City Council

Oak Harbor City Council Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 This was both a physical meeting location and a virtual meeting. Meeting was viewable via YouTube at www.youtube.com/cityofoakharbor, on Facebook, and on Cable Channel 10/HD 1090 following the meeting. CALL TO ORDER Call To Order and Native Lands Acknowledgement - Mayor Wright called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. He included the acknowledgement that the meeting was being held on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people and paid respect to those past and present. Invocation – Led by Pastor David Jenkins, Living Faith Church. . Pledge of Allegiance – Led by Councilmember Marshall. ROLL CALL City Council Present: Staff Present/Videoconference Mayor Ronnie Wright City Administrator Sabrina Combs Mayor Pro Tem Tara Hizon Public Works Director Steve Schuller Councilmember Jim Woessner Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith Councilmember Bryan Stucky Police Chief Tony Slowik Councilmember Eric Marshall Police Captain Kevin Barton Councilmember Christopher Wiegenstein Fire Chief Travis Anderson - absent Fire Marshal Paul Schroer Councilmember Barbara Armes City Engineer Alex Warner Councilmember James P. Marrow Central Services Manager Sandra Place Senior Planner Dennis LeFevre Associate Planner Nolan Grunska Engineering Technician Jon Pollock Capital Project Manager Phillip Esqueda Grants Administrator Wendy Horn Communications Officer Magi Aguilar Executive Services Coordinator Macalle Finkle City Clerk Julie Nester Also in attendance: City Attorney Robert Zeinemann of Kenyon Disend, PLLC Others in attendance included members of the Oak Harbor Police Department EXCUSE ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS Mayor Wright greeted all in attendance He noted Councilmember Wiegenstein had asked to be excused and called for a motion to excuse him. Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 1 of 15 Motion: Councilmember Marrow moved to excuse Councilmember Wiegenstein, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Hizon. The vote on the motion passed unanimously. 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Wright noted City staff had requested to remove Consent Agenda item f. Resolution 25-20: Adopting a Revised Employee Policy Manual and would return with it at a later date. Mayor Wright requested any other changes to the regular agenda. Hearing none, he requested a motion for approval of the regular agenda as amended. Motion: Mayor Pro Tem Hizon moved to approve the regular agenda as amended. Councilmember Marshall seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 2. PRESENTATIONS a. Oak Harbor Music Festival Mayor Wright introduced Oak Harbor Music Festival President Cynthia Mason, who provided a presen- tation regarding the Festival. Ms. Mason thanked the Mayor, the City Council, and the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) for their support of the Festival, which is now in its fourteenth year. She introduced members of the Festival Board of Directors who were in attendance and provided a handout detailing fundraising, including grants and sponsorships, and scholarships awarded. An estimated 20,000 people attended the Festival in 2024. Ms. Mason introduced Treasurer Larry Mason to show a video from 2024 and provide information on the entertainment line-up for 2025. Ms. Mason requested that Mayor Wright attend to open the Festival. Mayor Wright noted he would be glad to do so. b. Oak Harbor Police Department – Promotion of Captain Kevin Barton to Deputy Police Chief Chief of Police Slowik conducted the promotion and pinning ceremony of Captain Barton to Deputy Chief and administered the Deputy Chief Oath of Office. Police Captain Kevin Barton was selected from a group of highly qualified applicants to serve in his current position as Police Captain. He was sworn in and took his Oath of Office at the City Council meeting of July 2, 2024. Chief Slowik noted this promotion was a big moment for the Oak Harbor Police Department (OHPD), which is restructuring its organizational chart with tremendous support from the Mayor and the City Council, adding this Deputy Chief position as well as two lieutenant positions. Chief Slowik noted Cap- tain Barton has been a tremendous asset to the OHPD and has assisted in the development of the OHPD’s Five-Year Plan and new software implementation. He invited Captain Barton’s wife, Christina, to pin on the Deputy Chief pins. Chief Slowik then administered the Deputy Chief Oath. Deputy Chief Barton addressed the Mayor and Council and those gathered. He stated he was truly honored to accept the promotion and privileged to work alongside the men and women of the OHPD. He thanked the Council and Mayor for their support and strong partnership with OHPD. Deputy Chief Barton thanked Chief Slowik for the opportunity and stated he looked forward to building today’s de- partment and looked forward to the challenges of tomorrow. He thanked his friends and family and especially his wife and daughters for their support as he steps into this new role with humility. Mayor Wright congratulated Deputy Chief Barton and announced a short break to allow for photos and congratulations from the Council. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 2 of 15 Mayor Wright noted members of the public could comment on Consent Agenda items or subjects of interest not listed on the agenda at this time and there would be an opportunity to comment on the remaining agenda items during the meeting as appropriate. He explained the public may also visit the City’s website prior to meetings for methods to submit public comments, or contact the City Clerk, Julie Nester, by phone or email. When submitting comments, please include your name and address. Public comments sent anonymously or from a non-verifiable address will be shared with the Mayor and Coun- cil but will not be displayed. Comments on public hearing items will be taken during the public hearings portion of the meeting. The City received four new public comments since the last regular meeting. Comments were received from: 1. Patti Stucky of Oak Harbor regarding the discussion of the flying of commemorative flags at the Council’s June 3, 2025 regular meeting and supporting flying the United States flag and not other commemorative flags. 