POULSBO — Poulsbo port commissioners were scheduled to discuss on Sept. 4 a proposal by the Poulsbo Historical Society to install a maritime museum in the Marine Science Center.
In exchange for giving up a classroom for the museum, the Marine Science Center wants the port to waive the fees it pays to moor its floating lab.
The Marine Science Center building is owned by the city. The Marine Science Center occupies the building at no cost, in exchange for providing free admission and free educational programs. It pays for utilities, but the city pays for maintenance.
The center subleases the second floor to Sealaska Environmental Services, and uses income from rent to help support its programs.
It pays the Port of Poulsbo $404.80 a month to moor its floating lab, Port Auditor Carol Tripp said.
Problem is, according to port Executive Director Brad Miller, the port can’t let the Marine Science Center moor the floating lab for free; that would be considered a gift of public funds, which is not allowed under the law.
The city and the port are working on an interlocal agreement that will show “there is some tangible benefit to the port and its residents” in waiving the moorage fees, Miller said.
“We want to help make this thing happen.”
Mayor Becky Erickson said the city and the port have several handshake agreements — the city doesn’t charge the port for use of eight parking spaces, the port doesn’t charge the city moorage for its police boat.
In formalizing those tradeoffs in an interlocal agreement, Erickson said the city and port want to work in the Marine Science Center.
The maritime museum would occupy the front classroom space and the brick porchway, and would have its own entrance.
Erickson said the maritime museum would attract more visitors to the center, and volunteers for both organizations could possibly help each other.
The Poulsbo Historical Society operates a historical museum located in City Hall, and the Martinson Cabin Museum at Nelson Park.
The Marine Science Center has an aquarium, touch tank, classrooms, theater, and a floating lab with underwater camera.
The science center provides marine science education for children from four area school districts; board president Bruce Harlow estimates 1,000 to 1,500 elementary and middle school students visit the science center each year.
“It introduces them to the wonders of the saltwater environment,” Harlow said in an earlier interview. Inspiration to become good stewards of the marine environment “is a side benefit of what the children get.”
