POULSBO — The city staff may be moving on up, to the east side… next year if plans to create a brand new Poulsbo municipal campus go forward.

The project, which has been in the conceptual stage for over a year, took a huge step Wednesday night as city council unanimously agreed to accept the final master plan and continue efforts to move city government offices from sites on Jensen Way, Hostmark Street and 8th Avenue to a single location on the corner of 7th Avenue and Iverson Way.

Council held a public workshop with Dave Thomas, principal architect from the Seattle firm Merritt and Pardini, explaining the process and planning involved in the new campus. Thomas met with staff this summer and assessed how much space the city would need in order to accommodate growth over the next two decades.

Even though the plan is long-range, under an “aggressive” approach on the campus, city staff would be able to move into the new offices by the middle of next year.

“One of the things we like to do is build consensus on a project,” Thomas said, adding that Merritt and Pardini would be working to find a common ground between the needs of the city and the expectations of the public.

A Northwest feel, “one-stop” shopping via a permitting center and low-impact development of the site were three items that topped the suggestion list for the campus. But having the new structures correctly straddle the delicate salmon-bearing waters of Dogfish Creek seemed to be the highest priority for the engineering firm.

With required 40-foot setbacks and a natural divide of the site, Dogfish Creek “adds some constraints to the property but also adds some opportunities,” Thomas pointed out. The waterway, which needs to be handled carefully, can also be showcased at the new campus, he added. The environmental friendliness won’t end there though.

“The existing piece of property does have some very nice vegetation,” Thomas explained, noting that his agency would work to not only preserve these plants and trees, but to enhance them as well.

Merritt and Pardini’s proposed four-phase project includes a building to house a city hall, permit center, courts and city council chambers; a new parking lot as well as an active/passive park area for the public; a new police station; and a civic center.

While Thomas admitted the plans were just getting underway and were by no means set in stone, he also said the city had come a long way on the project over the last six months.

“We’re nowhere near getting to where we want to go — but we have made great strides,” Thomas remarked.

The 27,000-square-foot building plan calls for a budget of $5.7 million, for a preliminary construction cost of roughly $182 per square foot. Adding some $1.1 million in site work, the total cost per square foot increases to $223, the architect explained.

“Does this estimate include the furniture?” Councilman Dale Rudolph asked.

“Yes,” Thomas replied.

“Now, let’s make sure it gets in the contract,” Councilwoman Jackie Aitchison said, referring to an agreement concerning the Valborg Oyen Library in which furniture costs became a disputed item between the city and the contractor.

As far paying as for the project goes, finance director Donna Bjorkman had some good news for the council: No new or additional taxes.

If the city sells $5 million in bonds to fund the campus and pays the amount back over 25 years at 4.9 percent, its average annual payment would be about $350,000. The city can come up with the money each year by using $100,000 in current debt service; $100,000 in real estate excise tax; $75,000 in admissions tax revenues; and $75,000 in utility support for government facilities.

Noting the current maintenance dilemma created by the expanded library, Councilman Jeff McGinty pointed out that the city should plan for those costs at the municipal campus as well.

But Mayor Donna Jean Bruce said, as far as Poulsbo was concerned, the lifetime of the existing city hall was limited.

“This building is old. I think we came to an earth-shaking revelation last time it rained. We had six new leaks,” Bruce explained, noting that despite this fact the city was talking to a prospective buyer.