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Poulsbo council advances timeline for downtown paid parking after lengthy debate
Summary
After hours of public comment and council debate, Poulsbo approved a resolution directing staff to pursue downtown parking improvements that include paid parking and related signage, enforcement and employee parking; council members were sharply divided over timing and impact.
Poulsbo’s City Council voted on Feb. 19 to advance a staff-backed timeline to implement downtown parking changes, including paid parking in city-owned spaces, after an extended public-comment period and hours of council debate.
Heather Wright, the city’s staff lead on the project, told the council the consultant and the parking committee recommended a four-part approach: improved signage, stepped-up enforcement, secured employee parking and paid parking in selected city-owned spaces. Wright summarized three timing options staff presented: a full implementation by summer 2025; delaying all changes to 2026; or a phased approach that would begin enforcement, signage and employee-parking measures in 2025 and add paid parking in 2026.
Council members were split. Councilman Gary McVeigh argued that the hybrid model in the packet would create a revenue stream that the city could use to expand parking capacity. "If we adopted the outline of this program, the city could expect to receive approximately $1,000,000 a year in parking revenue," McVeigh said, citing figures from the consultant presented by staff. He added that after operating expenses an estimated $500,000 could be available to invest in parking capacity or programs.
Other council members urged a more incremental approach. Councilman Ed Stern said he would not support a paid-parking model as proposed and favored starting with smaller, short-term changes such as signage and assertive enforcement. "The cure should not be worse than the illness," Stern said, arguing for phasing and piloting enforcement before moving to paid parking.
After extended discussion, a motion to approve the resolution that would move the implementation toward the 2025 timeline was moved, seconded and called for a roll-call vote. The mayor announced the motion passed. The transcript records the roll-call readout and the mayor’s declaration that the motion passed; the council also agreed to place a phased-option discussion on the March 5 meeting agenda to further refine enforcement and implementation details.
What happens next: staff will work on the implementation details specified by the resolution—signage, designated employee parking, enforcement protocols and paid parking in identified city-owned areas—and return to council with operational plans, costs and proposed timelines. Councilmembers said they expect to retain the authority to adjust or roll back measures if implementation harms businesses or loses community support.
