City Council

Oak Harbor City Council Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 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 Mark Bahr, Redeeming Grace Church . Pledge of Allegiance – Led by Mayor Wright ROLL CALL City Council Present: Staff Present/Videoconference Mayor Ronnie Wright City Administrator Sabrina Combs Mayor Pro Tem Tara Hizon Deputy City Administrator David Goldman Councilmember Jim Woessner Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith Councilmember Bryan Stucky Police Chief Tony Slowik Councilmember Eric Marshall Fire Marshal Paul Schroer Councilmember Christopher Wiegenstein Police Deputy Chief Kevin Barton Councilmember Barbara Armes Finance Manager Chas Webster Councilmember James P. Marrow Finance Manager, Accounting Ashley Ramos Public Works Administration Manager Sandra Place Grants Administrator Wendy Horn Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Jack Robinson Communications Officer Magi Aguilar Executive Services Coordinator Macalle Finkle City Clerk Julie Nester Also in attendance: City Attorney Hillary Evans of Kenyon Disend, PLLC EXCUSE ABSENT COUNCILMEMBERS Mayor Wright greeted all in attendance. He noted Councilmember Wiegenstein had indicated he would be attending remotely and that Mayor Pro Tem Hizon had notified him that she would be arriving shortly. As Councilmember Wiegenstein had not yet joined the meeting, Mayor Wright called for a motion to excuse him. Motion: Councilmember Marrow moved to excuse Councilmember Wiegenstein, seconded by Coun- cilmember Marshall. The vote on the motion passed unanimously. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 1 of 10 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Wright requested any proposed changes to the regular agenda. Hearing none, it was approved as presented. 2. PRESENTATIONS a. Outstanding Performance Award – City of Oak Harbor Clean Water Facility Mayor Wright noted that at a recent meeting he had reported that the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, also known as the Clean Water Facility, had received an Outstanding Performance Award for 2024 from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Public Works Administration Manager Place reported on the award and the exemplary performance exhibited by the staff of the Clean Water Facility. She presented the newly received award plaque to Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Robinson. Manager Robinson noted this was a team award, noting it takes the whole team working together to achieve it. He thanked the Department of Ecology, the Mayor and the City Council for this recognition. Mayor Wright thanked Manager Robinson for he and the team’s service. Mayor Wright noted that Councilmember Wiegenstein was now present remotely in the meeting. 3. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD 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 one new public comment for display since the last regular meeting. Comment was received from: 1. Tom Niemeyer of Freeland, regarding a recent Whidbey News-Times article titled “Whidbey Has Mixed tree equity”, with which he did not agree. Mr. Niemeyer voiced his support for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department and for logical tree management, and disputed claims by a group known as American Forests featured in the article which he found fractured, misguided and ignorant. 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. Samuel Pippins of Oak Harbor, spoke regarding recycling. He stated he had placed a broken plastic doghouse in his recycle bin but City solid waste employees removed it. He stated he had phoned and spoke to solid waste personnel who explained they do not take that type of plastic. He was of the opinion that plastic is plastic and that they should have taken it and not left it on the ground. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 2 of 10 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 Workshop Meeting of September 23, 2025 and City Coun- cil Meeting of October 7, 2025 b. Approval of Payroll and Accounts Payable Vouchers c. Purchase Authorization – City Shops Flooring Replacement d. Purchase Authorization – Shower Replacement at the Oak Harbor Fire Department, Station No. 81 e. Puget Sound Energy Up & Go Electric for Workplace Charging Agreement Mayor Wright called for any changes to the consent agenda. Hearing none, he called for a motion for approval. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to approve the consent agenda as presented, seconded by Councilmember Marrow. The vote on the motion passed unanimously. 5. MAYOR & COUNCIL COMMENTS a. Mayor’s Comments Mayor Wright provided the following comments: • Congratulations Oak Harbor Police Department: Members of our staff and I were pleased to attend the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet at which our Oak Harbor Police Department (OHPD) was named Large Business of the Year. Congratulations to Chief Slowik and the entire OHPD on this well-deserved recognition. • Washington State Ferries: Washington State Ferries (WSF) hosted two virtual community meetings on October 14, 2025, and provided information on the busy peak service season and an update of electrification, fare increases, and new boats. The meetings were recorded and can be viewed online. Viewers can scan the QR code on screen or go to the WSDOT website. • Oak Harbor Public Schools Updates: a. North Whidbey Middle School Leadership hosted a student leadership conference that focused on developing leadership