Sam Fletcher reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting of Wed., Nov. 6, 2024 for the Whidbey News-Times.
Oak Harbor is seeking some creative ways to revitalize the economy.
At a recent meeting, the city council unanimously approved a contract with Better City LLC, a consulting firm that focuses on smaller communities, those with greater need and fewer resources.
This comes after the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act funding, which allowed the city to bring on an economic development coordinator for two years. The council decided this summer that the position did not deliver enough to justify continued funding.
They Said It
David Kuhl, development service coordinator, said this effort will be different.
“This won’t just be a plan that sits on the shelf,” he said. “This will be a plan that becomes an active document where people on the staff need to take certain steps, people in the community need to do certain things, and it will be an ongoing, living document.”
“What do we want to see happen in Oak Harbor?” Kuhl asked. “Do we view tourism as the main thing to happen? Do we view expanded retail? Do we see recreation being the main thing here? We’ll come up with a vision for what Oak Harbor should be.”
“I really support this, and I hope that this is finally one of the magic bullets,” Councilmember Shane Hoffmire said.
