Approximately $3.3 million. That’s what the city of Poulsbo has spent to date (not counting staff time, of course) during its lengthy pursuit of finding the perfect location for city hall.

In the meantime, the departments and employees have been forced to scrimp and save. Oddly enough, these folks who are trying to hold fast a budgetary line that has a severe case of the shakes are the reason for this apparent spending spree.

No question, the existing city hall is a dinosaur.

It has been for what seems like tens of millions of years (give or take), and as a result, plans were made to replace it altogether.

A site was chosen. Money was spent. The plans went the way of the tyrannosaurs. Time passed. Another site was found. Money was spent. The voters spoke up, and the plans went the way of the velociraptor.

Now, money is being spent again. This time, the new city hall will just have to adapt at its existing location on Jensen Way. Period.

This is it. The process of studying the site is now underway and with it, all eyes are once again on everything from the parking to the architectural style. But what of the money? What of the mixed message the city seems to be sending its employees?

Arguments can be made that the city was just being careful or is now following the will of the people but, in retrospect, shouldn’t it have just planned ahead and done so from the start?

Meanwhile, the city is at least doing some good. It is creating a much-needed park at the Morris Property on 7th Avenue. Plans for 10th Avenue are still up in the air, like so much volcanic ash, but it seems that many are getting behind the downtown location. This, too, is a good thing.

The Herald didn’t endorse the downtown alternative but feels it is high time this project moves past the cave-painting stage, starts a fire, chisels a wheel or two and gets rolling

Let’s not send another mixed message to city employees and try to work together and get this done for their benefit and the public’s. It is time for city hall to finally evolve.