FAQ

With over 500 miles of high-speed fiber (via Kitsap Public Utility District) Kitsap County has a robust public fiber-optic backbone.

• Centurylink covers the majority of the county with telephone, internet, TV services and wireless
• Comcast provides cable, broadband and VOIP in many areas of Kitsap County
• KPUD provides wholesale, open access broadband fiber via NoaNet throughout Kitsap County

• Wave offers cable, broadband and VOIP in some areas of Kitsap County

Kitsap County Buildable Lands Program commonly referred to as the Buildable Lands Program, is an integral part of Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA). The program is required by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 36.70A.215 and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 365-196-315 and the main deliverable is the Buildable Lands Report.

The Buildable Lands Report looks at the City of Bainbridge Island, City of Bremerton, City of Poulsbo, City of Port Orchard, and unincorporated areas of Kitsap County to review if they are growing as planned. 

In addition to the reviewing growth trends, the report also evaluates urban areas to determine if there is sufficient land remaining to accommodate growth targets in local policies and plans.

The report offers government agencies across Kitsap County an opportunity to collect and evaluate data using a common framework. The Buildable Lands Report serves as an important first milestone as Kitsap County and local cities work to update their Comprehensive Plan by June 2024.

Kitsap County Nov 2021 Buildable Lands Report

Visit Buildable Lands Program (kitsapgov.com) to view additional information, including Urban Growth Area, zoning, anticipated growth and other information for:

Bremerton

Central Kitsap

Kingston

Port Orchard

Poulsbo

Silverdale

Puget Sound Energy (PSE), 888.225.5773

PSE delivers electricity, natural gas, and innovative energy solutions to more than 1.2 million customers in Washington State.

View current rate https://www.pse.com/en/pages/rates

Cascade Natural Gas Corporation, 888.522.1130

Cascade Natural Gas provides natural gas services to many parts of Kitsap County, both residential and commercial

Business Services

Rates & Tariffs

• Clean Water Kitsap – Partners in Stormwater Solutions
  • Kitsap County Public Works Stormwater Division: www.kitsapgov.com/sswm or 360-337-5777
  • Kitsap County Public Works operates and maintains treatment plants in Central Kitsap, Suquamish, Kingston and Manchester. For the most current Sewer Utility Rates and Fees, visit their website.
  • Kitsap Public Health District: www.kitsappublichealth.org or 360-728-2235
  • Kitsap Conservation District: www.kitsapcd.org or 360-204-5529​
  • Kitsap Public Utility District: www.kpud.org or 360-779-7656​
  • Washington State University Kitsap County Extension: http://ext100.wsu.edu/kitsap/nrs/ or 360-228-7300
• City of Bainbridge Island – Stormwater Management Program, 206-842-2016
• City of Bremerton Public Works – Stormwater Customer Service at 360-473-5920
• City of Port Orchard – Stormwater Contact the Public Works Department with inquiries at 360-876-4991
• City of Poulsbo Public Works Department – Stormwater at 360-779-4078 

• KPUD provides water to many areas of unincorporated Kitsap County
• Silverdale Water District covers a large part of the Silverdale/Central Kitsap area
• Manchester Water District serves the communities of Manchester, South Colby, Harper and Southworth
• West Sound Utility District provides water and sanitary service to residential and commercial properties south and east of the City of Port Orchard
• City of Bainbridge Island serves Winslow and Rockaway Beach for water service.  Details on other water systems are found here.
• City of Bremerton Public Works maintains city water as well as sewer and storm systems
• City of Port Orchard Public Works
• City of Poulsbo Public Works provides water service within city limits.
• Kitsap Public Health District can assist in determining the correct water purveyor for your location – 360.337.5285

“Home Business” permits allow certain business uses in residential zones if they are ancillary and secondary to the primary residential use. Kitsap County Code (KCC) Title 17 ‘Zoning’,  17.110.345, 17.381.040, 17.381.060.B.1 

• Project Application
• Home Business Land Use Application

The State of Washington adopted the 2015 edition of the Uniform Building Codes as amended by the Washington State Building Codes Council for all occupancies and jurisdictions according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Businesses need to be registered with Puget Sound Clean Air Agency if they have operations that generate air emissions such as dust, smoke, solvent fumes, or odors.