2. Karis Mills of Oak Harbor requesting the City close the merge lane at Highway 20 and Erie Street and turn it into a right turn only lane to relieve congestion and provide better traffic flow. 3. Kim Welch of Oak Harbor regarding the need for the welcome signs at either end of Oak Harbor to be cleaned and repainted and voicing a complaint about the condition of the trailer park across from the sign coming from the south. 4. Ardith Joan Bell-Bshara of Oak Harbor inquiring about the legality of private fireworks in Oak Harbor. The comments were displayed. Mayor Wright asked if there were any members of the public present who wished to speak to any other items not listed on the agenda or on the consent agenda. He noted the Clerk would call on speakers in the order in which they signed in to speak and asked speakers to step forward to the microphone, state their name and address, and to limit comments to three minutes. 1. Joshua Treadway of Oak Harbor spoke regarding civil rights and federal overreach. He re- marked on Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in large cities across the country un- der the banner of federal authority. He asked whether Oak Harbor would issue a statement or pass a resolution to take a stand against this. 2. Valarie Alaniz of Island County spoke to complain about the overreach of government, noting she could not give a comment anonymously when contacting law enforcement. She stated those calling to report a crime should not have to provide personal information and her concern with the Trump administration and what information was being gathered using technology. Hearing no one else with a desire to address the Council, the public comment period was closed. 4. CONSENT AGENDA Consent Items a. Approval of Minutes: City Council Meeting of June 3, 2025, and City Council Workshop of June 17, 2025 b. Approval of Accounts Payable Vouchers and Payroll c. Island Transit and Oak Harbor Police Department Memorandum of Understanding d. 2025-2026 School Resource Officer Interlocal Agreement e. Contract Amendment – Professional Services Agreement with RH2 Engineering, Inc. for Well No. 9 f. REMOVED g. Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Re- sponse Grant Application Approval h. Appointment: Arts Commission, Position 3 – Robert Sanders i. Appointment: Marina Advisory Commission, Position 1 – Cathy Proses Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 3 of 15  j. Appointment: Marina Advisory Commission, Position 4 – Marita Ashley k. Appointment: Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Position 6 – Kim Ford As noted earlier during the approval of the agenda, item f. Resolution 25-20: Adopting a Revised Em- ployee Policy Manual (EPM) was removed from the consent agenda. Mayor Wright called for any changes to the remainder of the consent agenda. Hearing none he called for a motion for approval. Motion: Mayor Pro Tem Hizon moved to approve the consent agenda as amended. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 5. MAYOR & COUNCIL COMMENTS a. Mayor’s Comments Mayor Wright provided the following comments: • Oak Harbor’s Inaugural PRIDE Walk: It was my honor to walk in and be a speaker for our City’s first Pride Walk, organized by Amenia Kazi-Ludahl and Nicole Bradley. More than 200 people participated. Thank you to all who attended to celebrate PRIDE and inclusivity in our community. • Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Annual Conference: Councilmembers Armes. Marrow, Wiegenstein, and I attended the annual AWC conference June 24-27, 2025 in Kennewick where we engaged with statewide leaders, shared ideas and successes, and made many valuable contacts. I presented at a “Legislative Bootcamp” forum. Councilmember Marrow participated in the Parade of Flags ceremony and proudly carried our City of Oak Harbor flag among 60 other Washington cities. • The Wright Blend – Barbeque and Conversation with the Mayor: Thank you to all the community members and City staff who braved the cool and windy weather at June’s The Wright Blend at Catalina Park. Thank you also to the Yacht Club for partnering with us for the barbeque. The Wright Blend is going on summer break and will resume this fall. Watch our website for updates. • Welcome Summer Communications Interns: The City has two college student interns working with Communications Officer Aguilar this summer. Katelyn is a student at the University of Dallas and Nolan is a student at the University of Washington. You will see them both at a variety of events and assisting in the Administration Office. • Highlighting staff: Every now and then I like to highlight cool things members of our staff do on their time off. Our Principal Planner Rajesh “Cac” Kamak recently scaled Mount Baker! He shared some of his amazing photos with us. Way to go, Cac! • Fourth of July: The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce is hosting four days of Fourth of July festivities from July 3 to July 6. See their website for more information. Members of the City Council and I will participate in the Fourth of July parade. May I see a show of hands for which Councilmembers are attending? Our City Clerk has issued a Notice of Attendance in anticipation of a quorum. No City business or action will be conducted or taken by the Council. Councilmembers Armes, Marrow, and Stucky indicated they would be attending. • City of Oak Harbor Parade Treat Bags: Speaking of the Fourth of July, look for City officials and staff at the parade. We’ll be handing out treat bags to parents to carry home all the goodies their kids get during the parade. A photo of the treat bag was displayed. • Fireworks: The City has received several inquiries about fireworks. Please note that per our City Ordinance, Fourth of July fireworks can only be set off in Oak Harbor during the dates and times Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 4 of 15 displayed here on the screen. Fireworks are not permitted on public land such as schools, parks, or beaches. More information about fireworks can be found on the City’s Firework Regulations webpage. • Upcoming Events: July 26 – Kid’s Fishing Derby at the Oak Harbor Marina hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW 7392. