Kira Erickson reports from the Langley City Council meeting of Mon., Jan. 19, 2026 for the South Whidbey Record. Read the whole story.
Summary by Perplexity AI
Because of persistent vandalism, Langley has sharply reduced hours at its public restrooms next to the Chamber of Commerce, now open 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays, instead of 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. Damage such as broken drywall, glass, and graffiti has driven maintenance costs up about 36 percent between 2024 and 2025 and stretched Public Works staffing. The new schedule lets staff inspect facilities at opening and closing, though councilmembers raised concerns about access, especially for people with medical needs. Alternatives include limited restroom access at businesses, Seawall Park, and the Langley marina.
They Said It
Councilmember Thomas Gill said he found it “unconscionable” for the city to close the public restrooms so early in the day and entirely on Sundays, as he is someone with a medical condition who requires access at any time. He suggested people could visit the nearby chamber office for a door code, but chamber staff said the office is closed two to three days per week.
Councilmember Savannah Erickson asked the police chief if he had any thoughts on preventing people from vandalizing the bathrooms, to which [Police Chief Tavier] Wasser responded that he does but unfortunately there is not a lot of personnel to turn those thoughts into actions. Besides the police chief, there is only one other full-time officer on staff currently.
“Typically with these kind of things, cameras can be installed, but that requires heavy public disclosure issues and records keeping issues and data storage issues, and having officers check it regularly is something we did during the last string of vandalism,” Wasser said. “But now, as you all know, I am lacking in those officers.”
