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Oak Harbor seeks $150,000 from Anacortes opioid fund for regional police training range
Summary
Oak Harbor officials asked the Anacortes City Council to consider a $150,000 contribution from local opioid settlement funds to help purchase a 13,000 sq ft indoor public-safety training facility in Oak Harbor that would serve Island and Skagit County agencies.
Oak Harbor officials asked the Anacortes City Council on Aug. 18 to consider an upfront contribution of $150,000 from local opioid-settlement funds toward the purchase of a 13,000-square-foot indoor public-safety training facility in Oak Harbor.
The request, presented by Chief Chip Slovak of the Oak Harbor Police Department and Mayor Wright of Oak Harbor, described a facility the city is under contract to buy for $2.7 million that includes an OSHA- and LNI-certified indoor firing range with 13 lanes, a classroom and space for reality-based training such as de-escalation, patrol tactics, less-lethal training and multiagency critical-incident exercises. "By doing this investment, we're really investing in the future," Chief Slovak told the council, noting the facility passed ventilation and safety assessments and includes space for virtual-reality and co-response training with fire and EMS.
Why it matters: Oak Harbor and surrounding agencies say they currently face shrinking local range availability and rising daily rental costs—Chief Slovak said day rates of $700–$750 are common—and that lack of space forces agencies to send officers off-island for recurring training. Oak Harbor and Anacortes are both Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA/WASPIC-style) accredited agencies in the region, the presentation said, and a local facility would allow more frequent, coordinated training while reducing travel and lodging expenses for multiagency classes.
Council members pressed for details. Councilmember Fantini, Moulton and Young asked how current training needs and costs would translate into long-term savings and requested a clearer business plan. Councilmember Moulton summarized the request’s tradeoffs: a $150,000 contribution would buy access priority under a proposed tiered system but she and others said they wanted concrete estimates showing how many training days, per‑officer savings and other quantifiable benefits that investment would produce.
Chief Floyd, Anacortes police chief, told the council the city currently pays roughly $6,500 a year for range access by renting local facilities and that an Oak Harbor tiered buy‑in would secure priority scheduling and reduce future day‑use volatility. He said Oak Harbor would manage maintenance and operating costs if the purchase goes forward; the requested payment would be an upfront investment only.
Oak Harbor officials said they have spoken with police chiefs across Skagit and Island counties and are offering priority access to early investing agencies; Oak Harbor representatives invited council members to tour the facility in Oak Harbor.
Council questions focused on: (1) where Anacortes currently trains (a mix of a Burlington indoor range and an outdoor Oak Harbor site, plus ad hoc locations such as the National Guard armory), (2) whether the facility would be open to the public (Oak Harbor said it would be law‑enforcement only), (3) how long an upfront investment would provide priority access and whether buy‑ins could be apportioned by population or expected usage, and (4) whether any other jurisdictions had committed funds (Oak Harbor said chiefs from all local jurisdictions had toured or planned to tour; no other council commitments were reported).
No formal commitment was requested or taken by the Anacortes council at the Aug. 18 meeting; officials asked only whether council wished staff to pursue an interlocal agreement for further negotiation. Several council members said they supported staff continuing due diligence and returning with a proposed interlocal agreement that would include a business plan and specific metrics showing expected savings, days of access and tier rules. Councilmember Young said he would likely withhold final approval until staff produced the financial comparison he requested.
Ending: Oak Harbor will continue outreach; Anacortes staff were directed to return with a proposed interlocal framework and additional financial detail for council review before any payment or formal commitment.
