Editor Jessie Stensland wrote an In Our Opinion column in the Nov. 10 edition of the Whidbey News-Times, urging the Oak Harbor City Council to consider changing from a mayor-council form of government to a council-manager system. They Said It Jessie Stensland: …Oak Harbor has had its share of political...
Jessie Stensland reports: An Oak Harbor subcommittee charged with reviewing ideas for spending federal stimulus money came up with a $2 million list of expenses, from iPads for council members to new city employees. They Said It Councilmember Tara Hizon, a member of the subcommittee, said the list is for...
Tying into the controversy surrounding the Oak Harbor City Councils vote of no-confidence in City Administrator Blaine Oborn and Mayor Bob Severns subsequent defense of Oborn, the mayor asked city employees for anonymous comments. In the results, there were shots taken at both sides of the issue. The comments covered...
The Oak Harbor City Council issued a lengthy motion that contained a long list of grievances in support of their vote of no confidence in City Administrator Blaine Oborn. The motion came following a two hour closed door executive session attended by Grant Weed, former city attorney and Anna Thompson,...
Oak Harbor City Councilmembers Tara Hizon, Erica Wasinger, Millie Goebel, Jeffrey Mack, Joel Servatius, Beth Munns, and Jim Woessner After months of controversy, Oak Harbor City Councilmembers approved two agreements that effectively mean the “Angel de la Creatividad” sculpture will be placed in Windjammer Park. The council voted 4-1 to...
A proposal for a city staff survey that caught Oak Harbor leadership off guard has mysteriously disappeared. Councilmember Beth Munns announced last November that the city council had developed a survey to take the “pulse” of city staff due to concerns over morale, transparency, and the quality of supervision. At...
Emily Gilbert reports on the July 30 Oak Harbor City Council workshop. It seems like almost everyone was surprised at the speed at which Oak Harbor government moved, and not for the usual reasons. It took just one meeting for a public survey about the “Angel de la Creatividad” sculpture...
The Oak Harbor City Council is in disagreement over paying for a traffic study that has already been completed. There is confusion about who ordered the study concerning the access road to the future 75-acre city park. The study compared Northwest Elwha Street and Gun Club Road as entry points...