skills, communication strategies, and team building activities. b. Last week students from Oak Harbor High School, North Whidbey Middle School and Oak Harbor Intermediate School participated in a Peer 2 Peer event in Anacortes. Peer 2 Peer certifies peer educators who learn how to give effective presentations about healthy choices and habits for suc- cess. These peer educators will be presenting what they’ve learned to their classmates throughout the school year. I love seeing these leadership skills being prioritized for our future leaders. • Speaking of Oak Harbor Public Schools: City of Oak Harbor Human Resources Analyst Liflor Barrera represented the City at the Oak Harbor High School Career Fair last week. She said it was a valuable opportunity and shared a range of informational materials and promotional items from the City’s Human Resources department, alongside details about current job openings. The engagement from attendees was encouraging, and many students and parents showed interest, prompting insightful discussions about potential career paths within local government. It was rewarding to emphasize how a variety of degrees and training can lead to fulfilling careers in our City. Thank you Liflor. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 3 of 10 • Congratulations to City Public Records Officer Nicole Bradley: Nicole obtained her Public Records Officer certification from the Washington Association of Public Records Officers. She is working on updated training for all of our departments. She also coordinated a Public Records Association Boot Camp to be hosted here in Oak Harbor at the Oak Harbor Yacht Club. This boot camp is a hands- on session for Public Records Officers from all over Washington, and since it is a two-day training session, many participants will be staying at local hotels. • Art & Elegance Event to support the Whidbey Homeless Coalition: This event was scheduled for this month, but organizers have rescheduled it to March 28, 2026. • Upcoming Halloween Events: There are several Halloween events in Oak Harbor. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor Public Schools and the Oak Harbor Main Street Association all have activities. • Free Halloween Themed Candy Collecting Bags from the City for your kids: These reusable bags will be available now through Halloween at the Main Street Association office while supplies last. • 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 and requirements for applicants. • Stay Connected: Stay connected to City information and activities at any time by visiting our website and our Facebook page. • Joint Meeting with Island County Board of Commissioners: At our October 7, 2025 regular Council meeting, we discussed holding a special joint meeting with the Island County Board of Commission- ers on October 28, 2025 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. regarding Comprehensive Planning and subse- quently moving our regular workshop to earlier in the day on October 28. I’ve subsequently had additional communication from Island County Board of Commissioners Chair Melanie Bacon who indicated that the Commissioners are pleased with the direction in which the meetings between both of our staffs are progressing and therefore they do not believe a joint meeting is needed at this stage. Both of our staffs will continue to keep us updated as work progresses. As a result, we will not hold a special meeting, and our regular workshop will move back to its normal time of 1:00 p.m. on Octo- ber 28. Councilmembers were each provided with highlights of the progress made by both staffs. b. Councilmembers Mayor Wright called on the Councilmembers for their comments. Councilmembers Woessner, Stucky and Marshall provided their respective comments. Councilmember Woessner noted he had attended the recent Planning Commission meeting. The Plan- ning Commission is, as he put it, deep in the throes of the Comprehensive Plan Major Update. He reported the Commissioners are asking good questions and understand the task ahead of them in going through the update. Councilmember Woessner praised the Commissioners for their sound inves- tigative work to provide the City Council with their recommendations. Councilmember Stucky reported three individuals had reached out to him about the number of signs, twenty-four (24) signs by his count, near the corner of Swantown Road and State Route 20. He believed some were in violation of the City’s sign code due to their proximity to the sidewalk. Mayor Wright agreed this would be a code enforcement issue and would talk with Code Enforcement Officer Heltsley. City Administrator Combs stated she had just notified Officer Heltsley via email. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 4 of 10 Councilmember Marshall asked Public Works Administration Manager Place if she would request that Solid Waste Operations Foreman Place contact Mr. Pippins regarding his earlier public comment. City Administrator Combs noted she had just sent that request via email to Operations Foreman Place. 