[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6157389,"mediaKeyId","5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253","parentId",5465458,"title","Council asks staff to start outreach on downtown façade grant idea, seeks property‑owner engagement","audioSeconds",741,"startMs",5073000,"endMs",5814000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253&start=5073&end=5814","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253/thumbnail_5073000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6157389/Port-Orchard/Kitsap-County/Washington/Council-asks-staff-to-start-outreach-on-downtown-façade-grant-idea-seeks-propertyowner-engagement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157389-434b67530154a251954da496f9cd0153/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175126&Signature=LN9R7SSjrZqo~nL1cVS74owGgqPkzkiT2I-DrNCnVRbGYANj6dN8fEuA2caGenAV2NK9VZsSvklDu5s0pfu5xtR5FW8A7n-n3atqVaUjHkpQJwN4kzxrggivRV-DhGIVdeAj6dZ8l5pEIjqN8t0VsaIpx6Y8OZsE5221xVZDHRQmPRxkKIVEPJc0DRBsSEDNLSSWZ~QZa88EYU14dGkkwi8JFlqH6OGePWl3aChzHIvjohZirhBg8sa~~PYVjMbjbXHUwbkUMFaj~FlhigBFlxecFl4tyDxqmx~RbUXTmKxWWa82GB7DF86qi6yT~SkPB9Ln9xLJnfVzK1r0vq6I6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Port Orchard, WA","date","2025-07-23T04:27:06Z","article","Port Orchard councilors on July 22 directed staff to begin developing a downtown façade and frontage improvement grant program and to start outreach with downtown property owners to test appetite for cost‑sharing, a policy that would aim to incentivize façade and frontage upgrades.

City attorney and staff told the council that a program is legally feasible if it is crafted with a public nexus and clear policy safeguards. \"From a legal perspective, we would need to have a policy associated with the program,\" the city attorney said, and a finance department representative said the policy must specify match requirements and clawbacks for grant funds.

The nut graf: Council support was strong for a program that requires property owners to provide a match (members suggested 25–50 percent) and for starting targeted outreach to major downtown property owners to determine participation, constraints and priorities before the council commits budget funds.

Councilmembers urged a reimbursement structure when public funds are involved so property owners have skin in the game. Several councilors recommended an initial focus on frontage and façade improvements and to coordinate outreach with local merchant organizations, property owners who hold large downtown parcels and partners such as the Port Orchard Main Street effort.

Council members also asked staff to draft a policy that would include eligibility criteria, match levels, clawback language and a process for awarding funds; staff said they would present a draft policy and possible budget allocations at a later meeting. One councilor suggested public meetings or a town hall to collect input from landlords and merchants before the council finalizes policy details.

Ending: Staff will prepare a draft policy and engage downtown property owners and merchants for feedback; councilors indicated they would consider mid‑year budget allocations if outreach shows viable projects and property‑owner commitment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","July 22, 2025, City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Following strategic‑planning direction, council members directed staff to design a façade/frontage grant program and to begin outreach to downtown property owners to gauge interest and match levels.","taxTitle","Port Orchard, Kitsap County, Washington","taxId",54315,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157396,"Council debates programming and restroom design for new downtown community event center",3155,5916000,9071000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253&start=5916&end=9071","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253/thumbnail_5916000.jpg","/articles/6157396/Port-Orchard/Kitsap-County/Washington/Council-debates-programming-and-restroom-design-for-new-downtown-community-event-center","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157396-ea07fadb9d2308401115238d854618db/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175126&Signature=Zh6K1IfhZ28lOxLbniAZeMP-~p3~plvo9QsKPJ6zg1SGV4vX8kZAeYb8RWFdwuytSw7ObqVU6SIi2fwiKe9U5d-qJT9TvbQpbs1xJ8fpRiDijSnbRZpnszM782NUyueMK4ZE-tmbN9ZzgSUka9xyHUc3~qzyGW07u9EzPWmmVEruTR9fn4RI~-Eyep2pM0SP6t3lExlfA5I85i6l4qbOlsNJnC2SJOKbStcALGiivoe3IhxrJ6dp79U~qtTAc7M7w2KaUyiDs7HGCMTS~2Exn7MTiCIsd267AFIEJwMM-UOmgzbt0utgQnke-FShfYKYuzvxtft-63MiG3TIZhMxUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Port Orchard councilors spent a prolonged portion of the July 22 meeting debating how to program an upper‑floor room and how restrooms should be configured in the proposed downtown community event center, with members split between redesigning for larger banquet capacity and preserving current design to meet grant and construction schedules.