The Environmental Permitting Services arm of the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA)  is organized to help citizens, businesses, and project applicants understand and navigate Washington’s environmental permitting processes. Environmental permitting assistance is one of services provided by the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Innovation and Assistance.

Kitsap County is connected to major shipping routes via land, sea, and air. Accessible local highways give businesses fast access to Tacoma, Seattle, and interstate trucking routes. Commercial vehicles, with some restrictions, are also welcome aboard Washington State ferries.

Shipping lanes throughout Puget Sound were designed to accommodate the largest Naval ships and are also used frequently for commercial shipping and transportation. A number of marinas and boat yards in the county can accommodate large, commercial ships and boats.

Bremerton National Airport is minutes away from almost every location in the county and SeaTac International Airport can be reached in an hour or less by road or ferry.

Kitsap residents skip the long, frustrating commutes common in the Seattle region and travel via the uncongested and well-connected highway system that traverses the county. Kitsap residents working in the Seattle area commute aboard  Washington State Ferries which offers services to Seattle and points North and South from Kingston, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Port Orchard. Bus and vanpool services are available from Kitsap and Seattle Transit.

Kitsap Transit provides passenger-only Fast Ferry service to downtown Seattle from Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth.

Kitsap Access, part of Kitsap Transit, offers shuttle services to the elderly and people with special needs. Paratransit Services, a private, non-profit organization, offers transit services to individuals receiving Medicaid services.
 

Washington State Ferries travel from four Kitsap terminals, making access to suppliers, workforce, visitors, customers a less stressful trip than those on crowded freeways.

• Seattle-Bainbridge
• Seattle-Bremerton
• Edmonds-Kingston
• Southworth-West Seattle

Kitsap Transit’s Fast Ferry routes provide rapid service from Seattle to Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth, and the foot ferry between Port Orchard and Bremerton makes commutes a breeze for South Kitsap residents.

• State Highway 16 south to Tacoma over the Narrows Bridge, spanning the Tacoma Narrows.
• State Highway 3 southwest to Shelton and on to Olympia, the state capital.
• State Highway 3 northwest across the Hood Canal Bridge to the scenic Olympic Peninsula and its centuries-old rain forests in Olympic National Park.

• Bremerton National Airport's FAA certified all-weather, fully lighted 6,000 foot runway accommodates general aviation and jet aircraft.
• Port of Poulsbo’s marina seaplane base can handle general aviation craft up to 12,000’
• Apex Airpark is a private airfield with a 2500’ runway
• SeaTac International Airport can be reached in an hour or less by road or ferry

• Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad, owned by Rail America and headquartered in Elma, Washington, provides rail service to a number of locations in the southern and central portions of Kitsap County, including Olympic View Industrial Park, adjacent to Bremerton National Airport. The railway’s routes are:
  • Bremerton Jct – Bremerton, WA (4.6 miles)
  • Centralia – Elma – Aberdeen – Hoquiam, WA (73.5 miles)
  • Elma – Shelton – Bremerton Jct – Bangor, WA (68 miles)
  • Centralia (Lakeside Siding) – Chehalis, WA
  • Chehalis – Curtis, WA
  • Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad routes intersect in Centralia with BNSF Railway Company and Union Pacific Railroad; and in Shelton with Simpson Timber Company’s railway line.
     

• Kitsap County has expedited access to three deep-water ports in Grays Harbor, Seattle and Tacoma
• Multiple marinas throughout the county create welcoming havens for boaters and tour boats

• Federal Express and United Parcel Service have distribution centers in Bremerton, servicing the entire county
• Commuter air cargo is also available from Bremerton National Airport to Seattle Tacoma International airport.
• In 2020 Amazon built a new 117,000 square-foot facility facilitating last-mile delivery, situated adjacent to Bremerton National Airport
• Several private trucking lines serve the county, carrying supplies in and product out.

Very Important PPP Loan Update For Sole Proprietors

One-person operations, like sole proprietorships and independent contractors, have had a particularly hard time applying for PPP funds. To help these businesses, the SBA will overhaul the way PPP qualifying loan amounts are calculated. Sole Proprietor loans were based on the profit they reported on their annual taxes. That disqualified unprofitable businesses and also severely limited the size of the loans available to business owners who try to report as little taxable income as possible. 

