Oak Harbor City Councilor Bryan Stucky posted this recap of the City Council’s meeting of Tue., Mar. 19, 2024 on his Facebook page.
Council Meeting recap
As a reminder when doing my own recaps, I try to touch on what I think might be of most interest to the public, so I do not go over every item. I also do my best to keep it brief. If anyone ever wants more information I’m always happy to discuss it.
Adopting Code of Ethics
The council voted unanimously to enact a code of ethics and conduct to apply to city council members. Little discussion was had as this item was discussed at a prior workshop.
Framework for City Art Plan
We discussed spending $75,875 for an outside consultant to work with the city to create a city arts plan. This plan will engage the public to better understand what art would work in our community. They will also assist with processes to procure art, promote art, and develop partnerships. Concerns were given regarding spending money on a consultant. This money will come out of the city arts fund that can ONLY be used for art. The city arts fund is approximately $250k at this time.
The council voted unanimously to proceed.
Pickleball courts
Discussion was had regarding hiring a consultant to design new pickleball courts. This includes things such as topography, mapping, utilities, geotechnical services, etc…
Comments were made regarding spending money on consultants, location, timeframe, and resurfacing the current courts. Multiple members of the public spoke in support, with no one speaking against. The council passed the proposal unanimously.
Request from North Whidbey Pool Parks and Rec to put a proposal for a Metropolitan district on the upcoming ballot
Approval is needed from city council to add the MPD proposal to the next ballot. This would only require a vote of 50% vs 60% as well as not needing to go for a levy every six years. A long discussion ensued about the benefits of such a proposal. Concerns were raised regarding the timing of the proposal, merging the two Parks and Rec divisions into one (city and NWPPR), and possibly using the area around the pool for a future community center.
The proposal passed with 5 voting for, 1 voting against, and 1 abstention.
