City Council - Regular Meeting

All right welcome is it is 5.30 PM I will call the City Council meeting of July 21st 2026 to order we recognize that this meeting is being held on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people and we pay our respects to those past and present. Tonight's invocation will be led by Pastor Josh Hubbard from Life Church if we could all please stand for the invocation and remain standing for the pledge of allegiance.

you bow your heads with me god thank you for the privilege of being here tonight we recognize that every good gift comes from you and we ask for your wisdom as we gather to lead and serve this community i pray for our mayor our city council and every leader in our city give them wisdom beyond their own the courage to do what is right and the and hearts that seek the good of the people they serve Help us to lead with humility and integrity as we make decisions tonight that strengthen our community. Lord, bless tonight's meeting and bless our city. In Jesus' name, amen.

Right? All right. Is Mayor Pro Tem online, Julie?

No, Mayor. At this time, she is not yet online.

All right. So Mayor Pro Tem has been asked to be excused. She may not have been able to make it. She said so. Could I have a motion to excuse Mayor Pro Tem from this evening?

So moved.

Second. All right. All in favor, raise your hand. That's approved unanimously. Thank you very much. We're gonna move on to the approval of the agenda. Are there any suggested changes to the regular agenda as presented? If not, I would request a motion to approve it as presented.

So moved.

All right, we have a motion to approve the agenda as presented, seconded by Councilmember Peterson. All in favor, or any further discussion before I call for a vote? Hearing, seeing none, all in favor raise your right hand.

Passes unanimously, thank you very much.

All right, tonight we have a presentation from the Sno-Isle Libraries, and here to introduce that topic is the Sno-Isle Executive Director, Eric Howard, and the new library manager, Brian Tidwell.

Thank you, Mayor, Council Members. Thank you very much for having us here tonight to talk about Snow Owl Libraries. I'm also really pleased to be here with your new manager. And also, just to let you know, he's doing double time for us because he's still covering Clinton while we fill that vacancy. So he's been bouncing back and forth both ends of the island. And this is the last week, I believe, he's doing that for us. So we've got that position filled, which is really good news. We thought we would do sort of a zoom out to show you and walk you through some of the big picture pieces around Snow Owl, really who we are and what we're doing. Oh, I guess I can, let's see if I can. There we go. Okay, so this gives you the big picture of who we are. We're 23 libraries in two counties. We're also a bookmobile. Actually, it's a series of bookmobiles. It runs to more than 300 daycares, senior centers, and then we also do outreach events too and pop over to schools as well. So that helps us reach areas that are not close to the library, but it also helps us lean into a space that we're leaning into more and more, which is the early learning space. A lot of folks don't realize that the libraries, a lot of libraries in Washington, including ours, partner with the state to credential daycare workers. So the schools really primarily focus, and there are exceptions to this, on the pre-K to 12th graders, And there are some other institutions that focus on that zero to three age group. But that is a large part of what we do because we really help fill a void that exists for that crucial age when the brain is just exploding. So we run all sorts of programs, not just for the kids and the families, but as I mentioned, also for the daycare workers as well. So we are also, we are almost 500 staff that help support not just the work that goes on inside the libraries, but that work that goes on outside as well. These are the major areas that we focus on. We work, many folks don't realize this too, you can dial in almost any time, seven days a week, get tutoring with a live person through a service we have called BrainFuse. You can also, as an adult, take advantage of that if you're trying to advance your career or if you need help or assistance with your resume. We also provide workshops around getting a business license, how to look at your business budget. So we are in a lot of multiple spaces. So even though I talk about how we really lean into the early learning space, we cover all ages and all aspects of life as well. The vision of the library is to connect everybody to the library. And one of the reasons for that is because there are lots of studies that show the more that we are connected as a community, especially the trusted organizations, the better we are served economically and we become more resilient. Study after study shows that after communities have been hit with either a tsunami in some cases or a fire, bounce back faster the more they are connected. And that was actually one of the reasons why I was attracted to joining Sno-Isle was because of that vision statement, because they really do live that vision. So I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the priorities that our board gave us. And also I should mention that our board president lives here in Oak Harbor. There's a lot of connections to Sno-Isle and Oak Harbor as well. I just was in Snohomish meeting with city administrators from Snohomish and learned that the Mukilteo city administrator also lives here in Oak Harbor. So you're not the only one who's bouncing back and forth I know many are. So I thought that was interesting anyways. But these are some of the big priorities that we have for this year. We are completing now our strategic planning process. So we collected data. As a learning institution, I'm a big believer that, first, that Sno-Isle is doing an excellent job, but we can always improve. And so the way we do that is we ask you, we ask our community, what can we do differently to continue to serve your needs? So hopefully you'll have me back this time next year and I can talk to you about the results of that study that we did and where it's taking us. The other big focus that we're in right now is summer reading. This is kind of our World Cup during the summer. The school is out, but we are there working with families and communities to make sure that we stop what's called the summer slide so that we keep families engaged with learning throughout the summer. And this was the first time in many, many years that we also opened that up to adults as well because we believe that adults really do a wonderful job of modeling when we provide them the opportunity to do so to their kids as well. You can also get a free tote bag if you read 10 hours over the summer. The other big priority you have probably heard, the 2018 levy is at the end of its life. This is our operating budget. It provides 91 percent of our revenue. So it's what keeps the lights on. It's what keeps our staff paid. It also is what allows us to provide books. And it's interesting, I'm really happy to note that we created more library cards last year than we have ever done before. We're circulating more items than we have ever done before. We had something like 6,000 events across Sno-Isle last year. That's part of reaching that vision of connecting everybody up to the library. So we're on the ballot. Of course, it's August 4th. So what I'd like to do now is, and there is a great, I should have mentioned this too, there's a great banner, if you go to our homepage, or you can follow that link that's up there on the screen, that takes you through our budget, it takes you through how we make that decision around the levy and why, and how the levy works as well. But I'd like to turn this over to your new library manager, and he can talk through some of the things that we're doing here in Oak Harbor. Brian, thanks.

