POULSBO — On the same night that Jeff Bauman was hired as the city’s new public works director, the debate over the proposed municipal campus reached its boiling point.

Fortunately for Bauman, a controversial city hall project is nothing new as he recently handled a similar situation as the public works director in Wilsonville, Ore.

“It took us two years, but we finally got it done and they’ll be starting construction in October,” Bauman said.

In his first week on the job in Poulsbo, Bauman said he has enjoyed a warm reception from not only city staff, but the entire community.

“I hope one of the things I will be remembered for is communication,” he said.

With a myriad of growth-related issues facing the city including road and sewer upgrades as well as the long-term future of the city’s solid waste service, Bauman said effective communication is one of the keys to meeting the challenges presented by those issues.

“My job is to provide information to them and not just give ideas,” he said of his responsibilities to the mayor and city council members. “I’m flexible and I want to make things work.”

With more than half of the city’s Urban Growth Area already annexed, Bauman said he is familiar with the challenges associated with that growth and what it can mean for a city like Poulsbo.

“Growth absolutely needs to pay for growth, but we need to be looking forward as well as dealing with the short-term issues,” he said.

Any adjustments in impact fees or public utility rates have to be tied back to the level of service that the community wants, he said.

“What does it take to provide that level of service and my job is to provide the council with the information and options and let them make the policy decisions,” he said.

For Bauman, coming to Poulsbo brings his professional career back to where it all began, he said.

“I got my graduate degree from the University of Washington in marine biology, so in a way I’ve come full circle,” he said.

In addition to serving as the city’s public works director, Bauman said he plans on being active in the community and already has plans on purchasing a house in Poulsbo.

“It’s definitely something I plan to continue and I’m looking forward to being part of the community,” he said.