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Poulsbo council discusses special-events calendar, turf management and parking enforcement plans
Summary
Council and staff reviewed the busy May events schedule, discussed a turf-management plan for Waterfront Park and announced stepped parking enforcement including notices and potential mass towing starting May 7; councilmember Drecker said she will push for a city code-enforcement officer in the next budget cycle.
Council and staff spent a substantial portion of the April 9 workshop discussing the city's spring and summer special-events calendar, the condition of Waterfront Park turf and stepped enforcement for overnight parked vehicles in the Parkway.
Staff outlined multiple May events: the Poulsbo Garden Club plant sale (May 3), Viking Fest setup and weekend activities (mid-May), the 47th Viking Fest Road Race (May 17, expecting ~900 participants), Brewfest / bike tour (May 24; organizers said ~500 cyclists and ~100 spectators) and Memorial Day services (May 26). Parks staff explained site logistics for events taking place shortly after park construction activity; for example, Rob Parks staff said the plant sale will use the pavilion and flagged concrete paths while the newly seeded playground remains fenced.
Council and staff discussed a turf-management plan for Waterfront Park to balance frequent events with grass recovery. City staff said they are compiling a turf-management recommendation that will cover fee structures (including updated fees to better cover city costs), seasonal limits on events, potential relocation of some events and resource needs if the city wants to maintain high-quality turf under frequent use. Staff estimated preliminary recommendations could be ready by late summer or early fall and finalized before December to allow planning for 2026.
On parking enforcement, staff reported monitoring overnight parked cars in the Parkway during March and identified between eight and 12 vehicles that regularly stayed overnight; citations have been issued to eight vehicles. Staff said they will conduct twice-weekly nighttime checks for the next 2.5 weeks and planned a mass towing on May 7 for cars remaining in violation after posted warnings. Staff also said they will expand monitoring to known overnight parking areas on lower Jensen and King Olaf.
Councilmember Drecker said she will push during the midyear and next budget cycle for a dedicated code-enforcement officer, citing recent vendor/parking violations and repeated instances where no enforcement capacity existed. Chief Harding and other staff confirmed that first-amendment rallies do not require permits and that staff intend to work with organizers to facilitate public-safety needs while keeping open communication.
Ending: Staff will return with a turf-management recommendation and updated fee structure later in the year; parking enforcement actions including warnings and the May 7 towing plan will go forward as announced.