Here, I think we've got, yeah, we've got one slide with nice happy pictures of people here. So, hi, I'm Brian Tidwell. It's really nice to meet you all. I hope that I'll get to see you and get to know you really well over the coming years. I, as Eric mentioned, I most recently worked as the library manager in Clinton. Before that, I was working in Stevens County, so way north of Spokane, if you guys know the little town of Chewila. That's where I was the library manager of for six years. And then before that I grew up in Pierce County, so I grew up in the South Puget Sound. My dad was stationed at Fort Lewis, now JBLM, and so I grew up as a military brat there. So apologies to the Navy folks in the, I am Army, so I'm sorry for that. But I'm here mainly to talk about kind of some of the impact that we're seeing specifically at Oak Harbor. And so it's been really great the last few weeks to connect with the staff and kind of learn more about what we've been doing in Oak Harbor, how the library in Oak Harbor has been operating. And we provide a lot of different things. Eric touched on some of those, but we have expert librarians and a reference desk where we can answer questions. We have story times and different events that we do regularly. We see people coming in looking for help writing resumes, helping in their job searches. We see people coming in starting their businesses, looking for information. And we see people coming in just looking for some entertainment and a quiet place to study. So we provide a lot of different services here. And we also work really hard, and we have historically, as many of you know, The library works really hard to be a part of everything that's going on in Oak Harbor, so we are regularly attending. You will see us tabling at almost every event that you can think of that you guys are holding, as well as all the other community events that are happening here. We'll be at National Night Out this year, along with several other events this summer. And we work really closely with the school district. We work closely with Nass Whidbey. We work really closely with the Boys and Girls Clubs and tons of other organizations because we recognize that that impact, that connection is well beyond libraries. We want to be connected with everyone in the library. We can't do that without working with the organizations that are already here. And so we really take that seriously and that's something that we spend a lot of time doing. So I suspect you will see me in a lot of different places around here. My family, we're up here all the time anyway, and so this has been, it's kind of a coming home for me. My kids are going to school up here at Home Connections, and we love this town. It's a great place to be, so we're really excited for that. I wanted to touch on a couple quick statistics that I thought were interesting. So just the Oak Harbor Library specifically, in 2025 we had 124,000 visitors. um which was up from 2022 so that was kind of our first stat post covid that we were seeing which was about 97 000 so we're seeing significant increase we had over 151 000 different types of materials checked out that's everything from books to dvds to hot spots and laptops that we regularly circulate so we're having that impact in what we circulate as well as the services digitally that we provide And I think what the most interesting one to me has been is our family statistics, the events and stuff that we're doing here in Oak Harbor, specifically story times. So I dug into stats for just this year. So just halfway through 2026, we have had 1,700 children and parents come to story times. That's not including any other events that we do, which we do tons of other events, but story times alone, we've had 1,700 people attend those just so far this year. We had 60 at our family preschool story time last week on Wednesday. So that impact is there. We've had to regularly split and do extra sessions of story times because we are having so many families and kids see the value in that and come regularly to attend at the library. So we're really excited about that. The coolest thing about my job so far has been where my office is. So I'm not connected with the main desk. I'm actually hidden over in the kids area. And so I get to listen all day long to these kids coming in and playing with their parents, reading with their parents, playing with each other. We have a little ice cream set and they're selling ice cream to their parents, which is really cute. And I also get to overhear parents connecting and spending time together and sharing their struggles, sharing the experiences that they're having, helping each other out. And that's what a library can be. We can be an effective third place in a community where people can come together, you don't have to pay anything to be there, and you can have that impact. We're really grateful that we've been able to do that so far here as part of the Oak Harbor community. Eric and I are here. If you have any questions, if there's anything you would like us to speak to, we're happy to do that. Of course, if we can't answer your questions, we can always follow up with you after the fact too.

Great. Well, Brian, I just want to say welcome to Oak Harbor. We're happy to have you. You have very big shoes to fill because everyone here loved Jane very much.

I do recognize that.

Yeah. Did you guys have questions or comments? Yes. Council Member Romero.

Thank you for the library. I do the intriguing aspect of international and national current events in detail and financial analysis of markets and all of the things related to economics. So I would not have those resources in my little 16 was my 616 foot condo cottage. But I can come over there. And also, Jane, I think it was found resources for me that I could not even possibly have found. So just thank you. And like I said, not everybody reads fiction. Okay. That's where I am. All right.

Thank you. Absolutely.

Yes. Council member Marshall.

Thank you, mayor. Thank you for that presentation. You touched on the levy a little bit. Can you speak to that a little bit more? This is a, this is a replacement levy, right? It's not a new levy at what rate is it? And so for those that are unfamiliar, can you speak to that a little bit more, please?

Yeah, thank you. Great question. It is a restoration. So we're at around well, we're at 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value right now. The ballot is asking for it to be restored to what it was in 2018, which is 47 cents. So then after if it passes, then we are back in the same boat where there's a cap and it keeps property tax is stable because we can only increase the budget by 1% over the prior year, which is why we're at the end of this levy because the cost of books is greater than 1% each year. Staff health insurance is 6% to 7% sometimes for us. It's a pretty common practice. It is the way public libraries in Washington work if they're a library district. And they typically return every seven to eight years. And so that's where we are now. It's back to that period. Thanks.

Council Member Peterson.

Thank you. So if I understood that, what you just said correctly, you are currently at $0.30 per thousand? Correct. And you want to return to $0.47 per thousand?

Correct. $0.47, yeah.

$0.47 per thousand. Would that be of the assessed value when it was originally done or the assessed value now, which I am sure is a whole lot more?

Yeah, it's today's assessed value.

So if we looked at that date at 47 cents and today's 47 cents, do you know how much extra money that is or what the difference in that amount is?

No, I don't have, if you're asking what it was and what we were bringing in in 2018, I can go back to the budget and pull that out and show you. But I don't have that number off the top of my head, if I understand your question correctly.

Okay, so effectively, if my house was worth $10,000, then I would have paid 47 cents on 10,000, and if it's worth 20,000 now, I'll pay 47 on 20.

That's correct, yeah.

Okay, so it's a raise for you The dollar amount remains the same, but the money amount raises.

It does, yes. If I'm understanding the question correctly, yes, it does. So because homes appreciate, that's also why the cap is at 1%. So we can only bring in, that's what lowers that rate each year, right? Because the homes appreciate, that lowers the rate because we can only take in 1% from the prior year.

After you get your levy lid lift. Yes, yes. Thank you.

Yeah, thanks.

All right, anybody else? Yes, Council Member Wittgenstein.

Thank you. The library was great for me when it was in this building when I was a kid because I'd skip out wherever I was trying to be responsible or supposed to be. You know, that type of thing's happening. I used to sleep during the day in here because it was warm, you know, down in the basement chairs way in the back. You remember that building? Yeah, yeah. In those numbers you were stating, does that include the digital checkout? Yes. How many of those were like audio books?

so it's broken up into e-books so you can download it on your phone as well and read it that way or some other e-reader I'd have to go back and find out the exact breakdown for audio books versus the e-books I just brought it up so that you guys talked about it a little bit so people know about the Libby app I appreciate the plug it's great and then we also offer free movies, documentaries you can stream them and send that right to your TV and watch those as well we have several services that do that as well But it's great when you're commuting back and forth between Clinton and Oak Harbor and you have something to listen to in your car.

