Marina Blatt reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting of Tue., Dec. 2, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
Summary by Perplexity.ai
The Oak Harbor City Council approved a new stay‑out‑of‑designated‑area ordinance creating a court‑ordered exclusion zone in the city’s south business district, bounded by Southwest Eighth Avenue, Southwest Bayshore Drive, Southwest Erie Street and Highway 20. Judges can now prohibit people charged with or convicted of drug‑related crimes from entering this area; violators face arrest and additional criminal penalties. Police Chief Tony Slowik said the ordinance responds to community concerns after 151 drug‑related incidents were documented within a quarter‑mile of Southwest Barlow Street and is intended as a proactive tool to reduce drug use and sales, though some councilmembers voiced concerns about restricting access to services like SPiN Cafe.
They Said It
Councilmember James Marrow opined that both options seem mild, however, he noted that he prefers the option with the boundary that includes the businesses on the Bayshore Drive strip.
“I’m just delighted with this,” Marrow said.
Councilmember Eric Marshall expressed concern that the boundary will bar access to SPiN Cafe, a day center for homeless and low-income residents. Slowik noted that other day centers, including the Oak Harbor Library and The Center, will remain available outside the zone. Additionally, Slowik said the boundary is expected to curb drug use and distribution by offenders in Oak Harbor, rather than shifting activity to other parts of the city, in response to concerns raised by Councilmember Bryan Stucky.
“There isn’t anything that will solve this problem,” Mayor Ronnie Wright said. But, instead of being reactive, “we are trying to take a more proactive approach in bringing these things forward,” he said.
City law enforcement will have access to all people who have a stay-out-of-designated-area court order, Slowik said.