The city's mayor and development staff reminded the council the building design was completed previously, that some project grants carry start‑of‑construction deadlines, and that redesigning the kitchen or moving stairwells would add cost and time. Director Nick Bond told councilors that moving the kitchen to the upper corner would be “extremely expensive” and would require relocation of stair and elevator elements and could affect the library design below.

The nut graf: Councilors weighed (1) the desire of some members to gain more banquet floor area and reconfigure the catering kitchen, against (2) staff warnings that such changes would be costly, delay the schedule and could jeopardize grant money for the waterfront plaza. The council ultimately favored keeping the current layout and asked staff to evaluate minor adjustments — including additional double or sliding doors onto the deck and signaling options to better connect indoor/outdoor spaces — while asking architects to study a non‑costly restroom stacking alternative.

A parallel and more contentious discussion concerned restroom design. The project team and the architect proposed stall‑style single‑occupancy rooms adjacent to a visible hand‑washing area; some council members and several public comments criticized this approach as inappropriate for a publicly funded community facility and raised concerns about privacy and safety when alcohol is served at events. Several councilors proposed a compromise: stack gendered restrooms (male/female) on the two floors and retain accessible family/ADA restrooms. Councilmember Deener and others said the stacked solution preserves flexibility while addressing discomfort with unisex banked stalls.

Staff presented the designers’ alternative — floor‑to‑ceiling single‑occupancy rooms with a shared sink area — and said the library team would prefer not to lose program space by shifting restrooms into library areas. Bond said the designer’s preferred layout avoids restructuring adjacent spaces and keeps the overall schedule. He also warned the council that delaying work could jeopardize state grants tied to the waterfront plaza. “If we don't start construction, we will not get an extension on that grant agreement,” he said, noting a half‑million‑dollar risk tied to the over‑water structure.

Ending: Councilors split but the majority urged staff to proceed with the existing design while seeking small changes that do not require major redesign or delay — specifically: (1) ask Rice Fergus Miller to study adding double or sliding doors from the banquet area to the deck, (2) study stacked gendered restrooms as a lower‑cost alternative to the architect’s unisex bank design, and (3) minimize schedule impacts to preserve grant funding and planned construction milestones.","Council members and staff discussed whether to reprogram an upper‑floor space and how to configure restrooms; the council leaned toward moving forward with the current design but asked staff to explore stacked, single‑gender restroom options and door configurations to avoid construction delays and preserve grant funding.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157399,"Council approves $2.72 million contract for Sydney Road non‑motorized improvements",191,4847000,5038000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253&start=4847&end=5038","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253/thumbnail_4847000.jpg","/articles/6157399/Port-Orchard/Kitsap-County/Washington/Council-approves-272-million-contract-for-Sydney-Road-nonmotorized-improvements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157399-cd36cd21a472c282871466549e0b403e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175126&Signature=NeLSZ0~ao-ORiGu0HZFLDDCebfKLCnOF5G7~DKE~ivtLp1nF-QM-ehE7yxAuT~i4SrV4SPcTCOzRRUAIbJMqDFw-Lw7uiKmX0maxTQKxUIbApkVDw8B5G7SQ2ojNKluExELflHtYkruzmRzHJMblJTWhz5lk2OjW9jjud3omTIGMTAsyj8AaCVVOxDzPChlZL6ouvukJfb1VDE2XcNMt4dUyJYZFpFBdGbPsntyDqOVZB6og0HEowbd~BMluA75NVXB7dWgwrmbWnbL4VpB-i8H6pYYvYDkQmJrgfJhbTYqzRrHBUKEbxLJDDI~IPki-YJUhr5cfE9hIygXNluceLA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Port Orchard City Council voted July 22 to authorize the mayor to execute a public‑works contract with Active Construction Inc. to build the Sydney Road non‑motorized improvements, a project the city says will improve pedestrian safety near local schools.

Chris Hammer, filling in for Public Works, told the council the project will construct sidewalks, drainage upgrades and pedestrian infrastructure along the Sydney Road corridor and is funded in part by a state grant. \"The project is funded through a $1,394,750 award from the Washington State Safe Routes to School Grant accepted by the council back in 10/12/2021,\" Hammer said.