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. The derby runs from noon to 1:00 p.m. August 9 – Sherwood Community Day at Windjammer Park from noon to 4:00 p.m. In addition to activ- ities, Representative Dave Paul and Mike Etzel of Island County’s Developmental Disabilities Program will provide a discussion of the importance of inclusive communities at 1:00 p.m. • Advisory Board Vacancies: We still have openings on several of our City Advisory Boards and Com- missions. See the City’s website for information on how to apply. • Stay Connected: Find out about City information and activities at any time by visiting our website and our Facebook page. b. Councilmembers Councilmembers Armes, Marrow, Stucky, and Mayor Pro Tem Hizon provided their respective com- ments. Councilmember Armes reported on her enjoyment of the AWC Annual Conference in Kennewick and meeting many interesting people from different areas. She also commented she was pleased to see new Marina Advisory Commission members approved. Councilmember Marrow spoke about the value of the AWC Conference and notably networking. He stated it was his first time being off of Whidbey Island in a long time and thanked the City for the opportunity to attend. Councilmember Stucky noted that regarding fireworks, the City follows the Revised Code of Washing- ton (RCW) but could be more strict. He noted the subject was brought up at a Council meeting a few years ago with not much comment received, but it could be addressed again. Regarding calls to 911, Councilmember Stucky explained calls go to ICOM and not to the City or to the Oak Harbor Police Department. Police Chief Slowik explained that when a person calls 911 they do have the ability to remain anonymous, although the ICOM operator can see the phone number the call is coming from. He stressed that all information is confidential, and personal information is redacted if there is a public records request. He noted an ICOM operator might ask for more information to assist responders, however it is not required. Councilmember Stucky explained members of the public can also submit comments to the Council and the Mayor anonymously, but such comments will not be displayed pub- licly. Councilmember Stucky inquired about the progress of an employee survey. City Administrator Combs noted staff is working on this and looking at using questions vetted and utilized by another City. Mayor Pro Tem Hizon inquired of Chief Slowik what should be done if a person observes someone lighting off fireworks outside of the approved dates or on a hazardous manner. Chief Slowik noted this should be reported by calling 911 and an officer will respond. He noted if people were found to be in violation a fine would be issued. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS & MEETINGS a. Ordinance No. 2025: Clearing and Grading Code Amendment Senior Planner LeFevre reviewed the amendment, which proposed to consolidate regulatory guidance Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 5 of 15 for land clearing and grading applications into one code chapter. Land clearing regulations are currently in Oak Harbor Municipal Code (OHMC) Chapter 19.47 while grading regulations are largely addressed in OHMC Title 12 – Stormwater. Due to the relationship of land clearing and grading to other aspects of the environment such as water quality, vegetation retention, slope stability, and erosion control, this amendment will reposition land clearing into OHMC Title 20 – Environment as Chapter 20.15 – Land Clearing and Grading, which is consistent with State law. Senior Planner LeFevre noted an additional advantage of the amendment was that it would place the review authority for land clearing under the Engineering Division of Public Works, creating a cohesive review of these related land-disturbing activities. Ordinance No. 2025 identified the new OHMC Chapter 20.15. Also included was an attachment that identified the proposed changes to the chapter. Senior Planner LeFevre noted the City’s Engineering department had reviewed and supports the amendment. A State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist has been prepared, and a Determination of Non- Significance (DNS) has been issued for this non-project action. Notification of the City’s Intent to Adopt Development Regulations has been transmitted and received by the Washington State Department of Commerce meeting the 60-day requirement. In conformance with OHMC 18.20.270 a Planning Com- mission public hearing was held on June 10, 2025 with a recommendation for approval transmitted to the City Council. This public hearing was duly noticed. Mayor Wright opened the public hearing and confirmed no comments had been received. He requested comments from those members of the public in attendance. 