On Wednesday the Poulsbo City Council voted unanimously (with the exception of councilor Gary Nystul, who was absent) to convey ownership of its Poulsbo Library property to the Kitsap County Rural Library District, also known as Kitsap Regional Library.

Councilor Ed Stern took a moment to thank those who worked on the transfer agreement.

“I know a lot of hard work went into this by both the staff and the mayor,” Stern said. “This was a protracted negotiation. I am very pleased with it so Stern says, ‘Aye and amen.’”

“It’s the right thing to do for the city, and it is also the right thing to do for the Kitsap Regional Library System,” Erickson said of the transfer.

Mark Huges, director of communications for Kitsap Regional Library, said the transfer was not yet finalized but would be going to the library’s board of trustees for approval of the conveyance. The director said he did not have any reason to suspect that the board would turn down the offer.

“We’re excited to continue to serve that community with the library they deserve,” Hughes said. “With the passage of the levy this past November, we’ve been able to add some staff and make some improvements to the building and be open additional hours, including Sunday.”

—Nick Twietmeyer is a reporter with Kitsap News Group. Nick can be reached at ntwietmeyer@soundpublishing.com.