All right. Anybody else? All right. Well, thank you very much, gentlemen, for your presentation. We appreciate you. Thank you. All right, we are gonna move into public comments. Comments on consent agenda items are subject of interest not listed on the agenda at this time. Opportunity to comment on the remaining agenda items during the meeting as appropriate. Please note comments regarding public hearing items will be heard during that portion of the agenda. We have no public hearing items for today's meeting. Visit our website for methods to submit public comments. Public comments sent anonymously or from a non-verifiable address will be shared with the mayor and council but will not be displayed. At this time, we will accept public comments on items not listed on the agenda or on the consent agenda. The clerk will call your name and the order in which you signed in to speak. Please step forward to the microphone and state your name and address. Please limit your comments to three minutes. We've received two new public comments since our last regular meeting, and they are displayed now on the screen. All right. And those are all the comments that we received prior to the meeting. Is there anybody that has signed up to make public comment today?

Yes, Mayor. Frank Kwan has signed up to speak regarding library levy.

Good evening. My name is Frank Kwan. I reside at 4479 Norris Lane, Oak Harbor, Washington. I am pleased to address you tonight because I am a member of the Friends of the Oak Harbor Library, the Yes for Libraries Campaign, and the Snow Hours Library Foundation. I'm also one of those 124,000 visitors that Brian had mentioned at our local library. I'm there fairly often. I am here to speak in favor of the library levy, Proposition 1. This is a time that the libraries need our support. In the passage of Proposition 1 on the August 4th ballot, we restore the levy rate and we can count on maintaining open hours, all of those digital and print collections, the resources, and much more for the coming decade. Now, I've been involved in K-12 education for more than 30 years, as well as the national level of the PTA. And what is most impressive to me, and I've seen firsthand how effective our libraries are with our young people, Pre-K learning, teen programs, after-school tutoring, the librarians visiting schools to teach research skills, and colorful bookmobiles. These are really challenging times, and I think you've already heard both from Eric and Brian about the types of things the libraries offer. They help people looking for jobs, people applying for jobs, looking for medical information, government services, free movies and magazines, as well as help with all types of issues that directly affect their lives. And yes, even to find a good book to read. I'm sorry, but the internet just isn't a great substitute for a caring librarian. We have a great library here. Jane has done something fantastic. Brian, I know, is fully committed to continuing that tradition of service and success here to help all of us. I just wanted to say that libraries serve all of us at all stages of our lives, and that's why strong libraries make really strong communities. And that's what we have here in Oak Harbor, is a really strong community. So please, support Proposition 1, keep our libraries open and effective.

Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Mayor, that's all who signed up in advance to speak.

Great, and is there anybody that didn't have an opportunity to sign up that would like to step forward at this time and make public comment? All right, hearing, seeing none, we will close public comment and we will move on to the consent agenda. Are there any objections or changes to the consent agenda as presented? Hearing, seeing none, I would entertain a motion.

I move we pass the consent agenda.

Second.

We have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented, seconded by Council Member Wittgenstein. Is there any further discussion before I call for a vote? Hearing seeing none, all in favor, raise your right hand. Passes unanimously. Thank you very much. We're going to move on to mayor's comments and then council's comments. Bear with me, I have a lot to say tonight apparently. Cancellation of July 28th council workshop. Following council discussion after a retreat meeting on January 8th of this year, an additional workshop was added each month at their request. In that discussion, the council also agreed if there were no pending items for any particular workshop, it would be canceled. That is the case for the July 28th workshop. All departments have determined they have no items for that workshop and will use the time to complete items for the busy agendas of August 5th and August 11th. A notice of cancellation will be issued. Community catch up. I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who attended our community catch up yesterday evening to learn more about the potential opportunities for additional athletic field spaces in Oak Harbor. It was encouraging to see people come together to learn, ask thoughtful questions, and participate in the conversation. One thing I took away from last night is how passionate our community is. I'd also like to extend my appreciation to Superintendent Dr. Michelle Cussebowa, Representative Dave Paul, School Board President Lynn Goble, and Representative Rick Larson's office for joining us and showing their support. Their participation shows the value of partnerships and demonstrates what can happen when we work together. Thanks to staff for the hard work that went into making it a success and to council members Arms, Merrill, Marshall, Peterson, and Stuckey for being there as well. While there is still work ahead, yesterday's discussion was an important step in exploring opportunities. So thank you again to everyone who took the time to attend. Update on the recreation feasibility study. Since we are on the topic of recreation, I want to take a few minutes to provide an update on the recreation feasibility study and where this project currently stands. First, I want to remind everyone that this is a feasibility study. The purpose of this work is to evaluate potential opportunities, understand community needs, look at possible locations, and determine what options may be realistic for our community. The study is currently more than 50% complete. Very done, the consultant team will continue analyzing the three potential sites and we'll use additional information provided by the city to further evaluate and score those locations. The next steps include several work sessions with the consultant team in early August to review the site scoring matrix, recreation program options, and potential building footprints on preferred site and program. The consultant team will return to Oak Harbor in September to present the concepts, cost estimates, and financial analysis from Barry Dunn. Following that meeting, the consultant team will incorporate any final feedback and prepare the completed feasibility study report. I also want to thank the community members who have participated in this process and shared their input. The feedback we receive is an important part of understanding what our community values and what opportunities may exist for the future. As we move forward, we will continue to share updates. Recently, I've had many meetings with community members and leagues, sports leagues. And speaking of sports and fields, I also want to recognize them. And City Administrator Sabrina Combs, Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director David Goldman, Council Member Marshall, and Parks and Recreation Director Craig Lamas-Cole, who recently sat down to meet with representatives from our local football, soccer, and little league organizations. The purpose of the meetings were to discuss league arrangements, fees, and our master fee schedule. but more importantly it was an opportunity to listen to the community. As I sat in the meetings, I appreciated hearing directly from the people who dedicated countless hours to our youth sports programs and building stronger relationships through open conversation. As we continue exploring opportunities for additional field space, maintaining this kind of dialogue and collaboration will be essential to our success. I think we're getting close to the end. Tour of integrated outreach services in Mount Vernon. Last week, I had the opportunity to tour the integrated outreach services center in Mount Vernon, and I came away very impressed with the work being done there to help individuals experiencing homelessness. During the visit, I met with members of the Mount Vernon Police Department, including their lieutenant and deputy chief, as well as the social worker, nurse, case manager, and other staff who work together every day to connect with people, the resources, to connect the people and the resources that they need. Their collaborative approach is centered on helping individuals move from crisis towards stability. The facility provides temporary housing for up to 90 days for both men and women through pallet shelters, and I believe we have some pictures on the screen, along with meals, secure storage, case management, and access to support services. Rather than simply providing a place to stay the program focuses on helping people address the challenges that brought them there and connecting them with long-term solutions. One of the reasons for the visit was to better understand what a program like this would require if we were to explore something similar in Oak Harbor and the type of information that would strengthen a future grant application should we decide to pursue this kind of model. I believe it's important that we continue looking at successful programs in other communities and ask what lessons might apply here in Oak Harbor. Every community is different, but we all share the goal of finding practical solutions that help people. I appreciate the City of Mount Vernon and their team for taking the time to share their experience and insights. Visits like this help us learn, build relationships, and better prepare for conversations about what may be possible for our own community. All right, let's get involved. At last week's council workshop, we discussed a student city council representative and a question was brought up regarding which other boards and commissions have openings for student representatives. Here they are on the screen. Students can apply online on our website or send us an inquiry at info at oakharbor.org. Stay connected. View our city website and Facebook pages to stay connected and up to date on city news and events. For those of you that don't know, we had a fire alarm at City Hall and power outage last Friday. We had a little excitement at City Hall this morning. If you happen to see our social media posts, we conducted a building evacuation after a fire alarm was activated. City staff followed established safety protocols, evacuated the building, and remained outside until the Oak Harbor Fire Department determined it was safe to reenter the building. Thank you to our staff for responding quickly and professionally, and thank you to the Oak Harbor Fire Department for their prompt response and assistance. Last Friday, we had a power outage at our municipal shops last Friday. It was great to see our team work together, especially in the overnight hours to mitigate the problem and find a solution. I personally want to thank everyone who played a significant role in this situation. Here to give us a rundown of what happened is Public Works Administration Manager Sandra Place.