The nut graf: Staff publicly opened eight bids; Active Construction submitted the lowest responsible, qualified bid and staff recommended awarding the contract. The city must also administer the state grant and execute related agreements.

According to the staff presentation, the city published bid documents June 30 and July 7 and received eight bids by the July 15 deadline. The lowest responsible, responsive bidder was Active Construction Incorporated with a total bid of $2,724,724 including applicable taxes. Councilmember Warden moved to adopt the authorizing resolution; the motion was seconded and the council approved it by voice vote.

Council members noted the contract continues pedestrian upgrades begun last year in front of a middle school and said the project will extend similar improvements toward the grade school and to Hub Dee Road. The mayor noted Active Construction previously built Tremont and said the firm has performed well for the city.

Ending: The council approved the contract; staff will coordinate the project with grant requirements and schedule construction and public outreach as required by state and city contracting rules.","Port Orchard authorized the mayor to sign a public works contract with Active Construction Inc. to build sidewalks, drainage upgrades and pedestrian infrastructure funded partly by a Washington State Safe Routes to School grant.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157405,"Port Orchard sees wave of housing permits and waterfront work, staff says",784,4029000,4813000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253&start=4029&end=4813","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253/thumbnail_4029000.jpg","/articles/6157405/Port-Orchard/Kitsap-County/Washington/Port-Orchard-sees-wave-of-housing-permits-and-waterfront-work-staff-says","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157405-ab7c174680e906b25d1e33c371c62307/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175126&Signature=jrI9PsZYD1PwrcPDoLowoLbhBN0QRqhba7FHgdRD~JRKZbAiOexCZmK3mk8Cfy5OkD~dz-QaFlwpFaHK-znywYMGLKetE-APBvhauoi8yS83LyDdJM02Ml-GEDNwAGD33tE37fis3zbN-sQ9vAsS8nKqnWLaAu6or9IScoL15cnLSz3ynnay9sFBgD9NlkpjHXkmNF77JAczJqI7d4fgwa6vFFqTEGguTpaoQrn2fXGdpE~NfqytZMnrtK2kjhRgXPuDlnK5y88pffIv1oZY4~Fzm4EbRbdikILbrN~DnqwSByngOZWsmjNqHqdjfy36Gcw1zeXKCyHkx95IARdinw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Port Orchard city staff told the council on July 22 that private development remains active across the city, with single‑family subdivisions, multifamily complexes and waterfront projects in various stages of permitting and construction.

Development director Nick Bond said the city’s pipeline focuses heavily on single‑family lots but includes several large multifamily projects and waterfront builds that are reshaping downtown and suburban neighborhoods.

The nut graf: Staff highlighted several leading projects — the Kitsap Bank site (shoreline permit secured), the 429 Bay Street mixed‑use building on the waterfront, the 192‑unit Forest Song apartments on Melcher, and multiple phases of McCormick Woods and McCormick West subdivisions — and warned council members that permitting, infrastructure and right‑of‑way work will continue for several years.

Bond said the Kitsap Bank tenant has applied for a building permit and received a shoreline substantial development permit; he said the bank is finalizing internal decisions and staff is “hopeful that their project moves forward sooner than that.” The 429 Bay Street mixed‑use building is under construction and includes a small ground‑floor commercial space facing the waterfront.

Large residential work includes Forest Song (192 apartments) nearing completion next fall, Stetson Heights and Stetson Ridge subdivisions (hundreds of lots across phases), McCormick East (159 lots preliminary plat), and McCormick West with many remaining lots to be platted. Bond said McCormick Village will contain roughly 400 middle‑housing units along with 20,000 square feet of retail in a mix of single‑family, ADU, four‑plex and eight‑plex buildings.

Other active projects listed were Kitsap Transit Park and Ride (property secured; construction likely 2026), Bridgeview and Riverstone multifamily projects, Salmonberry Apartments, and phase 2 of Blueberry Apartments (about 102 units proposed). Bond said some projects carry multifamily tax exemption (MFTE) preliminaries that were approved under an older program.