1. Jeff Ward of Oak Harbor introduced himself as an engineer and interested in the Oak Harbor Municipal Code. He stated the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) now requires notation re- garding multi-family housing to be in alliance with new regulations, which he believed was RCW 70.36A, but was uncertain of the exact reference. Mr. Ward noted this was a challenge going forward and would likely be a requirement in the City’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan. Hearing no other comments, Mayor Wright closed the public hearing and called on the Council for their comments. Councilmember Woessner provided his respective questions and comments and requested any insight from Senior Planner LeFevre on the comments raised by Mr. Ward. Senior Planner LeFevre noted he appreciated Mr. Ward’s comments and that this should be included in the proposed ordinance. Coun- cilmember Woessner noted the process of working on this proposed ordinance had been stretched out over time and prior to the current RCW version. He suggested the Council continue the public hearing for additional feedback on how the RCW is applicable. Motion: Councilmember Woessner moved to continue the public hearing until the Council receives additional information from staff. Councilmember Stucky seconded the motion. City Administrator Combs confirmed with the City Clerk that a notice of continuation for the public hear- ing required that a date be stated and published. She recommended the September 2, 2025 Council meeting to allow for any revisions to be heard by the Planning Commission. Motion: Councilmember Woessner restated his motion to continue the public hearing to add the Sep- tember 2, 2025 date. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. b. Ordinance No. 2026: Code Amendment regarding Permit Review Timelines Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 6 of 15 Associate Planner Grunska presented the item and explained that Senate Bill (SB) 5290 amended the Local Project Review Act, Chapter 36.70B Revised Code of Washington (RCW), to provide for new requirements intended to increase the timeliness and predictability of local project review, rendering the applicable section of the Oak Harbor Municipal Code (OHMC), Chapter 18.20, out of compliance effective January 1, 2025. The amendments to Chapter 36.70B RCW pertain to permitting procedures covered in Chapter 18.20 of the OHMC. Language from the RCW mirrored in the OHMC was adjusted in sections related to definitions and exemptions, but the most salient change involves updated project permit review time- lines. Additionally, vestigial references to defunct Planned Industrial Park (PIP) and Planned Business Park (PBP) processes were found in this section, as well as a procedural section concerning ‘counter complete status’ which has been rendered obsolete by a permit submittal process which is now fully digital. After a review of the relevant code section, the City determined that the code section should be amended for clarity via the removal of the vestigial references, and for compliance and consistency with the updated provisions of the Local Project Review Act, Chapter 36.70B RCW. Associate Planner Grunska noted that after further review by the City’s legal counsel additional changes were made to 18.20.410 to be in line with current procedures. There are seven (7) sections of code that are being updated relating to permit procedures. OHMC 18.20.130 OHMC 18.20.140 OHMC 18.20.260 OHMC 18.20.330 OHMC 18.20.350 OHMC 18.20.390 OHMC 18.20.410 The proposed code amendment was duly noticed for this public hearing. Mayor Wright opened the public hearing and confirmed no comments had been received. He requested comments from those members of the public in attendance. 1. Jeff Ward of Oak Harbor addressed the Council once again. He noted the exemptions in 18.20.130 were in harmony with the RCW except to say and include verbiage as to why they are exempt. He believed language should be added to specify and a distinction made as to what constitutes required special circumstances. He believed the reference was to RCW 36.70.E. 140 Section 5. Mayor Wright called upon City Attorney Zeinemann for clarification. Attorney Zeinemann noted that in regard to proposed Ordinance No. 2025, the City of Oak Harbor had not yet achieved a population of 25,000, so the reference Mr. Ward had made to the RCW for that item was not yet applicable. For the second item, proposed Ordinance No. 2026, regarding the permitting process, attorney Zeinemann asked Mr. Ward for clarification of which RCW he was quoting, as the one he had cited did not contain that language. Mr. Ward was uncertain and noted the RCW might be 36.70.B.140. Attorney Zeinemann suggested a review with the planners for clarification to see which RCW section might be referenced. Motion: Councilmember Woessner moved to continue the public hearing to September 2, 2025. The motion was seconded by Councilmember Marrow, who thanked Mr. Ward for his research and com- ments. The vote on the motion passed unanimously. 7. ORDINANCES & RESOLUTIONS Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 7 of 15  a. Resolution 25-17: Authorizing the Mayor to order the lowering of Federal, State, and City flags and affirming under which instances flags will be lowered. Communications Officer Aguilar presented the proposed Resolution. She reviewed that at the City Council's June 3, 2025 meeting, staff submitted Resolution 25-17: Affirming that the display of flags on City property is government speech and under which instances flags will be lowered. The intent of that resolution was to allow for the lowering of Federal, State, and City flags by the order of the Mayor and not have to wait for an order by the Governor. The resolution also sought to affirm that in addition to authorized Federal, State and City flags, only those commemorative flags that are approved by the City Council would be displayed. For example, the City currently flies the POW/MIA flag which commemo- rates Prisoners of War and those Missing In Action. Additional commemorative flags approved by other cities that were suggested in the proposed resolution included the Juneteenth flag and