Good evening, mayor and city council members. Sandra Place, administration's manager. Around 10.30 PM Thursday night, the municipal shops experienced a power outage caused by a rat that had entered through an underground conduit that ran up into our electrical cabinets outside the main office. The rat made the mistake of touching two different phases at the same time in a three-phase electrical system, creating a phase-to-phase short circuit. We can only assume, since no one witnessed it, that the massive current surged and created an arc flash, producing such extreme heat that it vaporized not only the rat, but also the metal housing of the generator switchgear, leaving a foot-by-foot hole in the side of the cabinet and the switchgear completely destroyed. Luckily, the generator did not experience the same arc because protective devices were in place. PSC was called out to turn off the power around 1230 a.m., and our on-call generator company was deployed and was there by 230 in the morning. We had a plan in place to restore the power. City administration, police, fire, and ICOM were notified because the fueling did go down, so we would need fueling off-site. The city shops regained power approximately 915 a.m. after PSC repaired two of the three phases that had been damaged, causing that disruption. The following Saturday morning, city staff detected a strong burning smell inside the shop, and the Oak Harbor Fire Department responded and determined that one of the HVAC units up on the main building was in distress, so they turned it off for us. And once it was turned off, that smell just went away. However, city staff then noticed that parts of the building, the gate, and the EV charging stations and the fuel island were once again off. So city staff then called an electrician in to ensure that there was no other issues and to trace this new power outage. It was initially determined that the third face of this transformer was damaged, so PSC repaired it. However, when they turned back on the power, nothing happened. So they determined that we needed a new transformer. And of course, the first thing I said as a procurement is, how much is it going to cost us? And they told us nothing, because it was just a natural disaster. So luckily, PSC had one in Marysville and deployed a crew by 5 PM. And by 8 o'clock that night, we had power again to the shop with a brand new transformer. I wish I could tell you that the story ended there, but I can't. On Monday morning, when staff arrived, the city mechanics noticed that the fuel island was, again, once out of power. They tried to turn it back on, but there was no power going to the fuel island. So an electrician was called again, and it was determined that we lost all four contactors to the four pumps that we have at the fuel island. Staff located two contractors in Mount Vernon, which we immediately went over and picked up, and the electrician installed them, and two of the pumps came back up working, so at least we had one unleaded, one diesel going. The city's HVAC company also was called in, and they were able to restore the power to the HVAC unit. Luckily, it was just a fuse and not a blown motor. At this time, we don't have a total cost of damage to share with the city council, but we hope to have one by next week when we've located a new switch gear, which could take 20 to 26 weeks to get here. On a positive note, I can honestly say that one layer of stress relief was knowing that we had a replacement fund. We knew that the city shops had put away some funds for these incidences and specifically for our generator. I would like to echo the mayor's thanks to everyone that helped. It was really a teamwork. We had fire, we had police, duty call outs. We had quite a bit. And also to PSC and also to our generator company. They responded quickly and they were super kind. Emergencies bring energy and allow our teams to do what they do best, and that is to make things happen. And by combining our planning, maintenance, and our rapid response, we were able to do that this weekend. We will reflect on all the aspects of this event, and we will look at what worked and what didn't work. And we will definitely be sealing up more conduit to keep any other rats out of the facility. Thank you for your time tonight.

So really quickly, we want to give a really big thank you and a We See You Award to Sandra for coming in. She came in at 1 o'clock on Friday morning when all of this really started unraveling and happening and was there. all day Friday. She continued to work all day because we're going through budget right now. Thank you, David. And then turned around and had to come back on Saturday to deal with the unfolding crisis again on Saturday. So it was an ongoing saga. So Sandra, we appreciate you more than we can say.

Thank you. Honestly, and I'm not just doing this. This is not a cliche. I love what I do. Emergencies are fun. We get to do a lot of different things. We get to learn what we know, what we don't know. Our team is fantastic across the board, and the support is tremendous here. So this is really kind. Thank you. Really not necessary, but thank you very much.

We're very proud, though. Thank you so much, Sandra. All right, that concludes Mayor's comments. And we're gonna move into council comments at this time. Follow that up. Nothing from anyone, really? Okay. All right, then we're gonna move in. Nope, did you have something? No? Oh, okay, all right. We're going to move into contracts and agreements then. The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Lodging Tax Agreement. Here to introduce this is our Grants Administrator, Wendy Horn.

