POULSBO — When the Port of Poulsbo broached the topic of increasing its number of liveaboard slips with the City of Poulsbo earlier this year, it was answered with two main concerns: parking and the environment.

Since then, the port came up with a proposal to address those concerns. When Poulsbo’s city council met with port representatives on Sept. 10 to discuss that proposal, they parted, again, with two concerns: parking and the environment.

The city’s planning department presented an assessment of the proposal at the meeting.

“The consensus is that parking is the main concern,” said Keri Weaver, an associate planner with the city.

“I don’t think anyone will argue much against that we have a parking problem downtown as things are. What this proposes to do is add additional residences without any increase in parking.”

Weaver said that the planning department would like to see the port “willingly participate in enforcement” of parking.

“They have a new lot on Jensen Way, which is great. It’s not being used,” Weaver said.

Once enforcement is established, the planning department would like the port to go further, and recommends it conduct a parking study.

“The consensus of the planning staff and the planning director is that at this point we really need more information. We have no data on who uses the Jensen Way lot, how many people are using it, what type of enforcement is being done by the port,” Weaver said. “We don’t have any specific marina parking studies. Who parks there? How long are they staying?”

Port Commissioner Mark DeSalvo said the port is “not asking for more boaters to be parking down there, we are asking for more liveaboards.”

The council decided that the parking discussion will continue in the council’s Economic Development Committee, where the port will report back on any decision to conduct a parking study.

Ports are not usually required to seek the approval of their municipal counterparts when making such decisions, aside from applying for permits for waterfront construction. But the relationship between the city and the port is unique.

The city is holding the port to a 1983 agreement that states the port will not increase liveaboards beyond 12 unless it increases downtown parking. It also states that the port must provide one parking space for every two boat slips it adds. The port’s marina has expanded since the agreement, but the city never enforced the parking portion of the contract.

While the port has 12 slips with liveaboard status, only six people are actually using it. It proposes to add 12 more, and has a liveaboard waiting list with 17 people.

The port contends that parking is no longer an issue and that it has ample parking spaces on Jensen Way to accommodate additional liveaboards. DeSalvo also said the port already has an enforcement plan in place.

“When we get these 12 additional liveaboards, they will get a different colored parking tag,” DeSalvo said. “They cannot park (in Anderson Parkway), they have to park in the Jensen lot.”

DeSalvo said if a tenant is found violating the parking agreement, they would be in violation of their liveaboard agreement and could be evicted.

Mayor Becky Erickson also pointed out during the meeting that she feels the port should have to make up for the spaces it was supposed to add over its years of expansion.

The decision, however, rests with the council.

Councilman Ed Stern said he supports the port’s effort, but wants to see the Jensen Way parking lot used more.

Councilman David Musgrove also weighed in on the matter and said that many downtown merchants welcome the idea of having more liveaboards downtown.

The second concern of the environment also came up. Some council members would like assurance that liveaboards are not using Liberty Bay as a toilet.

“How are you going to be keeping people from flushing into the bay?” asked Councilwoman Linda Berry-Maraist. “Are there options to have hard sewer hookups for liveaboards?”

Councilwoman Connie Lord echoed Berry-Maraist’s sewage sentiment, and said that she hasn’t reached a conclusion about the water quality aspect of the issue.

Port Executive Director Brad Miller said that hard sewer hookups to boats is not practical. He noted that the port has two pumpout stations and two mobile pumpout carts, exceeding state requirements for marinas. The port commission also recently passed new marina regulations that require all boats to lock their holding tank valves, denying them the ability to pump overboard. The port will now conduct inspections to ensure that the valves are locked.

“It’s also criminal,” DeSalvo said. “We will prosecute someone who (pumps sewage overboard).

The two port representatives weren’t alone in their support for a liveaboard increase. Boater Mark Singer is not a liveaboard, but offered some input on life at the marina during the meeting.

“Most of you people have never had a boat, you don’t live on them. We don’t pump into the water,” Singer said. “Most boats cannot even pump out of the tanks.”

Singer noted that, aside from large events, parking is not difficult to come by downtown during most hours.

“I do not believe the liveaboards are an issue with the parking,” he said. “It’s not the port that is causing your parking problem. Your problem is that everybody likes Poulsbo. People like coming here.”