the PRIDE flag. At the June 3, 2025 meeting, a majority of the Council expressed their support for the portion of the resolution with regard to authorizing the Mayor to order the lowering of flags but did not agree with the portion of the resolution addressing commemorative flags. The Council suggested staff revise the res- olution to only speak to the lowering of flags and not include any mention or direction for the display of commemorative flags. Staff has brought back a revised resolution to address only the authorization for the Mayor to lower flags and under which circumstances flags may be lowered. In the absence of a City policy, staff have had to wait for an order by the Governor to lower flags to half-staff to honor the passing of local military personnel, a City employee, or other prominent local official. Flags displayed on City-owned property shall be displayed in accordance with Federal and State stat- utes and regulations, including but not limited to, United States Code (4 U.S.C.Ch.1) Revised Code of Washington (RCW 35A.21.180, RCW 1.20.017, RCW 1.20.015). Proposed Resolution 25-17 states that the Mayor, on behalf of the City Council, will direct the lowering of Federal, State, and City flags to half-staff on the following occasions: • Peace Officers Memorial Day, May 15 (unless that day is also Armed Forces Day) • Patriot Day, September 11 • National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, December 7 • In the event of the death of a principal Federal, State, or past or present local government official • In the event of the death of a City employee, or a member of the public safety community, killed in the line of duty • In the event of the death of a member of the armed forces from Washington State while serving on active duty • At the direction of the President of the United States • At the request of the Governor of the State of Washington Mayor Wright noted no public comments had been received specific to the revised resolution. He opened the floor for comments from those members of the public present. Hearing none, he called upon the Council for their questions and comments. There were no questions or comments from the Council. Motion: Councilmember Marrow moved to approve Resolution 25-17: Determining under which in- stances Federal, State, and City flags will be lowered and authorizing the Mayor to order the lowering of flags. Councilmember Marshall seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 8. CONTACTS & AGREEMENTS Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 8 of 15  a. Professional Services Agreement and Small Works Roster Contract with Technical Systems Incorporated for Water System Telemetry Upgrades (SCADA) Engineering Technician Pollock presented the item. He explained that the City of Oak Harbor owns and maintains a public water system that is operated and controlled through various semi-automated soft- ware and hardware electronic controls. These control systems have reached their design life expec- tancy and need to be replaced. Engineering Technician Pollock presented background information on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) water control systems. The SCADA system provides the City’s Water Division staff with information for: • Monitoring of reservoir water levels • Automatic start/stop of pumps to maintain water levels. Measurements of flow and pressure • Detection and alerts to staff for conditions needing intervention. • “Remote” control of pumps. • Records historical data trends. The system monitors incoming flows and pressure on the City’s transmission mains at the Ault Field Pump Station. The water levels in the reservoirs are continuously monitored, and pumps at the Ault Field Pump Station are automatically started or stopped to meet water needs in the City. Pressure reducing valves are monitored to ensure adequate and safe water pressures are delivered to everyone. The Redwing and West Side Pump Stations are monitored to ensure those pressure zones have ade- quate and safe water pressure. In addition, chlorine and fluoride levels are continuously monitored at the Ault Field Pump Station to ensure safety and compliance with Washington State Department of Health regulations. Engineering Technician Pollock provided a brief history on the control systems utilized, from the original chart recorder to the first modern SCADA system, which has operated for two and a half decades. In February, contractors completed the installation of a new electrical master panel and mother controls. The current SCADA System connects 10 key water facilities to the Public Works Shop: • Ault Field Pump Station • Gun Club Road Pressure Reducing Valve • Goldie Street Pressure Reducing Valve • North Reservoir • Redwing Pump Station • Westside Reservoir and Pump Station • East Tank • Well # 8 • Well # 9 • Well # 11 A primary weakness with the existing SCADA system is that it uses a Windows 7 control format, which has become nearly obsolete. The City Council authorized an allocation of $855,116 to the Water Division under the Water System Telemetry Upgrades (SCADA) Capital Project in the 2025-2026 Biennial Budget utilizing the Water Capital (431) Fund. Staff conducted a search for firms qualified to design and install updated controls through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Two firms responded. Staff selected Technical Sys- tems Inc. (TSI) and entered into negotiations. Due to the hybrid nature of a SCADA system, encompassing both skilled technical work in design and programming as well as in physical installation of components, a dual contract is proposed made up of Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 9 of 15 a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) (for programming and design) and a Small Works Contract (for installation and electrical work). Professional Services Agreement: • Between the City and TSI • Amount