Good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers. I am going to be talking about the Chamber of Commerce Multi-Year Lodging Tax Support Request. So the city received a letter July 6th from the Chamber of Commerce asking for additional support for the annual Independence Day celebration. They're asking for $50,000 for enhanced programming to offset the growing costs and to build a stronger event. THE LETTER NOTED THAT THE CELEBRATION IS GROWING AND IS BECOMING MORE EXPENSIVE EVERY YEAR. THERE'S MORE COMPETITION FOR THE FUNDING. THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN SEEING A DECREASE IN THE LODGING TAX FUNDS OVER THE LAST CELEBRATION, THE COMPETITION FOR THE LODGING TAX FUNDS. IN 2023, THEY RECEIVED $65,000 FOR MARKETING AND EVENTS. AND THIS PAST YEAR, THEY RECEIVED $52,357. So this past 4th of July, the Independence Day celebration included a parade, fireworks, carnival, car show, competitions, music, food trucks, vendors, and it was also a multi-day event. There was a pet parade on July 3rd, a 5K on July 3rd, and a pet and costume contest, among a variety of other things, I believe. So in terms of the lodging tax fund balance, um, I showed this to you a few weeks ago when we were doing our presentation for the amount that you all agreed to this year. Um, but this generally shows the trend. The purple line is the current fund balance. So this next slide is a little bit small, and I apologize. But generally, currently, the fund balance as of last Wednesday is $782,524. We're projecting an additional $253,300 roughly in revenue and I just want to note that our revenues lag two months behind so we receive our funds from the state two months behind when it actually it actually hits the books so right now we've only received money through April so the big months of May through September haven't hit yet As of July 15th, there is $325,154 yet to be claimed by the grantees for 2026. And we're estimating that there'll be a little over $710,000 at the end of 2026. For the upcoming grant cycle, you all approved $475,000 a few weeks ago. Um, of that $475,000, there's a hundred thousand dollars of known commitments, which includes the Marina and the would be Camino Island tourism. So that's going to leave $375,000 for the competitive grant process. Um, so with that said, and knowing we've estimate about two and a half percent increase in revenues year over year. Um, we're estimating that by the end of 2027, there'll be approximately $598,000 left, um, in the fund. If we award the whole $375,000, if the council wants to move forward and approve an additional $50,000, um, for the chamber, then of course that would leave $548,000 roughly in the fund. And with that, I'm just here for questions and any discussion.

All right. I'm going to first confirm that we've received no public comments on this.

That's correct, Mayor. No public comments were received.

All right. And is there anyone that's here with us this evening that would like to step forward and make comment at this time on this issue?

Because I am the director, I am recusing myself from this, but I have been asked to read a letter on behalf of the chamber board president who could not make it today, but I'll step off the dice and make that comment from over there if that is acceptable. Thank you. All right. As I said, my name is Eric Marshall. I'm the Executive Director of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce. I'm reading this letter on behalf of our Chamber Board President who wanted to be here today but unfortunately had oral surgery yesterday and is still not filling up to it. So our President writes, Mayor Wright, members of the Oak Harbor City Council, the relationship between the City of Oak Harbor and the greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce has always been strongest when we work together toward a common goal. Whether supporting local businesses, strengthening tourism, or creating opportunities for our community to come together, our greatest successes have always been built through partnership. It is in that spirit that we write to you today. Every 4th of July, something special happens in Oak Harbor. Neighbors become volunteers, local businesses become sponsors, families gather together, military families celebrate alongside lifelong residents. Visitors experience Oak Harbor's hospitality, often for the first time. For a weekend, our community comes together to celebrate not only our nation's independence, but our community spirit. The Chamber is honored to serve as the steward of this celebration. While we coordinate the event, it truly belongs to the entire community. It is one of Island County's largest annual gatherings and an important economic driver that supports local business while showcasing everything that makes Oak Harbor such a special place to visit and call home. The Chamber has never viewed this as our event. We have always viewed it as Oak Harbor's celebration, and we have simply accepted the responsibility of bringing it to life each year. That responsibility has been embraced by countless volunteers, sponsors, businesses, civic organizations, and community members who have generously given their time and resources because they believe this tradition is worth preserving. As costs continue to rise and available resources continue to shrink, ensuring its future will require the same spirit of partnership between the Chamber and the city. Like many organizations, however, we are facing the reality of rising costs and increasingly limited resources. This year's fireworks display alone cost approximately $40,000, with LTAC funding covering only half of that expense. At the same time, competition for lodging tax funding has increased, while the Chamber's overall tourism funding has steadily declined. Historically, LTAC funding covered approximately 50% of the operating costs of the Visitor Information Center. Today, that support is less than 35%. Operations funding has decreased from as much as $130,000 to $110,500, and this year's marketing allocation is the lowest we've received since the tourism industry was covering from COVID. These are not complaints, they are simply the financial realities of producing an event that has grown into one of Oak Harbor's signature community celebrations. Across Washington, many communities have recognized that Independence Day celebrations are civic events worthy of municipal partnership. Cities including Anacortes, Arlington, Everett, Bothell, Kenmore, Marysville, Mukilteo, and Tacoma support their celebrations through city funding, lodging tax funding, and a combination of both because they recognize the economic and community value these events create. We invite the City of Oak Harbor to join us in a two-year partnership by assuming the annual fireworks expense through an appropriate funding source. Doing so will allow the Chamber to redirect its limited tourism dollars towards what they are intended to do best, attracting visitors, increasing overnight stays, supporting local businesses, and strengthening Oak Harbor's economy. An investment in this celebration is an investment in our local businesses, our tourism economy, and the community identity that encourages people to visit, invest, and ultimately choose Oak Harbor as a place to live, work, and raise their families. Most importantly, this is not about transferring responsibility. It's about sharing responsibility. As businesses, volunteers, sponsors, service organizations, and residents come together each year to make this celebration possible, we believe the City and the Chamber can work together to ensure its long-term sustainability. Together, we can preserve a tradition that brings our community together, strengthens our economy, and reminds everyone why Oak Harbor is such a remarkable place to call home. We welcome the opportunity to explore this partnership and how, together, we can ensure Oak Harbor's Independence Day celebration remains a lasting source of pride, economic vitality, and community connection for generations to come. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Selene Muldowney Stratton, President of Oak Harbor Chamber. She also asked that I provide the following packet to you that you guys have all received. It's got some key insights to one of the sheets that was provided by Datify. It's also got a breakdown of the LTAC grant funding that the Chamber has received over the last 10 years. as well as a list of municipalities that fund their 4th of July fireworks or their festivities through LTAC funds, and then also a breakdown of the hotel stays for this last 2026 4th of July weekend. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. I think, was there anybody else that wanted to make comments on this issue? All right, hearing, seeing none, I'm going to close the public comment section and then call upon council for their comments at this time. Yes, Council Member Romero.

As a matter of order, may I make the motion and then we can discuss it?

Right now, it's up for discussion. I think we have to give everyone a chance to discuss. You can make a motion, but I'm still going to allow other people to speak. Of course.

I move to refer use of civic improvement lodging tax funds of $50,000 annually for 2027 and 2028 to the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee in support of the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce's Independence Day celebration.

Okay, we have a motion as presented. We have a second. Before I call for a vote, is there any further discussion? Council Member Stuckey.