Loans for sole proprietors will now be based on *gross income,* a figure that excludes many expenses. That will allow unprofitable and low profit businesses to qualify and to receive much larger loans. 

What happens to those who already received loans but would now be eligible for bigger ones? Unfortunately, those customers are out of luck. The S.B.A. will not retroactively change loans that have been disbursed, and it will not let those who already got loans return them and reapply. 

Contact your lender or one of these participating online lenders to get more information: 

• Prosper http://ow.ly/Hmhx50DI3cn 
• Lending Club http://ow.ly/mo4p50DI3cm 
• OnDeck http://ow.ly/Bt5b50DI3cl 
• Kabbage http://ow.ly/CO1x50DI3cq 
• Square http://ow.ly/u33V50DI3cr 
• Amazon http://ow.ly/tD9W50DI3cp 
• Lendio http://ow.ly/jGGr50DI3cs 
• BoeFly http://ow.ly/7Ixh50DI3co

Read More:
https://www.sba.gov/article/2021/feb/22/sba-prioritizes-smallest-small-businesses-paycheck-protection-program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The SBA’s Express Bridge Loan allows small businesses that have an existing business relationship with a participating lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.

SBA also offers additional Coronavirus relief.

Now What? Steps You Can Take to Prepare to Apply

The SBA is reaching out via email to EIDL applicants who already received a partial EIDL Advance (between $1,000 – $9,000) with instructions to determine their eligibility for a Targeted EIDL Advance.

One of the qualifications is the business must be located in a low-income community as defined in section 45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code. To help potential Targeted EIDL Advance applicants determine if they are located in a low-income community, a new mapping tool is now available.

Use mapping tool

Program details

Subscribe to Get SBA Updates As They Happen
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe to get SBA email updates sent directly to your inbox to get news and information as it is released from the agency.

Subscribe for SBA updates

5 Steps the SBA Will Implement to Further Promote Equitable Relief for Main Street Small Businesses Yesterday the Biden-Harris Administration and the SBA announced steps the agency is taking with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to further promote equitable relief for America’s mom-and-pop businesses. With the exception of the first item, the following will start next week:

1. Starting Feb. 24, the SBA will establish a 14-day, exclusive PPP loan application period for businesses and nonprofits with fewer than 20 employees.
2. The SBA will allow sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals to receive more financial support by revising the PPP’s funding formula for these categories of applicants.
3. The agency will eliminate an exclusionary restriction on PPP access for small business owners with prior non-fraud felony convictions, consistent with a bipartisan congressional proposal. 
4. Also, the SBA will eliminate PPP access restrictions on small business owners who have struggled to make federal student loan payments by eliminating federal student loan debt delinquency and default as disqualifiers to participating in the PPP. 
5. Ensure access for non-citizen small business owners who are lawful U.S. residents by clarifying that they may use Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to apply for the PPP.

Read more

Now What? Steps You Can Take to Access PPP Funding

Keep in communication with your PPP lender – regardless the size of your small business, continue to work with your lender to keep the application process moving.

Find a PPP lender if you don’t already have one – use the PPP Lender Map or Lender Match tools to find a lender accepting PPP lenders.

Work with an SBA Resource Partner – connect with local mentors and advisers to help you prepare your application and devise the best financial and strategic plan to move your business forward.

Attend an informational webinar – local SBA staff and SBA Resource Partners are providing webinars that share program information, updates and resources to help you prepare for the PPP application process. View upcoming webinars in the Seattle District, Portland District, Boise District or Alaska District.

More information and updated PPP Lender forms, guidance, and resources are available at www.sba.gov/ppp and www.treasury.gov/cares.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll. Borrowers may be eligible for PPP loan forgiveness.

SBA is currently offering PPPloans until May 31, 2021. President Biden announced program changes to make access to PPP loans more equitable.

Learn more, find a lender, get technical assistance and learn about other options at https://www.smallbizhelpwa.com/ppp

This website has been developed in partnership with the Washington State Small Business Recovery Working Group to provide current and accurate information on the available relief programs for Washington’s small businesses and eligible non-profits, as well as those organizations that assist them. You’ll also find here answers to frequently asked questions, how to find individual technical assistance, how to find a lender, training opportunities and where to find more detailed program information.

