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Marina tenants urge immediate funding plan while council explores port district
Summary
Marina tenants told the Oak Harbor City Council the marina is in urgent need of repairs and funding, saying a port district would help in the long term but not soon enough to prevent potential failure.
Several longtime marina tenants told the Oak Harbor City Council on Feb. 18 that the Oak Harbor Marina needs immediate funding and repairs, and they urged the council to pursue short-term solutions while continuing to explore a long-term port district.
Why it matters: Tenants said the marina’s breakwater and docks are deteriorating, occupancy has declined and a major storm could put many slips at risk. They warned that while a port district could provide sustained funding, it could take years to generate revenue and will not address urgent capital needs.
Louie Foster, a resident and member of the Marine Advisory Commission, praised the council’s work on port-district discussions but said a port district “is a long term potential solution” and “doesn’t guarantee that the short term, near term problems faced by the marina are gonna be addressed.” He added that the community values the marina’s economic and recreational contributions.
Marina tenant and longtime advisory-committee member JJ Jones said dredging and structural repairs have outpaced local capacity to pay. “We had a 2 and a half million dollar dredging project that didn’t go well about 9 years ago and now that same dredging project to be done right is going to be anywhere between 11 and $14,000,000,” Jones said, arguing that the marina tenants alone cannot shoulder that cost. He said a port district could be put on the ballot, “but the earliest with that could possibly get on a ballot would be November,” and that the timing and voter turnout dynamics mean a special election targeted to supportive voters might be more realistic.
Byron Scooby, who said he has moored in Oak Harbor since 1980, described years of deferred capital work and repeated storm damage. He said insurance deductibles have grown to $100,000 per claim and that some boats now sit on the bottom at low tide. “If the marina does fail, the city is gonna be responsible for removing the docks, pilings, and infrastructure and that’s estimated to cost between 15 and $20,000,000,” Scooby said.
Council response: Council members acknowledged the urgency and suggested routing individual concerns to Parks & Recreation and the Marine Advisory Commission for follow-up. Council members and staff noted there is limited discretionary money in the near-term budget and that a port district, while supported by several speakers, is not an immediate funding fix.
What’s next: Speakers urged the council to identify a short-term “plan B” of funding (various options such as bonds, B&O tax, or other sources were mentioned by commenters) while continuing to explore a port district that could qualify the marina for federal funds. The council did not take formal action on the marina at this meeting.