We're going to get off that easy. I acknowledge that it's a great event, well attended. And no matter how you look at the data, whether it brings 5% of people from outside of 50 miles or the other data says 10 or 15, it still brings people. And it's still an economic benefit. The issue I have is the way that we're going about it. You think of the marina. I mean, that was referenced. We still went through LTAC. We still got the LTAC suggestions. And then we kicked it back to LTAC, which is all right. We could do the exact same thing with this. I feel like we're kind of being asked to skip the line here. And, you know, I think Councilmember Marshall has done a good job as separating his roles, but there's still the optics. Here we are approving and letting something skip the line for one of our own. And I got a real issue with that. I mean, the other thing referenced was with the Camino tourism. I remember being up here and fighting that one too, saying they should go through the LTAC process. And so I still, I think it's worth the money by all means, but I think skipping the LTAC, committee, especially when the executive director is a sitting council member, doesn't look good. There's no reason why we can't do it the right way as opposed to doing it this way. So all for it. I don't think there's a problem with the money. I do have a problem with the process, though, in doing it this way.

Thank you. Council Member Peterson.

I wasn't sitting on the dais when we did what you just talked about, Council Member Stuckey. But My memory tells me that you all did the LTAC stuff and then at the end of all of that, there was a separate motion that gave an additional bit of money to the Marina without going back to LTAC. So that is incorrect. So did LTAC then come forward and say we agree with that extra 50? I don't recall that at all. Thank you for the clarification because I didn't remember that.

Sorry, and I'm nodding, but I realize not everyone's watching. Yes, it still went back to LTAC. Now, LTAC, if I remember correctly, it was one of those things where, and correct me if I'm wrong, Wendy, that's their suggestion. We can still override the suggestion. So it was kind of like going back to LTAC where you can say no, but it was still, in my opinion, the right process to do. I mean, we're being asked to skip the LTAC committee.

And actually, you are being asked to refer this back to them for their comments for a 45 day period, and then it will come back to you to make a final decision because it actually does go to the lodging tax committee for their comment period.

So is that being done in a separate meeting or the same meeting?

I haven't figured that out yet, honestly. Timing wise, it may end up being on September 2nd, which is their first meeting. I'm just trying to work out schedules at the moment.

Because again, I'm good with it if it's going to them. I just wanna make sure it's the most fluent and transparent way possible. And so I think having it on the same meeting would probably be prudent. Okay, thank you.

Anybody else? Comment? Yes, Council Member Peterson.

Could Executive Director Marshall speak to if it harms his budgeting cycle at the chamber if we wait on this, please?

Sure.

Did you hear my question?

I did and thank you for the question. No, it does not. We are. We are looking at funding mechanisms for the future, but we have not banked on this, so it will not affect our budgeting.

Thank you.

Was that the only question you had? Just want OK, Councilman Romero.

When it comes to decisions with regard to specific actions, I try to find not the lowest common denominator, but the most obvious basis for making the decision. And because just simply the fireworks is like $40,000 to $50,000. And it benefits universally across the entire community of which none of the population has that kind of money to spend on fireworks independently, practically speaking. For me, this just seems so obvious because it's a draw. It is a draw for folks to come to this town. And we had our largest fireworks display in history. I think I'm seeing a nod there. And so we want to maintain that. And because it's a universal benefit to anybody who looks up in the sky, I just think it's a non-issue. And I'm favoring it. Thank you.

Council Member Wittgenstein.

Thank you. I get it. I'm not a fan of the fireworks. I've never been a fan of the fireworks. I'm going to challenge you and say that a good part of the population doesn't. We have a lot of veterans with trauma and PTSD. A lot of animals don't like it. We're already a war zone, and that's my own personal opinion. pretty much from the third to the fifth, right? I mean, the two days it just goes off nuts wise. I leave, I go elsewhere where they don't let you buy fireworks and that's like national forest. I get that it's a draw and it's a huge draw. And if we were gonna be voting on this tonight to approve the money, I don't think I would have, because I think it needed to go in it. But the whole thing is set to go to the committee. That's why we're voting on it. So I don't see a problem with moving it forward to the committee to let them make their decisions, and then it comes back to us for us to say yes or no.

Council Member Arms.

I agree that we probably should have just let it go back to the committee, but I'm all in favor of it because it is a great time for everybody. Lots of people come out for the 4th. It's one of our biggest parades, and it brings a lot of business, and you know, the lodging tax and, I mean, the lodging. And I just think that we should support that. You know, the Chamber doesn't ask for anything. And I think whatever process we have to do, but I think we should vote in favor of it.

All right. So, Council Member Stuckey.

Eric, would you mind if I asked you a couple more questions?

Not at all.

With the reduction in funding over the years, and 2023 admittedly was an unusual year because it was the most money we ever released, and we didn't even have enough people to apply to give all the money out. So that one's a little unique of a year, but I do, certainly funding's going down. Can you explain,

what the downward trend in funding what the actual impact has been to the chamber over the year and i know a lot of that was before your time but what has been the impact of 23 to now so over the last year we've lost two staff members that we've not replaced uh due to funding and so we are operating now with one full-time position that would be myself and then two part-time positions and so for three people to put on a community event particularly know those that are that are part-time and and so that has been the biggest issue and then what that that does for us is it it limits our ability to operate the visitor information center on behalf of the city because because they are part-time um if i am called off to a meeting obviously i have dual role you know and so sometimes i'll have to be here and then if i have a part-timer who's not able to work then we're not able to to have that open and so It affects staffing more than anything, and then our ability to be able to interact with the public by having somebody to operate the Visitor Information Center.

Looking at the budget, and I'm going off what was submitted for LTAC this last time. I'm noticing that membership revenue in 2024 was about, I'm rounding here, $52,000, and in 2023 was $101,000. That's kind of a 50% reduction there. was this like a mid-year budget submitted or was?

No, so we're on an accrual basis. And what I found when I first got into the office there, there had been a number of people that just hadn't been invoiced or they hadn't paid their dues. They had been invoiced and so they're on the books as being revenue. But the reality is that they weren't paying and that's not fair to their entire membership. So we did quite a substantial cleanup of our books over the past year. And that is a truing up of where we are in terms of membership revenue.

And I appreciate that. Business owners can sometimes be a little slow to pay on those sort of things, admittedly. I never had to call you. You did call me and I paid. Actually, I told you to call me. You forgot. The last question I have is, this isn't likely going to be... Yeah, Hillary's on there now, I'm afraid.

Yeah, can I interrupt? So as we all know, our executive director slash council member has a remote interest in this contract. And he read a letter on behalf of someone else, which is okay. But to the extent he is advocating or influencing the decision on this matter, he needs to not be asked so many questions to maintain that remote interest. We don't want to put him in the position of having to present information.

Sorry to be a buzzer.

I will withhold my last question then. Thank you.

Thank you, Hillary.