of $320,590 • Term: June 15, 2025 to December 31, 2026 • Design and Programming of a SCADA system for the City’s Water Utility. • SCADA customization – Making adjustments and tailoring to the City, and preparing new com- puters to host the software. • Computer Aided Design electrical design work (panels, enclosures, wiring diagrams) • Startup and quality assurance work. Small Works Contract: • Between the City and TSI • Amount of $316,546.90 • Term: June 15, 2025 to December 31, 2026 • Installation and electrical work necessary to implement the designed SCADA System. • Physical installation of new programmable logic controllers. • Wiring and installation of panels and enclosures at each of the Water facilities. • Startup and quality assurance work. Staff recommended the Council authorize the Mayor to sign a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) and a Small Works Roster Contract for the design and installation of these upgrades to the City’s water supply system. Engineering Technician Pollock explained the staff also recommended a change order allowance of $150,000. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. Hearing no comments from those members of the public in attendance, he called on the Council to provide their comments. Councilmembers Marrow and Marshall provided their respective questions and comments. In response to questions, Engineering Technician Pollock explained that approximately 5% of the City of Oak Harbor and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island’s water comes from City wells, while the remaining 95% comes from the City of Anacortes via a pipeline across Deception Pass Bridge. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Professional Services Agreement in the amount of $320,590 and Small Works Contract with Technical Systems Inc. in the amount of $316,546.90 and to grant the Public Works Director a change order allowance of $150,000 for the project. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. b. Construction Contract Award – SW Lopez Drive Reconstruction Project Engineering Technician Pollock reviewed the item, noting it was his first design project for the City. He explained that the SW Lopez Drive Reconstruction Project is a locally funded project that will replace the existing asbestos-concrete waterline, replace existing storm drain infrastructure, reconstruct and repave the roadway, and remove and replace failing concrete sidewalks along SW Lopez Drive and SW Kirk Lane. Bids were publicly opened at City Hall on Monday, June 16, 2025 at 2:00 pm. The Engineer’s estimate for the project was between $1,100,000 to 1,350,000. Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 10 of 15 The results of the bid opening are as follows: C. Johnson Construction, Inc. $ 892,286.08 SRV Construction, Inc. $ 990,772,72 Miles Resources, LLC $1,090,445.85 Faber Construction Corporation $1,302,618.91 Staff recommended that C. Johnson Construction, Inc. be awarded the contract for this project as they are the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Engineering Technician Pollock explained that $556,623.30 would come from the Transportation Ben- efit District (TBD) Fund and $336,662,78 from the Capital Fund for The Water Division. Per Oak Har- bor’s Purchasing Policy Manual, the change order allowance shall be 20% of the original contract awarded or an accumulated total of $100,000.00, whichever is less. For this project, the amount will be set at $100,000. It is anticipated that construction will begin in late July to early August 2025 and be completed by the end of September 2025. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. He called for any comments from those members of the public in attendance. Hearing none, he requested any comments from the Coun- cil. Councilmembers Stucky, Marrow and Mayor Pro Tem Hizon provided their respective questions and comments. In response to questions, Engineering Technician Pollock explained that TBD funds are reserved for use only on classified streets. SW Lopez Drive had been in a state of disrepair for seven years. City Engineer Warner explained the process used by the City in prioritizing the use of TBD funds, with roadway conditions initially identified with a consultant. Staff works to do a quadrant of the City annually and are always looking to utilize funds for the most impact. This project included a needed watermain replacement. City Engineer Warner explained this was the first street replacement scheduled utilizing TBD funds. He noted in the fall; staff will determine the next quadrant. City Engineer Warner further noted that 10-15% of the design cost of the project was saved by staff performing this work in-house. Motion: Mayor Pro Tem Hizon moved to award the contract for the SW Lopez Drive Reconstruction Project (Project No. ENG-24-02) to the low bidder, C. Johnson Construction, Inc. in the amount of $892,286.08 and authorize the Public Works Director to sign change orders up to $100,000.00 for an amount not to exceed $992,286.08 in total. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. c. Construction Contract Award – SW Swantown Avenue Overlay City Engineer Warner reviewed the item. He explained the SW Swantown Avenue Overlay Project is a Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (WA TIB) grant and locally funded project that will remove and replace the top two inches of the existing asphalt roadway surface, replace vehicle signal loop detectors, install new roadway striping to add bike lanes and reduce from four to three lanes, and replace four Americans with Disability Act (ADA) ramps to meet current standards. The project limits are from SW Heller Street to SW Fort Nugent Avenue, where new Fire Station No. 82 is under construction. The City received approval of the WA TIB Grant in the amount of $348,136.00 in December 2024. The project was advertised in May and bids were publicly opened at City Hall on Monday, June 16, 2025 at 3:00 pm. The Engineer’s estimate for the project was $600,000 to $720,000. The results of the bid opening are as follows: Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 11 of 15 Miles Resources, LLC $698,469.00 Lakeside Industries, Inc. $848,530.00 SRV Construction, Inc. $925,155.00 Staff recommended Miles Resources, LLC. be awarded the contract for this project as they are the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. City Engineer Warner explained that $348,136 will come from the TIB grant and $350,333 from the City’s Streets Capital Fund. This project was also designed in-house at a savings of 10-15%. Per the City’s Purchasing Policy Manual, change order allowance shall be 20% of the original contract awarded or an accumulated total of $100,000, whichever is less. For his project, the amount will be set at $100,000. It is anticipated that construction will begin in August 2025. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. He requested any comments from the public in attendance. Hearing none, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmember Stucky provided his respective questions and comments regarding reducing the road from four to three lanes where congestion occurs at Swantown and State Route 20 and inquired about connecting sidewalks further north on Swantown. City Engineer Warner noted staff has been in con- versation with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The City currently has one westbound lane closed with no issues. Proposed is two travel lanes and a bicycle lane. In regard to sidewalks, City Engineer Warner explained the portion of the roadway Councilmember Stucky was referencing was in Island County and was outside of the City limits and jurisdiction. The County does not routinely put in sidewalks. City staff will look into whether sidewalks could be added by the County in the future. Motion: Councilmember Stucky moved to award the contract for the SW Swantown Overlay Project (Project No. ENG-24-03) to the low bidder, Miles Resources, LLC, in the amount of $698,469 and authorize the Public Works Director to sign change orders up to $100,000 for a total amount not to exceed $798,469.00. Mayor Pro Tem Hizon seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. d. Professional Services Agreement with BHC Consultants, LLC for Engineering Design Services for I&I Correction Program Project City Engineer Warner reviewed the Agreement. In March 2024, the City of Oak Harbor was awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the amount of $1,950,000 to implement a project to reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) within the City’s wastewater infrastructure system. The objective of the Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation is for BHC Consultants, LLC (BHC) to produce one complete Plans, Specifications, and Estimate (PS&E) Package for Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation for the City of Oak Harbor’s Inflow and Infiltration Correction Program Project (ENG-22-09), which directly supports the EPA's FY2022-FY2026 Strategic Plan Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Com- munities. The Project addresses miles of leaking public sanitary sewer main lines, rain gutter and private drain connections, and localized flood areas at manhole locations. The project area is in the southeast portion of the City, with State Route 20 as the western limit, SE Regatta Drive as the eastern limit, E Whidbey Avenue as the northern limit and the Oak Harbor waterfront as the southern limit. City Engineer Warner explained that BHC will provide engineering services including condition assess- ment, preliminary and final design, specifications/drawing production, bidding support, and construction Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 12 of 15 support. The work will be performed on a time and materials basis for an amount not to exceed $219,000. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received on this item. Hearing no comments from those members of the public in attendance, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmember Marrow provided his respective questions and comments regarding any provision for cost overruns. City Engineer Warner noted a contingency was included for $15,000. Public Works Di- rector Schuller noted special thanks to U.S. Representative Rick Larsen for his part in the City’s receipt of this grant, one of only six awards in Washington’s 2nd congressional district. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to authorize the Mayor to sign a Professional Service Agree- ment with BHC Consultants LLC for Engineering Design Services for the Inflow and Infiltration Correc- tion Project in the amount $219,000. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion which passed unan- imously. Break: Mayor Wright called for a five-minute break at 7:15 and then extended that break for an addi- tional five minutes. Mayor Wright resumed the meeting at 7:25 p.m. 9. OTHER ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION a. Approval of Accounts payable Vouchers – Voucher List 6a Mayor Wright noted this item was necessitated as this voucher list contains a payment to the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce (Chamber), of which Councilmember Marshall is the Executive Director. He explained that in order to avoid a conflict of interest, Councilmember Marshall has stated he will recuse himself from a vote on such payments. This voucher list had already been in progress prior to the decision to separate Chamber payments to a single item voucher list. Moving forward, any payment to the Chamber will be on a separate list. