Marina Blatt reports from the Oak Harbor City Council workshop of Tue., Oct. 28, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
A new Oak Harbor ordinance is supposed to give police a new tool for dealing with repetitive criminal activity on specific commercial or even residential properties.
The council discussed the proposal at a workshop meeting this week and will talk about it further at a future meeting.
City Attorney Hillary Evans presented the draft ordinance, which is similar to ones in Bremerton, Seattle, Everett and other communities. The purpose is to address properties that regularly require police or code enforcement attention, according to Evans. The code would allow the police chief to identify properties with frequent criminal activity and then a notice would be sent to the building owner and occupants, notifying them that they need to correct the problem or face fines, closure and even liens.
This ordinance will be discussed at a future council meeting.
They Said It
Councilmember James Marrow said he was concerned that the code would only create a game of whack-a-mole, with criminals moving from place to place. Still, he emphasized, it is a positive step in the right direction to help businesses.
Like Marrow, Councilmember Eric Marshall said he is in favor of this ordinance.
“I believe in giving the police chief and the attorney and the mayor all of the tools they need to keep our communities safe,” he said.
Mayor Ronnie Wright stated his support of the ordinance’s goal to address the public’s concerns about safety.
“This was something that was very important to myself and the administration,” he said. “This gives us an opportunity to be more proactive and actually hold people accountable.”
On the Ballot in November 2025
| CITY OF OAK HARBOR |
|---|
| Councilmember, Position 4 Barbara Armes |
| Councilmember, Position 5 James P. Marrow, the incumbent Brit Kraner Marrow was appointed to replace Shane Hoffmire until the results of the election are certified in November. |
| Councilmember, Position 6 Andy Plumlee Sandi Peterson Incumbent Jim Woessner did not file for another term. |
| Councilmember, Position 7 Bryan Stucky |
