Oak Harbor approves opioid-fund allocation and property purchase for regional public safety training facility

The Oak Harbor City Council on Oct. 25 approved using $407,500 from the city's opioid settlement funds toward a regional public safety training facility and authorized the purchase of Units 1 and 3 of the Goldie Street Business Park for $2,750,000 plus closing costs.

Council members said the proposed facility would provide dedicated space for mandated training and reduce long travel times to distant training sites. Chief Tony Slowick of the Oak Harbor Police Department told the council there are more than 300 law enforcement and corrections officers in Island and Skagit counties but no dedicated regional training facility. "The 1 Washington MOU allows for the legal use of opioid funds for first-responder needs, which also includes infrastructure and training," Slowick said.

The council approved the allocation and the property purchase unanimously. Council member Marshall moved to allocate $407,500 from the opioid settlement fund; the motion was seconded and passed. Council member Marshall later moved to authorize expenditure for the purchase of Units 1 and 3 of the Goldie Street Business Park for $2,750,000 plus closing and feasibility costs and to waive the contingency related to the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit funding agreement; that motion was also seconded and passed unanimously.

Deputy City Administrator and Finance Director David Goldman described the property and funding plan. The seller originally listed the two units at $3,277,000; staff negotiated a purchase price of $2,750,000. Unit 1 contains the existing facility the police plan to use; Unit 3 is vacant land identified for future public-safety needs. Goldman said a state appropriation of $250,000 (subject to a 3% administrative deduction) has been identified for the purchase. Additional funding sources discussed included the opioid allocation approved earlier that night, an accreditation grant, projected underspend in police salary and benefits (roughly $300,000 projected savings in the budget), and available reserves and unencumbered fund balance.

Goldman presented a summary of the city's opioid settlement balance as shown to the council: a presented total of $444,698.05, with $26,650.80 already expended and a remaining figure shown in the slides as $418,047.25; later in the presentation staff said the actual amount on hand was $424,663.78 and that an additional projected $15,000 might arrive before year end. The council's motions and the staff presentation treated the dollar figures as those presented by city staff.

Council members asked about timelines and partner use. Chief Slowick said other agencies had expressed interest in partnership agreements to use the facility. He noted the range portion of the site is ready to use and that equipment purchased with a Criminal Justice Training Commission grant (mats) will be needed. On timing, Slowick said staff would notify the seller and the closing agent once council approval was final and that escrow and transfer of possession would follow typical closing timelines.

The council waived a contingency tied to the funding agreement with the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit Task Force as part of the authorization to proceed. The motion to purchase included closing and feasibility costs estimated by staff; Goldman said the closing agent provided an estimated $5,400 in closing costs but final costs will be determined at closing.

The council's actions on Oct. 25 leave the city positioned to finalize purchase steps and to move forward with planning and formalizing use agreements for the facility with other regional agencies.