Municipal campus info now on city Web site

POULSBO — On Nov. 7, voters will have their say on Little Norway’s city hall issue. In the meantime, information about both sides of the debate is available on the city’s Web site. Proponents of the 10th Avenue site and downtown alternative have posted their position papers along with other information about the issue at www.cityofpoulsbo.com. “I think it will get more information out to more people,” said Councilwoman Connie Lord. “A lot of people utilize the Internet.”

POULSBO — On Nov. 7, voters will have their say on Little Norway’s city hall issue. In the meantime, information about both sides of the debate is available on the city’s Web site.

Proponents of the 10th Avenue site and downtown alternative have posted their position papers along with other information about the issue at www.cityofpoulsbo.com.

“I think it will get more information out to more people,” said Councilwoman Connie Lord. “A lot of people utilize the Internet.”

The use of the Web site should help voters to be well-informed about the subject before making their decision on where city hall should go, Lord said.

Having that level of information should give the city council confidence in the advisory vote, because voters will have had a great deal of exposure to the pros and cons of both sites, she said.

Consultants from Northwest Collaborations, who are spearheading the city’s visioning effort, have designed a link to the city’s Web site to allow voters to access as much information about the municipal campus project as possible.

“I think there are going to be a lot of questions,” said Wendy Johnson of Northwest Collaborations. “It isn’t cut and dry.”

To answer those questions, the Web site includes a “frequently asked questions section,” which will be updated regularly, as well as the consultant’s reports about the costs, impacts and viability of both proposed city hall locations, Johnson said.

“It’s going to give people the opportunity to deal with the advisory ballot issue,” Johnson said.

Voters should take the time to read the information on the city’s Web site before making their decision about city hall, Councilman Mike Regis said.

“They have to be practical,” Regis said. “They have to look at it with some sort of practical view, and ask what would they do.”

In addition to the Web site, community conversation kits are being distributed to interested residents so they can engage small groups of people in discussions about the city hall issue, Johnson said.

All of the information on the city’s Web site plus some additional discussion questions are included in the kits to help inform voters before the Nov. 7 election, he said.

Both sides of the city hall location issue will also be heard at the Oct. 16 town hall meeting, which is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at Christ Memorial Church in Poulsbo.

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