As someone on the Port of Poulsbo liveaboard waiting list and being directly involved in the fight for more liveaboards, it disgusts me to watch how the small-time politics work in this city.

It’s likely every city and port are plagued with the same issues, but this is my first taste of how slow things really happen and how people’s agendas muddle and twist the task at hand.

This is simple, folks. Washington state allows 10 percent of existing port slips to be liveaboard, and here we are with less than 5 percent. The port’s main obligation beyond “running the facilities” is economic development. Downtown business owners support the addition of more liveaboards — why wouldn’t they? It increases population density without the need for more infrastructure or housing.

Economic development? Sounds perfect. More people living downtown, more residents spending money here in Poulsbo.

City of Poulsbo: Their issue? Parking. Add liveaboards and there will be more cars downtown is their supposed concern. These are all people consistently at the marina already, just not at night. Has anyone checked on downtown parking at night? Absolutely no shortage of parking in both port and city parking. In fact, downtown becomes a bit of a ghost town.

City of Poulsbo seems to think that the port should fund a parking review/survey. Isn’t that the city’s financial burden? It’s not the port’s parking that the city is concerned about.

The city has suggested stickers for all port tenants, they also suggest the port police Anderson Parkway for any port tenants parking in public parking. Wait a second — so port tenants are not allowed to park at Anderson Parkway even if adhering to the city’s ridiculous three-hour rule? What happens when a port tenant comes downtown to have a nice dinner at “That’s a Some Italian” and they get ticketed because of their port sticker?

Port of Poulsbo’s proposal for liveaboard parking goes far beyond the necessary call of duty. Parking for the port is not an issue. What is the issue? Ask our mayor what the real issue is. Is it the city dragging its feet in hopes we say “yes” to the Marine Science Center/ moorage trade? What is it?

Adding liveaboards makes complete sense. Economic development, stewards of the Liberty Bay, watchful eyes on the marina, money spent downtown.

Despite how the city feels, second-class citizens we are not.

Aaron Wenholz
Poulsbo