Thank you, Hillary. Isn't that fun to get your hand slapped? Anybody else before I call for the vote? All right. All in favor, raise your hand. Passes unanimously. Thank you very much. And one abstention. So 5-4, one abstention and one absent. All right. We made it through. Next item is the Arts Commission recommendation, Whidbey Playhouse, Palomar Lions Head Arts Project Funding Request. Here to introduce this topic is our City Administrator, Sabrina Combs.

Mayor, I apologize. It is going to be our Parks and Recreation Director, Craig Lamas-Cole.

Okie dokie. That's going to be Craig Lamas-Cole. Welcome, Craig. Thank you. Sorry, that's not what it says here.

Hello. Thank you. Craig Lamas-Cole, Parks and Recreation Director. I'm here to present a recommendation that our Arts Commission has come up with for some funding. So the Arc Harbor Arts Commission received a funding request submittal through the arts program proposal process as outlined in the city's adopted arts plan. And this was the first project to go all the way through. And what we are requesting, the Whidbey Playhouse is requesting $1,601 in funding for their Palomar Lions Head Arts Project. The project would install a historic lion's head sculpture at the Whidbey Playhouse, which previously adorned Seattle's former Palomar Theater. The sculpture was donated by the great granddaughter of the sculptor. So we have a motion. We are suggesting a motion to accept the Arts Commission recommendation and move forward with the funding in the amount of $1,601 for the Whidbey Playhouse Palomar Lion's Head Arts Project.

Great. Thank you so much. I will first confirm with our city clerk that we received no public comments on this issue.

That's correct, Mayor. No public comments were received.

Great. I will call upon those here with us this evening. Is there anybody here that would like to step forward and make public comment on this issue? Yes. Step forward. State your name, address, and limit your public comment to three minutes. Okay.

JR Russell, 1044 Southwest Fairhaven Drive in Oak Harbor. I'm the chair of the Art Commission. This project actually was submitted almost three years ago, and it was the very first thing that somebody tried to approach the Art Commission with. It has been on hold. pretty much all the way through until we had the art plan approved and the process approved. So this is the very first thing that has gone all the way through from a citizen hitting a button with an art submission, having it go to the art commission, having it look through funding and then looking for a response. So this is the first time that it's been done and we'll see how this works out for the rest of people that have ideas. That's it. It's a pretty cool statue. Great.

Thank you.

Hello, I am Tracy Davidson, and I am also on the Art Commission, position six, and co-chair. I would like to just share that this statue was actually just a sculpture of a lion head. And the connection is that it was donated by the Gibson family. long time family, very well known for being a participant in the Playhouse and supporters of the Playhouse. And so I think it's a really great connection to not only the sculptor, but a significant family. in the area and I know that the original bid to take that lion head and put it into some kind of structure was quite a bit of money but they were able to get a revised bid for 3202 and so we are Our commission is proposing that we support the Playhouse with half of that bill.

Great. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Is there anybody else that would like to make public comment at this time? All right. Hearing, seeing none, I will close public comment and call upon council for their comments. Council Member Romero.

So for those who have observed me, I'm all about good order and discipline. And and so I'm, you know, not somebody really inclined so much to the arts, but I favor this because really it adds personality to our community. So let it be known that, you know, the hard line council member is for this. And that's all I have.

Council member Stuckey.

Quick question for Hillary. I know the answer, but I'd like to ask them on the record. So my wife, Carrie, just got onto the board at the first of this month, so she wouldn't have been involved with any of this. I'm making sure I don't have to recuse myself from voting.

I don't think you're needed. I don't think you need to recuse yourself from voting. This is beyond a remote interest, but If you're uncomfortable, you may do so.

Okay. Thank you. I'm glad we had some members of the Arts Commission speak. I do love how we have that option on the website for people can suggest art. I think that's wonderful. It was touched on briefly. Do we know how this went from, what was it, 30 or 20,000? I mean, how did it go from tens of thousands to... like next to like $1,500. Do we know the history a little bit more? I heard that it was put into a structure. I mean, that's a big reduction. Craig, do you happen to know?

I do not know the answer to that question, no. OK.

I know there were several conversations council member at meetings where we started out with the initial when they were working on it. And then as they got through the process of getting the piece of art and installing it, this was the new number that was presented to the commission. I want to say two, three months ago when we started talking about this again. So that's the number that we're at now.

Do we have other examples of art that the city doesn't own that we're participating in providing money to go onto a building that we don't own? I mean, I'm just trying to figure out where the, do we have other examples that we can think of?

Not off the top of my head. This again is part of the new system that the Arts Commission is working on is being more engaged with the community, putting more artwork out there and finding new ways to do it. So we went through an extensive process in their review where they looked at the ways that they could do this. This is the final step, is they approved it as a commission, and then we're bringing it to the council to approve it as the expenditure out of their fund, the Great Advance Fund.

What about Serendipity Lane?

That might be, but I know that was several different points of dollars. But yeah, there's probably a couple out there. I'm just not off the top of my head.

Right, but the city contributed to that, too, as well, is what I'm saying.

Correct. And I believe there's a seal at the, yeah, there's a couple of different things we've done. The seal that we put at the Northwood Weeple Park and Rec, if I remember correctly.

Yeah, I think it now I think about it. I do remember that.

And admittedly, this is part of the work that the Arts Commission is doing is making a list of the artwork that they have and making it available to find on the website so that you understand in more detail the different pieces of art that we have around the city.

Hillary could you help educate me just a little bit probably not just me how this differs from a gifting of private funds or public funds.

If there's a legitimate public purpose for something, you know, a park, piece of artwork at a park, playable piece of artwork at a park, for instance, you may spend municipal funds on that. As long as there's a legitimate public reason to do so.

So a community theater for the public that's part of a nonprofit, does that also?

If the council determines that there's a public benefit to having this piece of art displayed publicly, I think it's no longer a gift of public funds. But that's a determination for the council to make. You know, if you buy me a Van Gogh and I put it in my office and no one can see it, is it a public benefit? Probably not. But this is not that. So I'd leave it to the council to decide.

I mean, to me, the dollar amount is relatively low. It's coming out of the arts fund that can only be used for art. The arts commission is behind it. So those are all things that I like. So I don't really have a firm objection. I'm just worried about a possible precedent in the future of what's stopping other organizations from also tapping into this fund as well. I mean, you can always say no, but I guess that's just my thoughts on that. So thank you.

Well, the goal of the Arts Commission when they discussed it is it would be a public benefit because it's going to be publicly displayed. And as part of this new system that they've created in order to put more art out there in different forms and formats, this was what they were looking at. So they felt that it met those criterias. And we did walk through with legal those different pieces of this process when we were looking at it.

Council member Marshall.

Thank you, Mayor. JR, did you have the answer to that question about how the price? Would you like to speak to that? Yeah.