6. OTHER ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION a. Opioid Settlement Distribution Request. Councilmember Woessner stated that since his real estate firm represented the seller of property ref- erenced in the agenda item, he would recuse himself from any discussion or vote on this item and the next item. Councilmember Stucky stated that as he owed a debt to the seller of the property referenced in the agenda item, he too would recuse himself from any discussion or vote on this item and the next item. Both Councilmember Woessner and Councilmember Stucky left Council Chambers for the duration of this item. Mayor Wright introduced Police Chief Slowik to present the item. Chief Slowik presented an overview and background information on the opioid settlement funds status. • In 2022, the City Council approved participation in One Washington Opioid Settlement & Dis- tributors Settlement • March 2023, City Council approved participation in the next five settlement agreements with retailers • August 2023, City Council approved the strategy to distribute opioid funds (Funds Review & Approval) • September 2023 and April 2024, City Council approved opioid funds allocation: Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Task Force (SCIDEU), NARCAN, Training. Chief Slowik provided a review of the funding and approval process for utilizing the opioid funds. He provided a summary of the funds balance: Chief Slowik explained that there are over 300 Police and Corrections Officers in Island and Skagit Counties, and agencies are in critical need of a safe, secure, and purpose-built training facility in the Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 5 of 10 North Sound Region. Over the past five years, the Washington State Legislature has increasingly man- dated law enforcement training in response to high liability incidents that have involved mental health, opioid and other drug addiction and abuse, and law enforcement's use of force and de-escalation prac- tices. The Washington State Legislature has not provided funding to support these recurring training requirements. Unfortunately, agencies in our region lack dedicated training facilities, leaving our officers and first responders with inadequate and inconsistent training spaces. Purchasing a dedicated Public Safety Training Facility bridges the growing gap in training space needs, ensuring our personnel have access to the necessary facilities for high-quality, reality-based training. The proposed facility will enable cross-training in vital areas, including the use of force, de-escalation tactics, and intervention strategies, providing our officers with the necessary tools and skills to effec- tively serve and protect our communities. This training site will also support collaboration with other first responders and mental health co-responders, strengthening inter-agency coordination and response capabilities. The "One Washington Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)" document permits opioid settlement funds to be utilized for the acquisition of law enforcement needs, including staffing, infrastructure, and training. One Washington MOU – Part 3: Other Strategies Section I: First Responders (1) Current and future law enforcement expenditures related to the opioid epidemic. (2) Educate law enforcement & first responders regarding practices and precautions in dealing with fentanyl or other drugs. Section J: Leadership, Planning & Coordination. (3) Invest in infrastructure or staffing at government…. to support collaborative, cross-system coordination with the purpose of preventing overprescribing, opioid misuse, or opioid overdoses. Section K: Training. (1) Provide funding for staff training or networking programs and services to improve the capa- bility of government, community, and not-for-profit entities to abate the opioid crisis. (2) Invest in infrastructure and staffing for collaborative cross-system coordination to prevent opioid misuse, prevent overdoses, and treat those with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and any co- occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder (MH/SUD) conditions, co-usage, and/or co-addiction, or implement other strategies to abate the opioid epidemic. Chief Slowik reported City staff consulted with Attorney Joanna Eide from Kenyon Disend regarding this agenda item. He provided an overview of the Opioid Settlement Fund Account, including a sum- mary of distributions to date, and noting a projected year-end balance of $433,047.25. The action for Council consideration was to approve a funding request of $407,500 from Opioid Settle- ment Funds for the purchase of a Public Safety Training Facility. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received. Hearing no comments from the public in attendance, he called for Council comments. Councilmembers Marshall and Marrow provided their respective comments of support for the purchase. With discussion concluded, Mayor Wright called for a motion. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to approve the allocation of $407,500 from the Opioid Settle- ment Fund for the purchase of the Public Safety Training Facility. Councilmember Wiegenstein se- conded the motion, which passed by a vote of 5-0 with Councilmembers Stucky and Woessner recused. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 6 of 10 7. CONTRACTS & AGREEMENTS a. Purchase of Real Estate for Regional Public Safety Training Facility Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director Goldman presented this item and provided background information. He displayed a map showing the location of the facility proposed for purchase. During the budget and legislative priority setting processes for 2025, it was determined that there was a need for a regional public safety training facility near Oak Harbor. The City has been in discussions with our regional law enforcement partners regarding this as well. Based on this, the addition of a regional training facility was added to the City’s 2025 Legislative Priorities. After a search was con- ducted for properties that would meet this need, it was determined that Unit 3 of the Goldie Street Business Park would be viable. Unit 3 contains a modernized gun range with multiple lanes and plenty of room for meetings, defensive tactics training, classroom-based training, and equipment. In addition, adjacent vacant land is available in the Goldie Street Business Park (Unit 1), which can be used for future expansion. The list price for Units 1 and 3 was $3,277,500. The City was able to work with the seller to arrive at a purchase price of $2,750,000 for both units, which is $527,500 or 16% less than the list price. The Earnest Money is $10,000. At a building size of 13,020 square feet, the cost equates to $211 per square foot. Up to $30,000 was allotted for feasibility purposes and $5,400 is estimated for closing costs. Based on research conducted, it was found that the City of Lacey is building a similar public safety training facility as part of their new police station project. Their training facility will be 15,000 square feet at a cost of approximately $10,000,000. This equates to $667 per square foot or over three times the cost of purchasing Unit 3 with the additional vacant land of Unit 1 in the Goldie Street Business Park in Oak Harbor. At the February 18, 2025 City Council Meeting, the City Council voted to authorize the Mayor to perform all activities and execute all documents necessary for the purchase of Units 1 and 3 of the Goldie Street Business Park for $2,750,000 with the condition that no funds can be spent beyond the Earnest Money amount plus $30,000 for feasibility purposes without City Council approval. The signed and executed purchase and sale agreement is attached. In addition, there were two contractual contingencies related to the purchase: • State of Washington Funding Agreement. This Agreement is contingent on the execution and satisfaction of funding agreement(s) between the State of Washington and the City of Oak Har- bor for the purchase of property. • Skagit County Drug Task Force Funding Agreement. This Agreement is contingent on the ex- ecution and satisfaction of a funding agreement between the members of the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit Task Force and the City of Oak Harbor for the purchase of property. The City has been awarded funding by the State of Washington. However, staff have learned that funding from the Skagit County Drug Task Force will not be forthcoming prior to purchase; therefore, that contingency will need to be waived to move forward with the purchase. Staff plans to pursue user fees from various agencies to generate revenue over time. Funding for the $2,785,400 (estimated to include all costs) purchase is from the following sources: • $242,500. 2026 State of Washington Local and Community Projects (Section 1027 of 2025 SB 5195) Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 7 of 10  • $407,500. Opioid Settlement Funds - Oak Harbor • $43,500. Accreditation Incentive Funds - State of Washington Criminal Justice Training Com- mission (2023 Senate Bill SB 5187) • $300,000. Police Department payroll savings. • $984,850. Excess Stabilization Reserve – created four years ago and put into the General Fund • $807,050 Estimated use of Unencumbered Fund Balance to fund remainder Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received and requested any comments from those in attendance. Hearing none, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmembers Marrow and Marshall and Mayor Pro Tem Hizon provided their respective questions and comments. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to authorize the expenditure of funds for the purchase of Units 1 and 3 of the Goldie Street Business Park for $2,750,000 plus closing and feasibility costs and waiving the contingency for the execution and satisfaction of a funding agreement between the members of the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit Task Force and the City of Oak Harbor. Councilmem- ber Marrow seconded the motion, which passed by a vote of 5-0 with Councilmembers Stucky and Woessner recused. With these two items concluded, Councilmembers Stucky and Woessner returned to Council Cham- bers. b. Skagit County Jail Interlocal Agreement Police Chief Slowik also introduced this item and provided background information. He explained that since 2020, the Oak Harbor Police Department (OHPD) has utilized local county jails in Island and Skagit Counties for overnight in-custody arrests pending preliminary court appearances. The City has contracts for overnight and long-term inmate housing with the South Correctional Entity (SCORE) Jail in the City of Des Moines, WA, and with the City of Lynnwood, WA. The average round-trip time to transport and transfer an inmate to SCORE is about six hours. In August 2025, an individual was arrested by OHPD and held in custody by the Island County District Court. The individual had preexisting medical conditions, and although the person was medically cleared for confinement by a local hospital, they were denied admission to the Island County Jail, SCORE, and Lynnwood Jail because the facilities lacked adequate medical staffing. Leveraging a strong working relationship with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the individual was admitted to the Skagit Jail and held for over a week before returning to court. Adding additional inmate housing agreements with regional government jail facilities is advantageous to the City of Oak Harbor, as it provides flexible housing options when facilities are at or exceed capac- ity, results in a reduction in staffing, and, when transport to a local facility is advantageous to OHPD. Chief Slowik displayed comparable data, noting the cost of using the Skagit Jail was somewhat higher, but the proximity would result in less Officer time in transportation. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) Chapter 39.34 Interlocal Cooperative Act and Chapter 70.48 City and County Jails Act outline such interlocal agreements. The proposed agreement was reviewed by City legal counsel Lisa Marshall, of Kenyon Disend in September. OHPD budgets approximately $435,000.00 for jail professional service contracts, which cover costs for inmate housing, medical services, and associated fees. There is no cost to maintain the Skagit Jail Interlocal Agreement. Fees are paid per use. Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 8 of 10 Description Fee Frequency Inmate Booking $175.00 One-time per inmate Daily Housing Rate $200.00 Per inmate per day Medical/Mental Health/Acute Beds $250.00 Per inmate per day Medical Treatment 100% Cost of medical treatment Video Court $0.00 Per court appearance Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received and requested any comments from those in attendance. Hearing none, he called on the Council for their comments. Councilmembers Marrow, Marshall, Stucky, and Woessner provided their respective questions and comments, as did Mayor Wright. Motion: Councilmember Marrow moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Interlocal Agreement with Skagit Jail for jail services. Mayor Pro Tem Hizon seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. c. Professional Service Agreement with Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC for Recreation Center Feasibility Study Parks and Recreation Director Smith presented the item. He explained the 2024 Supplemental State Capital Budget included an appropriation, supported by State Representative Clyde Chavers and State Representative Dave Paul, of $200,000 for the Oak Harbor Recreation Center Feasibility Study Project, which officially secured funding for the project in Fiscal Year 2025. The City Council approved the 2025/2026 Biennial Budget which included this Recreation Center Fea- sibility Study project with a total project budget of $200,000. Oak Harbor’s Whidbey Royalty made this a focus project and raised funds to contribute towards the feasibility study. Funds Required: $200,000. Funds Budgeted: $200,000 $175,000 for the Professional Services Agreement (PSA), and $25,000 for possible expansion of ser- vices if needed. The total amount equals the Approved Washington State Legislature Supplemental Capital Budget of $200,000 less the Department. of Commerce fee of $6,000, plus donations from Whidbey Royalty of $1,227 and General Fund appropriation of $4,773. Director Smith explained the funds received from the State can only be used for the Recreation Center Feasibility Study. Appropriation Source: General Fund 001.71-Park/Recreation. General Ledger Line Item: 001.71.575.50.4100, Project Number: snr2502. Staff conducted a search for firms qualified to conduct the feasibility study and design conceptual plans for the Recreation Center through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Seven firms submitted complete proposals. Staff selected Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC (BerryDunn) and entered into negotiations. The feasibility study will be conducted in phases with an anticipated ten to twelve-months schedule. The workplan may be adjusted for holidays and public engagement schedules. Director Smith reviewed the content of each phase and the related costs: Phase 1: Discovery and Project Kickoff - Cost $12,230 • Deliverable 1: Project Work Plan and Schedule Phase 2: Analysis - Cost $77,214 • Deliverable 2: Demographics Analysis and Population Projections Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 9 of 10  • Deliverable 3: Market Analysis • Deliverable 4: Facility Concepts • Deliverable 5: Operational Pro Forma Phase 3: Community Engagement - Cost $58,369 • Deliverable 6: Detailed Engagement Strategy Phase 4: Visioning - $16,682 • Deliverable 7: Findings and Visioning Workshop Phase 5: Reporting - $10,443 • Deliverable 8: Draft Recreation Center Feasibility Study Report • Deliverable 9: Final Recreation Center Feasibility Study Report Total Cost: $174,938. Director Smith explained that staff is requesting approval of an amount not to exceed $200,000 for the feasibility study and a conceptual design and programming of a recreation center. Mayor Wright confirmed no public comments had been received and requested any comments from those in attendance. Hearing none, he inquired as to the timeline and then called on the Council for their comments. Councilmembers Marrow, Woessner, Marshall, Stucky, and Mayor Pro Tem Hizon provided their re- spective questions and comments. Parks and Recreation Director Smith and Communications Officer Aguilar responded to questions. Motion: Councilmember Marshall moved to authorize the Mayor to sign the Professional Services Agreement with BerryDunn in the amount not to exceed $200,000 for the Oak Harbor Recreation Cen- ter Feasibility Study Project. Councilmember Stucky seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. 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 6:35 p.m. Certified by Julie Nester, City Clerk Regular Meeting Minutes October 21, 2025 Page 10 of 10