The SBA is providing a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This covers all principal, interest and fees on current and new SBA 7(a) loans made through Sep. 27, 2020, for up to six months.

This loan advance will provide up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties that does not have to be repaid. In the latest package, Congress appropriated an additional $10 billion for this program. This complements the traditional SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program which has been in place for the entire nation, all territories and Washington, D.C. since mid-March. Approval notification is estimated at approximately three days.

Free Internet is available at hotspots statewide to serve residents who don’t have broadband in their homes and broadband wifi to search for jobs, telework, file unemployment, do homework, complete the census or access telehealth appointments. Be sure to use good social distancing and hygiene practices at these mobile sites.

As we enter the third wave of COVID, this planner walks you through what you need to do in order to make the necessary adjustments to your business operations to reduce or suspend operations.

The effects of COVID-19 have negatively affected Washington’s small businesses across the state. Those in marginalized communities have been hit especially hard. We are investing in and partnering with organizations that provide linguistically and culturally appropriate assistance to these business owners.

If you are a business, non-profit or worker with general inquiries, please use this form for issues related to financial help, the Safe Start policy plan for returning to work, safety guidelines for your sector or business, and other assistance related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state has put together a meta site of resources, links and official updates for use by businesses and workers related to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Recent News Releases Related to Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits and Venues Act (www.sba.gov/newsroom)

• Jan. 11 – SBA Re-Opens PPP to Community Financial Institutions First
• Jan. 10 – SBA Extends Crucial Lifeline to Borrowers Impacted by COVID-19 with Debt Relief
• Jan. 8 – SBA and Treasury Announce PPP Re-Opening; Issue New Guidance

PPP Revised Website: www.sba.gov/ppp or www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection

PPP New Fact Sheets

• Paycheck Protection Program First Draw Loans: Overview (sba.gov)
• Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Loans: Overview (sba.gov)

PPP Lender Guidance, Interim Final Rules, etc.

Where borrowers can find lenders: www.sba.gov/lendermatch

Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Webinar: Thursday, Jan. 14 at 12 p.m. PST

Where to get future updates:

• Visit website: www.sba.gov (more specifically, www.sba.gov/paycheckprotection or www.sba.gov/coronavirus )
• Subscribe to email updates: www.sba.gov/updates
• Follow on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn               
• Contact SBA district office: (the SBA staff in this thread)

The Kitsap Small Business Development Center will help you navigate available SBA loans and provide you with no-cost business consulting.

To get started, complete our client engagement form and we will connect you with the resource that best fits your needs! Make your next appointment here.

The Small Business Administration (SBA), in partnership with the US Treasury, opened the preliminary Payroll Protection Program (PPP) application portal on Monday, January 11. This preliminary portal is focused on select minority and disadvantaged business institutions that serve clients seeking a “first-draw” PPP loan. We are awaiting further instructions for individual first-draw and second-draw PPP loan applicants. To get a head start preparing, please consider participating in one or more training webinars offered by the Washington State Business Development Center (WSBDC):

• 1/15/21 SBA Round 2 COVID-19 Relief + PPP Application: https://wsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/99271349
• Additional PPP webinars are planned every Friday at 10:00am into March. Information on these and other webinars can be found at: https://wsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events

For more background information on the next round of PPP lending, check out the Washington State Department of Commerce: http://startup.choosewashingtonstate.com/links/crisis/covid-19-resources/ppp-summary-round2/

SBA is providing materials in languages other than English to help business owners recover

PPP Review with Kitsap SBDC Business Advisor, Jaime Forsyth

If you have questions about the Paycheck Protection Program this is the webinar for you! Kitsap WWU SBDC Business Advisor, Jaime Forsyth provided an overview of the current status of PPP loans, including the limited time opportunity for priority 1st Draw applications.

View slide deck here: SBDC March 4 Review of PPP

Click here for KEDA Slide deck

Need help understanding SBA Loans, EIDL, Shuttered Venue Grants, and other options? Contact:

Jaime Forsyth, MBA 
Certified Business Advisor
WWU Small Business Development Center
kitsapsbdc@wwu.edu | (360) 447-8788
Sign-up forKitsap SBDC newsletter

For the next Kitsap Digital Hour will focus on The Future of Broadband in Kitsap County with a presentation from Kitsap KPUD.