Again, this came to us three years ago when the Playhouse approached us and came to make a public comment and gave us the idea of this thing. When we had a couple of members, one of them being Therese Kinsbury, We looked at the piece and we said, pretty interesting. And then they went out and said, we found a bid and it was like 12, $13,000. And we said, working with them without a process and out an art plan, we said, that is too much. We might be able to work this in another way. And we worked with them to help them come up with another plan to which now what you see is it is installed at the Playhouse. They couldn't wait any longer. We put all our efforts on every single project has been on hold for a year until we had final approval of the process. So they've been, yeah, final approval of the process. We didn't take any new projects in here. That one just sat in there waiting to be approved. Part of the approval on this, when we did it, we were going to be i say the art commission was going to get some credit on this they have not gone within an article on this to say what this is because we still don't know you know the people of the community city still don't know what the art commission can do for them because this is their project and when you talk about another statue coming in somebody else it would still have to go through the process which means somebody wants a statue We want to get a Van Gogh. It would come to the Art Commission, and then we would figure out if we can fund that, how we would fund it, if it ranks high enough to go do something. Right now, we have nothing on the books to pay a project this year that will get done. This is it. this small one here and we'll see if somebody else starts submitting things and it will run through a process. Maybe it's a statue, maybe it is an art festival, maybe it is something that we can help and we'll figure out where it fits in ranking and priorities under the new process.

Did that answer any questions? Yeah, no, I appreciate that. When I first got on council in 2022, I sat on the Arts Commission and that was one of the first things that I wanted to see out of the Arts Commission is processes, right? How do we determine what art we're going to put up? What is the process for supporting local art? And I think this meets the criteria. I've seen this sculpture out at the Playhouse Annex and it's shameful just to see it sitting on the ground and not doing anything. I think it'll be a beautiful addition to our community and for the price tag to be able to support that. I think it's a worthwhile endeavor and I look forward to seeing it up at the Playhouse. Thank you.

JR, do we own the piece of art that's in front of the Boys and Girls Club? Yes. How is this any different than that? I see. They own it. Correct. I got you. All right.

So making some more broader discussion, are we going to start, and I'm not saying it's wrong, are we going to start thinking of the arts fund as almost like an LTAC fund? I mean, because here we are approving something that we don't own on a building that we don't own. The money we have in the arts fund, are we looking for people to apply to bring art that the city doesn't own on buildings? I'm trying to figure out where the line is, I guess.

Maybe. It's art. Man, you're trying to box it in. that's not the way art works and it might not be it'll be performing arts it'll be visual arts it could be all sorts of things it will go to your art commission we will decide where it ranks in priority and if what can be done with it and how we can help with it one person has come with an idea and they don't want money they want help so we're working with them outside of worrying about money if something comes up and it meets our criteria and it goes through all of these people here It says, yeah, we're going to give you an idea. This one is worthwhile. It's reached a criteria. We want you to vote on it. It might be visual. It might be performing.

Council Member Peterson.

Thank you. Art is fluid. I don't understand most of it, but I will tell you that the Arts Commission has done a really good job of working and learning about the process and how municipalities have to do this stuff. And I appreciate your questions about how it all works, but I think that sometimes we do things for the betterment of the community that like Hillary says, it doesn't fall under the public use of private funds or vice versa. If the commission is ready, I'd like to or the council is ready, I'd like to make a motion to accept the Arts Commission recommendation and move forward with funding the amount of $1,601 for the would-be Playhouse Polymer Lions Head Art Project.

Second. We have a motion as presented by Council Member Peterson, seconded by Council Member Marrow. Is there any further discussion before I call for a vote? Council Member Marrow.

Just a comment with regard to the material condition of the piece of art. Because if it's gone from 30,000 or tens of thousands down to this particular price, so I would just encourage the Art Commission and as we move forward, if we move forward with this piece that have a professional installation be an excellent condition, quality and excellence. Because I don't want to put up something that's got full of cracks and all, who knows what. Thank you.

Council Member Wittgenstein.

I love that we're finally here after sitting there for a while with you guys as well. How do you determine whether something has an effect on somebody else, right? The arts is always the one that gets kicked, the candy gets kicked. They're the last on the list to get funds, typically, even in schools, right? You know, if we're gonna cut places, we cut, we end up cutting music and arts and stuff, not, you know, sports and stuff, typically. And so, to see Oak Harbor start to embrace willingly art in all its forms, is a huge improvement to our community mental health. And you cannot put that in a linear place at all. That is definitely a river. It flows the way it wants to. So yeah, I think this is a good thing. So I'm in favor.

Thank you. Anybody else for the good of the art? Yes, Council Member Arms.

that's why we set up the program for this very reason because otherwise we had all this art we didn't know what to do with it who was in charge of it and what we were going to do with it and it was just going to sit there which it's been sitting there so this was a dream plan that was put together worked really hard and now it's coming to fruition finally and i agree we've had it way too long We've circled the wagons, I don't know how many times, and so we're finally doing this. We appreciate all the arts did and we appreciate that starting this process.

Thank you. Everyone said their piece. Anything else? We have a motion, we have a second. Everyone has spoke. All in favor, raise your right hand. Looks like we passed unanimously. Thank you very much. Congratulations. All right, so we're moving on to accounts payable voucher approval for the Chamber of Commerce. This voucher list contains a payment or payments to the Greater Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, of which Council Member Marshall is the Executive Director. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, Council Member Marshall has stated he will recuse himself from a vote on such payments, which are now a separate agenda item. Confirm whether we, have we received any public comments on this issue?

No, Mayor, no public comments were received.

All right, is there anyone here with us that would like to step forward and make comments on this issue? Hearing seeing none, we will close comments and we will move on to council comments. Are there any comments? Yes, Council Member Wittgenstein.

I'd like to make a motion to approve the accounts payable check for Chamber of Commerce.

We have a motion to approve the accounts payable voucher list by Council Member Wittgenstein, seconded by Council Member Peterson. Is there any further discussion before I call for a vote? All right, hearing, seeing none, all in favor, raise your right hand. Five, four, one abstention. Thank you very much. All right, at this time, we are going to move into executive session per revised Code of Washington, RCW 423110, parent 1, parent I, to discuss with legal counsel litigation or potential litigation. Anticipated duration is 25 minutes. Action may or may not be taken upon return to the open session of the meeting. Executive sessions are not open to the public.

The council has announced that they will extend the executive session by five additional minutes to 720. Thank you. The council has announced that they will extend the executive session for an additional three minutes to 7.23. Thank you.

All right. We have now come out of executive session and will resume the open session of the regular meeting. No action will be taken at this time regarding the matter discussed. And that's it. So there being no further business, is there a motion to adjourn? Yes, Council Member Wittgenstein. So moved.

Second.

All right. We have a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Council Member Merrow. All in favor, raise your right hand.