheran Church, Gateway Church, the lot next to the post office and part of the King Olaf lot were identified). Those spaces will be enforced to limit use to eligible employees. - Ticketing: The city’s current downtown parking citation is $30 and the council has discussed raising the standard ticket to between $50 and $75; no final decision was recorded. - Vendor proposals: The RFP for enforcement vendors is due the week after the meeting; staff will return with vendor pricing and recommendations before moving to paid parking.

Constraints and community concerns - Capacity and equity: Speakers noted that the city owns only about 40% of downtown spaces; roughly 60% are privately owned and unaffected by the city program. Councilmembers and staff acknowledged that changes will require residents and regular users to change habits. - Boaters and day users: Port commissioners warned that two‑hour limits could squeeze people who use the marina for day trips. Commissioners argued paid parking would allow short‑term users to pay for a longer stay without having to move vehicles repeatedly.

Ending: Council and port leaders asked staff to return with vendor responses and more detailed enforcement plans. They also signaled continued outreach to business owners and property owners that may host employee parking. No formal ordinance or final council vote on paid parking was recorded at the meeting.