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. Hearing no comments from the public in attendance, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmember Marshall voiced his appreciation to the Mayor and staff for separating the Chamber items moving forward. Motion: Councilmember Woessner moved to approve Accounts Payable Voucher List 6 a. as pre- sented. Mayor Pro Tem Hizon seconded the motion, which passed by a vote of 5-1 with Councilmember Marshall recusing himself. b. Purchase Authorization – Bauer Verticus Plus 6000 Grants Administrator Horn presented the item. She explained that the City applied for and was awarded a $120,000 Community Block Development Grant from the Washington State Department of Com- merce (WA DOC) to purchase equipment not budgeted for Fire Station 82. The equipment included a breathing air apparatus refill compressor system. The quote for the Bauer Verticus Plus 6000 PSIG VT-P/13H-E3 Compressor System under the Sourcewell Contract 011824-SEW is $90,233.85. Per the City of Oak Harbor Purchasing Policy and Procedures, updated April 15, 2025, equipment over $75,000 must be approved by the City Council before being purchased. Once approved, the equipment will be installed by the contractor by the end of the year with a four-to-six-month lead time. Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 13 of 15 Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. Hearing none from those in attend- ance, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmember Marshall congratulated Grants Administrator Horn on obtaining the grant. Grants Ad- ministrator Horn noted the other piece of equipment the Fire Department is receiving is an extractor. Fire Chief Anderson explained the use of the extractor and plans for obtaining a decontamination washer for those pieces of equipment that cannot be cleaner by the extractor. Motion: Mayor Pro Tem Hizon moved to approve the purchase of a Bauer Verticus Plus 6000 Com- pressor System for Fire Station 82 from SeaWestern Fire Fighting Equipment, utilizing Sourcewell Con- tract 011824-SEW, in the amount of $90,233.85. Councilmember Marrow seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 10. REPORTS & DISCUSSION ITEMS a. Transportation Benefit District Annual Report Grants Administrator Horn noted she was standing in for Deputy City Administrator and Finance Direc- tor Goldman and Finance Manager Webster and provided the annual report background information on the Transportation Benefit District (TBD). In May 2018, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1835, which created TBD Number One. The City Council later assumed the duties of the TBD via Ordinance No 1865. That ordinance requires that an annual report be issued to the public with notification in the newspaper of record for the City. On July 24, 2019, City Council passed Resolution 19-16, calling for an initiative on the November 2019 Ballot asking citizens to adopt a 0.2% sales tax (Taxable Retail Sales only) for an initial period of ten (10) years to fund local road improvements to preserve and maintain the City’s transportation infra- structure. The ballot measure was approved by the voters in the November 2019 General Election. Following the example of other comparable Washington Cities, staff publishes the notice in the news- paper and creates and publishes the Annual Report. The TBD generates approximately $928,000 an- nually. Grants Administrator Horn reviewed the list of 2024 and 2025 TBD funded projects. Public Works Di- rector Schuller praised the cooperation working with Grants Administrator Horn and City Engineer Warner. He noted the growing need for funding of infrastructure. Mayor Wright confirmed no comments from the public had been received. Hearing no comments from the public in attendance, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmembers Marrow, Armes, Mayor Pro Tem Hizon and Councilmember Woessner provided their respective questions and comments. Public Works Director Schuller, City Engineer Warner and Mayor Wright responded. Mayor Wright noted the City is working closely with the County and with the Wash- ington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), with the City recently receiving a $900,000 grant for the repaving of Midway Boulevard. City Administrator Combs thanked staff and Island County Com- missioner Johnson and the Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization (IRTPO) for their part in the City’s receipt of the grant. 11. EXECUTIVE SESSION Mayor Wright announced the Council would now enter into an Executive Session per RCW 42.30.110 (i) to discuss with legal counsel litigation or potential litigation, and per RCW 42.30.110 (b) to consider the selection of a site or the acquisition of real estate by lease or purchase when public knowledge Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 14 of 15 regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of increased price. The anticipated duration of the executive session was fifteen minutes. Mayor Wright noted action might or might not be taken upon return to the open session of the meeting and that executive sessions are not open to the public. The Council entered into executive session at 7:50 p.m. At 8:05 p.m. the Council announced an extension of the executive session for an additional five minutes to 8:10 p.m. At 8:10 p.m. the Council announced an additional extension of the executive session for five more minutes to 8:15 p.m. At 8:15 p.m. the Council announced one more five-minute extension of the executive session to 8:20 p.m. At 8:20 p.m. the Council came out of the executive session and resumed the open session of the meeting. Mayor Wright noted no action would be taken at this time regarding the matters discussed. ADJOURN There being no further business, Councilmember Woessner moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Councilmember Marrow. The vote on the motion was unanimous, therefore the meeting was ad- journed at 8:20 p.m. Certified by Julie Nester, City Clerk Regular Meeting Minutes July 1, 2025 Page 15 of 15