Nonprofit Community Relief grant application portal opens May 10 for eligible Washington state organizations

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Department of Commerce is partnering with ArtsFund to provide over $10 million in grants to help community organizations across the state that have been impacted by the pandemic. The Nonprofit Community Relief grant program focuses on arts, culture, science and heritage nonprofits, as well as organizations whose primary mission is to serve veterans, neighborhood organizations and sports and recreation programs for adults and/or children.

Funding

Grants range from $2,500 to $25,000. Awards must be used to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, due to financial hardship incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds will be awarded as unrestricted grants but cannot be used to cover expenses previously covered by other COVID-19 related public or private funding sources including Paycheck Protection Program funds.

Click here for eligibility requirements, FAQs, and application info.

The SBA continues to provide additional information and updates about the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. The SBA is in the process of setting up the grant program and is not yet accepting applications.

Details about SVOG 

Now What? Steps You Can Take to Prepare to Apply

Read the updated FAQs to get the latest information clarifying eligibility, allowable use of funds, and other important information.

Watch a video about SAM.gov registration. In order to apply for the SVOG, entities will need to first register in the System for Award Management (SAM) for federal assistance awards.

Sign up for email alerts specific to the SVOG to get the latest news and information about the program. 

DUNS# and SAM.gov registration are required to apply for the SVOG

Click here for FAQs, process, application portal and more info

Need help? Contact Jaime Forsyth -MBA Certified Business Advisor

WEBINAR: Preparing for the SVOG:   https://wsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/99271513

UPDATE: You can receive both a PPP loan and an SVOG! Click here for more information application portal will open on April 8. 

For this federal grant, both a DUNS# and SAM.gov registration are required. 

Click here for FAQs, process, application portal and more info

 Video Tutorials

SAM.gov Entity Registration Training – registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) is required to apply for federal assistance awards like the SVOG.

• Spring 2021 Child Care COVID-19 Supports
• Apoyos para el cuidado infantil durante la COVID-19 – Primavera 2021
• Taageerada Daryeelka Carruurta COVID-19 ee Gu’ga 2021

Spring 2021 Child Care COVID-19 Grant is scheduled to open in late April and will be available for four weeks. All licensed child care providers who are serving children are eligible to apply.

The School-Age Incentive will offer a one-time payment to licensed school-age providers serving school-age children accessing subsidy in the months of February, March, and April 2021.

The Spring Family, Friends, and Neighbor (FFN) Incentive will offer a one-time payment to FFN providers who have provided care to children receiving subsidy during the COVID-19 pandemic and claim a subsidy payment for both January and February 2021.

More information on all of these supports will be available on DCYF’s website later this month. In the meantime, watch the DCYF Early Learning and Child Care COVID-19 page for updates.

Additionally, please hold Tuesday, April 20, on your calendars for an important Child Care Provider COVID-19 Update webinar. DCYF will provide an overview of the Spring 2021 Child Care COVID-19 Supports along with details on how to access the supports.
Clicker here to learn more

• Entertainment Reopening Guide
• Hotel COVID-19 Operations Guide
• Reopening 2021
• Restaurant Reopening Guide
• Toolkits

Portal Now Open!

The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.

Click here for Program Details & Documents

Hotline phone number 844-279-8898

• Restaurant Revitalization Fund program guide
• Restaurant Revitalization Fund sample application (SBA Form 3172)

The application portal will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. Qualifying applicants should familiarize themselves with the application process in advance to ensure a smooth and efficient application. Follow the steps below. Register for an account. If you are working with Square or Toast, you do not need to register.

RRF GRANT REVIEW WEBINAR If you were unable to attend one of the webinars held earlier this week which covered RRF program details and a demonstration of the application portal, you can watch the recording here.

Review the sample application, updated program guide and cross-program eligibility chart on SBA COVID-19 relief options. 

For more information visit sba.gov/restaurants. 

Additional Resources:

Kitsap WWU Small Business Development Center
Jaime Forsyth, MBA  Certified Business Advisor kitsapsbdc@wwu.edu | (360) 447-8788 Sign-up for our newsletter

Evaluate prospects’ five-year needs (identifying what POB can do to be ready for long-term opportunities)

1. CTE. Increase certificated graduates from CTE programs in high schools, emphasizing trades and other careers in Kitsap that do not require 4-year college degrees.