Luisa Loi reports from the Oak Harbor City Council meeting of Tue., Mar. 4, 2025 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
After encountering some bumps along the way, Oak Harbor’s Public Works department needs extra funding to add some finishing touches to the Northeast Seventh Avenue reconstruction project.
During a meeting last week, the city council unanimously approved the addition of a 10% contingency for up to $201,156, increasing the total construction spending authority from $2.413 million to $2.615 million. While most of the increases are expected to be paid for by grants, the rest will be covered by local dollars.
While the project is mostly complete, City Engineer Alex Warner said the extra funds would cover the cost of landscaping and hardscaping, striping the roadway and improving signage. The project is expected to wrap up within the next month or two.
They Said It
Councilmember Bryan Stucky asked if the 10% contingency will be enough, or if there is a possibility the council will be asked to vote on another increase in the future, to which Warner said he is confident that won’t be the case.
Mayor Ronnie Wright, Mayor Pro Tempore Tara Hizon and Councilmember James Marrow said they were pleased with the results, despite the challenges. Community members, too, have been providing positive feedback, Warner said.
“We’ve turned lemons into lemonade,” Wright said.
