Poulsbo reviews mid-biennium finances and six-year CIP; sewer forcemain design eyed for 2027 construction
Summary
City staff briefed the council on the third-quarter financial status, mid-biennium budget asks and the six-year CIP, including a proposed design contract (BHC) for the SR 305/Bond Road sewer force main and higher stream-buffer-driven permitting costs for waterfront repairs and the boardwalk.
Finance and public-works staff presented the city—s third-quarter financial report, a mid-biennium request list and the six-year capital improvement program (CIP) in a combined workshop on Nov. 5.
Key financial takeaways: Finance reported general-fund revenues at about 76% of expected receipts through Sept. 30 and said building-permit and parks-and-rec revenues are trending above projections. Some expenditure categories are running high, notably marine-safety programs; staff said grant reimbursements are expected to arrive and will offset those variances. The city is intentionally managing investments and will let some mature to cover near-term capital needs (Nordic cottages, land acquisitions).
Staffing and mid-biennium asks: City Administrator Rob and department leaders outlined one-time investments and recurring staffing requests, including asset-management software, emergency-operations-center upgrades, a potential facilities maintenance assistant, and several utility-focused positions tied to the sewer and water comprehensive plans. Rob said a 3-column affordability approach will follow that prioritizes what can be funded.
Sewer and CIP highlights: Utilities staff presented the Bond Road SR 305 Sewer Force Main Extension scope and selection process. Staff said they issued an RFQ, interviewed firms and selected BHC Consultants for design with a proposed scope fee of about $545,000 (design-phase estimate). The project would add a parallel force main to increase capacity; staff said construction is targeted for 2027 and alternatives such as trenchless installation will be evaluated as part of design.
Parks and waterfront: Engineering reviewed Parks projects including Waterfront Boardwalk life-extension and the Rob Park caretaker cottage and noted that detailed permitting tied to updated critical-area requirements will influence final costs. Staff said preliminary planning estimates for a full boardwalk replacement had risen since earlier studies and will require design and permitting before a final cost estimate can be confirmed.
Next steps: Staff asked council to review priorities offline and return any questions before the budget and comprehensive-plan amendment cycle that culminates with the December budget adoption and the January comp-plan amendment work. Engineering and finance asked councilmembers to engage with staff within the next two weeks on CIP priorities to meet the timeline for incorporation into the budget.
