Poulsbo moves forward on downtown parking: signage, employee lots and enforcement this summer; paid parking planned next year

Poulsbo city staff will proceed this year with signage changes, designated employee parking and stepped-up enforcement in downtown Poulsbo, while implementation of a paid-parking program remains scheduled for summer 2026, City staff told the council April 2.

Heather (staff) told council members that the resolution adopted at a prior meeting directed a two-phase approach: install signage, secure employee parking options and start enforcement this summer, then implement paid parking in summer 2026. “They are to proceed with signage improvements, securing employee parking and enforcement in this summer, and for next summer to move forward with implementation of paid parking,” Heather said.

On employee parking, staff reported progress lining up locations. Gateway Church has offered roughly 40 spaces available Monday–Friday; combined with other parcels the city expects to have about 50 designated employee spaces. Heather said the city is finalizing contract details with property partners and will confirm those agreements before relying on them in an enforcement plan.

Signage: staff said they will convene a small stakeholder group, including members of the Historic Downtown Poulsbo Association (HDPA), to review proposed time limits and the placement of short-term (15–30 minute) “stop-and-go” spaces and accessible parking placements before installing signs.

Enforcement: staff will issue a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) to determine costs and options for third-party enforcement and part-time enforcement models. Heather asked the council for a nod to proceed; members signaled support for a phased approach that begins with “soft-touch” enforcement and can scale to a full program. Chief Ron Griffin said the police department will report citation history and that the city could consider towing for overnight violators as part of enforcement options.

Council members discussed complementary steps the city can take to encourage employees to use the newly designated employee lots rather than customer-facing stalls. Staff agreed to return with cost estimates and recommended enforcement levels, including part-time and full-time scenarios, for council review at a future meeting.

The council also acknowledged related negotiations with the Port of Poulsbo, which has asked for a joint meeting with the council to discuss parking and upland/shoreline issues. Staff said a joint meeting will be scheduled once details are worked out.

The phased timeline leaves paid parking for downtown to be implemented in summer 2026 pending council decisions on enforcement structure, signage and final agreements for employee parking.