Poulsbo council directs staff to advance downtown parking plan, including signage and enforcement; paid parking slated for summer 2026

Poulsbo City Council voted March 19 to advance a staged plan for downtown parking management that starts with upgraded signage and employee parking in 2025, adds a stepped enforcement program, and—pending later work—implements paid parking in summer 2026.

Planning director Heather Wright told the council the effort “has been going on for 2 years” and outlined the consultant-recommended Option 3 sequencing: launch signage changes, establish employee parking, begin enforcement, then implement paid parking next summer. Wright cited a Walker Consultants study and city survey results to justify the timeline.

The council heard cost estimates and revenue projections. Wright said signage improvements could cost about $30,000 and third‑party enforcement staffing and equipment were estimated at roughly $156,000; total up‑front costs could be in the low hundreds of thousands and depend on contract responses. The Walker analysis projected paid-parking revenue of roughly $900,000 to $1 million a year at an illustrative $2-per-hour rate covering roughly half the downtown spaces, while citation receipts during an enforcement-only phase were estimated at about $8,000 per month.

Council members debated scope and sequencing. Councilmember McVay urged use of “all four legs of the stool” (signage, employee parking, enforcement and paid parking) together and said paid parking revenue would be needed to cover enforcement costs. Councilmember Eckert argued the resolution is “direction” for staff, not a final decision, and said staff need clear authority to continue work. Councilmember Strickland proposed an amendment removing the 2026 paid-parking implementation date; the amendment failed after a vote, and the original motion to approve Resolution 2025-03 passed.

Wright said the city is currently identifying employee parking sites (including a lower lot at the Parks & Recreation building, discussions with a local church, and a property under new ownership known as Division 8/Poulsbo Place) and estimated the city could secure roughly 100 employee spaces from a mix of city-owned and private lots if agreements proceed. She said permitting and third-party procurement would determine final timing.

Councilmembers stressed the staged approach should include measurement and public reporting. Multiple speakers urged selective enforcement to begin where it will achieve the most turnover (for example, longer-term overnight parking and repeat offenders) rather than wide 7-day-a-week patrols at full strength immediately.

The resolution directs staff to proceed with the timing option brought forward tonight, to continue outreach with business groups and partners, and to return with parameters and budget needs for implementation steps and for paid‑parking design work to be brought back for council review and budgeting decisions.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 2025-03 (timing of downtown parking implementation) — motion made by Councilmember Libdahl; second by Councilmember Eckert; outcome: approved by the City Council on March 19, 2025 (recorded roll-call vote noted during the meeting).