POULSBO — Councilman Ed Stern held his cards close to his vest leading up to Wednesday’s city council meeting, but when he showed his hand, all bets on the location of a new municipal campus were off … at least until next week.

“I need to address the motion from the special council meeting,” Stern said as he took aim at the council’s April 26 decision to approve a $30,000 cost analysis of the 10th Avenue city hall site, the Creekside Center on 7th Avenue and a downtown alternative.

The motion made by Councilman Dale Rudolph last week stated that the analysis was to be completed by June 1 to avoid losing the 2006 construction season for the 10th Avenue site.

“I don’t feel that’s very feasible, and what we’re doing affects the next 50 years,” Stern said asking that 7th Avenue site be removed as an option.

“City hall should be a source of community pride and government efficiency,” he said. “Let’s go back in a fair and impartial manner and ask the voters.”

Stern then made a six-point motion that would stop all work on the 10th Avenue site, which was selected by a 5-2 vote on Nov. 16, 2005; continue with the purchase of the property; allow for a comparison of both 10th Avenue and downtown; and let the voters decide between 10th Avenue or downtown for city hall on the November ballot.

City Attorney Jim Haney informed council members that before they could vote on Stern’s motion, first a motion to reconsider their April 26 decision had to be made.

Taking Haney’s lead, Councilwoman Connie Lord moved to reconsider that vote, which allowed for a $30,000 municipal campus location comparison and economic impact study. Councilwoman Kimberlee Crowder provided the second before Councilman Mike Regis took Stern to task in Rudolph’s absence.

“We need the breadth of the full council, and I don’t see any fairness and the person who made the motion is not here to defend it,” Regis said.

No council member would want to be left out of a decision of this magnitude, so the decision should be delayed until the full council is present, Regis said.

“Just because you spent a number of years on the finance committee doesn’t mean you can unilaterally lay something in front of me,” Regis said.

Mayor Kathryn Quade stepped in and stated that Stern’s motion was a surprise and not an orchestrated attempt to affect the municipal campus decision.

“It should be an agenda item, and let’s play fair throughout the whole game,” Regis replied.

Stern said he would have agreed with Regis but last week’s vote created its need for urgency because of the 30-day timeframe.

“I was one of two votes against that motion and it was not my idea,” Stern said.

Regis countered that Rudolph needed to be able to defend his original motion before the council made another decision.

“We are adults and there’s no need for us to be shoving the horse down the prairie,” Regis said.

“We shoved the horse down the prairie last year when we rushed to this decision,” Quade replied. “The motion made by Mr. Stern gives us that time.”

After a heated exchange between the three cooled off, the vote to reconsider the April 26 decision passed by a 4-2 vote, paving the way for a vote on Stern’s motion.

Councilman Jeff McGinty then laid his cards on the table, pointing out that there were several costs that needed to be considered before taking the issue to the voters.

“We don’t know what this thing is going to cost, and the purpose of last week’s motion was to control cost,” McGinty said.

The reason the public wasn’t involved in the decision until late in the game was to keep expenses as low as possible and was in line with the council’s policy of discussing real estate decisions in executive session, McGinty said.

Crowder took exception to McGinty’s concerns about costs.

“Would the costs be greater now than they would have been if we had done it right the first time?” Crowder asked. “We’re just spending money that should have been spent.”

Regis then moved that the council postpone the decision until May 10.

McGinty provided the second and said, “I understand Ed’s concern, but given the way our votes are going, one member could have a significant effect.”

With the council deadlocked, Quade cast the deciding vote forcing a decision on Stern’s original motion.

Unlike the previous votes, Stern’s motion passed unanimously with Regis and McGinty in favor noting that it “can be brought up for reconsideration if Mr. Rudolph chooses to.”