Ending: Bond cautioned that the city still confronts infrastructure needs — sewer lift stations and road connections — and that some projects depend on market or buyer interest; the council will see further permitting and development updates as applications return to staff.","City staff reported multiple ongoing housing and mixed‑use projects across Port Orchard, with McCormick developments, Forest Song apartments and waterfront projects among the largest active efforts.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6157409,"Port Orchard identifies permit bottlenecks, proposes software, policy and staffing changes",2202,440000,2642000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253&start=440&end=2642","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5465458-2c9bdd22f6f6f885b4f367fbccc9e253/thumbnail_440000.jpg","/articles/6157409/Port-Orchard/Kitsap-County/Washington/Port-Orchard-identifies-permit-bottlenecks-proposes-software-policy-and-staffing-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157409-4b1c8dc50f05461dc4926da82e286dad/orig.mp4?Expires=1775175126&Signature=Qa5ywD2rdIKbYdKs34JbqyuJTT3hO76aDY0F2JB67rZxy7772FpqcnRHgyJZlrkNQIcRRkk~VK7okIr3FVEXsLEc2becAfCgYyD8P8FwzsiLbWwHwxqXHaeLQLFeHi45tY2lyhDKyrDlBiU7-70Nhz6TeuNMSd5wgmCv7OrEm0hon1aYgkGJHqHLDGuc4eRZveY7MT5xHHc8qiqsJ~y3HslL1rkIKIg-WXi5QXFejtqUpHIG8DYlCa6x0YjTtFjN-Y~ch0bO3fz03RbqMK8vGsOIZGsAtqWkVmrNnz91Q3kqJyreoD1i6tUi-08oa58-~rnMNHOecbNRwW4MWhUzMg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Port Orchard’s director of community development told the City Council on July 22 that a three‑day lean process review found the city spends far more staff time than necessary moving single‑family building permit data between systems and handling payments and inspections.

The review, sponsored by Director Nick Bond and facilitated by the Washington State Auditor’s Office, mapped seven permit phases and identified delays in transferring applications from Camino to the city’s SmartGov system, duplicate data entry, payment reconciliation and inspection scheduling as primary sources of “waste.” Bond said, “So the total time from submission to permit issuance is about 52 days while the ball is in the city's court.”

The nut graf: City staff proposed near‑term, low‑cost fixes, and longer‑term software and staffing investments meant to speed permit issuance, reduce rework and bring the city in line with statutory permit‑timing reporting.

Bond told the council that Camino has improved the quality of submittals but that staff must manually pull data into SmartGov. He said the process usually takes one day of actual work but, at current staffing levels, typically stretches to about seven days when multiple permits arrive at once. Plan review for custom homes averages three two‑week review cycles (about six weeks) while basic plan sets can issue in about two weeks. Bond also said the department averages 13 building inspections per single‑family home, including about four re‑inspections.

Staff recommendations in the presentation included (1) enabling SmartGov to accept payments end‑to‑end and reconciling with finance, (2) requiring frequent builders to use the online inspection portal, (3) training and software refreshes (including SmartGov and Bluebeam training), (4) exploring an API or IT solution to move Camino data into SmartGov, and (5) hiring or reallocating staff – for example a combination commercial/residential inspector and a dedicated permit system administrator.

Councilors asked about policy tools to discourage speculative inspection scheduling and whether penalties should be administrative or fee‑based. Bond said the city could administratively refuse to reschedule inspections for builders who repeatedly request inspections before the work is ready and said he would coordinate a policy that could exempt small “mom and pop” users. \"We think that we need to require that our builders use the portal,\" Bond said when describing the proposed policy change.

Council members and staff flagged training and user‑experience as immediate priorities. Bond told the council the city had not had a facilitated SmartGov training since adopting the system in 2015 and recommended budgeting recurring vendor training. He also said Laserfiche will be used by year‑end to automate some utility work order steps.

Ending: Council members expressed support for pursuing a combination of policy updates, vendor training and an IT integration study; several suggested pursuing an API to reduce two full‑time equivalent (FTE) data‑entry workloads while the council considers larger software or consultant investments.","City development staff reported a three-day lean review showing permit intake, data re-entry and payment handling as main bottlenecks and proposed a mix of software integration, training and limited policy changes to reduce delays.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council asks staff to start outreach on downtown façade grant idea, seeks property‑owner engagement

Council debates programming and restroom design for new downtown community event center

Council approves $2.72 million contract for Sydney Road non‑motorized improvements

Port Orchard sees wave of housing permits and waterfront work, staff says

Port Orchard identifies permit bottlenecks, proposes software, policy and staffing changes