POULSBO — As many cities statewide scramble to meet the requirements of the NPDES Phase II permit, Little Norway is ahead of the curve, according to Public Works Director Jeff Bauman.

The NPDES — or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System — Phase II stormwater permit is simply taking stormwater management to the next level, Bauman told the city council’s finance/administration committee Wednesday night. The permit is a federal requirement, which the Washington State Department of Ecology is tasked with enforcing statewide.

“Poulsbo is well-positioned,” Bauman said. “By March 2008 we have to submit our first report.”

That report will be the result of city officials answering a lengthy questionnaire pertaining to water quality, he said.

During the past several years, the city has worked with both Kitsap County and the Kitsap County Health District on water quality issues, which has laid a solid foundation for stormwater quality monitoring and control, he said.

“We have a stormwater utility in place. A lot of places don’t,” Bauman said. “At first glance it’s nothing particularly new. It’s just taking it to the next level.”

Another plus for the city is its focus on low impact development standards for the city, which also help with water quality issues, he said.

The city’s stormwater plan is also being revised, but city officials are waiting to see exactly what the newest state guidelines are before completing the final draft of that plan, Bauman said.

Even though the fact that Bauman was addressing the council’s finance/administration committee months before the 2008 budget deliberations began might seem odd, committee chairwoman Connie Lord said she wanted to give the committee a “heads up” on what the potential financial implications of the new regulations could be.

“This is coming from the federal level down to the state and all I could say was ‘Uh, oh,’” Lord said. “I wanted to get it in front of the finance committee, so we can get ahead of it.”

In complying with the new regulations, Bauman said he doesn’t expect to ask the council for additional personnel.

“I don’t see any major changes, but I might be coming with some position upgrades,” Bauman said.

Even though the city is in good shape right now, that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop being pro-active in its approach to the issue, Councilman Jim Henry said.

“The cost to fix it isn’t going to get any cheaper,” Henry said. “Sometimes it’s having to bite the bullet and getting it done.”