Residents press Oak Harbor officials for answers to homelessness | Corrected

Whidbey officials took heat at a public meeting over unhoused people in Oak Harbor, but they also got the chance to tout efforts they are making to help with problems associated with homelessness.

At Wednesday night’s Pathways to Stability Task Force meeting, Mayor Ronnie Wright, Police Chief Tony Slowik, SPiN Cafe Executive Director Michele Hines and Island County Commissioner Jill Johnson took turns addressing their successes in solving issues around homelessness across the city, as a skeptical crowd pressed for answers.

“First off, I know there’s frustration out there. I hear the negativity. I know some people think nothing’s being done. But I want you to know that we are doing the work,” Wright began.

Though the city and task force aren’t required to hold public meetings, the panelists chose to do so to ease public distress, vouching that they would answer the public’s questions sincerely.

Slowik outlined a plan to create a “stay out of designated area” zone, which would restrict people convicted of drug possession crimes from entering certain boundaries. He said officials are talking with the city attorney about creating a new municipal code to enact the provision. The chief is looking at taking this proposal to a workshop with the city council at the end of August, and he encouraged the public to come and voice their opinions on the matter.

Additionally, Johnson and Island County Human Services are developing a five-year local homeless housing plan. While no further details were disclosed at the meeting, Slowik confirmed the city is an active partner in the planning process.

Wright pointed out that, on top of these efforts, the city continues to advocate at state and federal levels for more tactical gear, vehicles and a new regional training center for law enforcement.

However, officials noted that lack of regional jail beds remains a major obstacle for the city. They are in talks with Skagit County to contract jail beds, and there’s hope that more bed space will open up in the coming year. An upcoming addition of 16 involuntary mental health treatment beds in Sedro-Woolley was also mentioned.

A few public concerns were directed at SPiN Cafe, a community resource and free meal facility for people in need. In response to a member of the public asking if a fence would be built around the SPiN cafe, Hines explained the difficulty in doing so.

“We’ve run into a couple of challenges with that, the actual property line is kind of down in the back of our building,” she said.

Since she leases the building, Hines elaborated that the property owner does not approve of a fence around the whole building, as it might suggest the optics of “caging people in.” Hines also noted that a fence around the SPiN property itself would not prevent the people who prey upon the vulnerable guests at SPiN by dealing them drugs.

However, Hines claimed that she has been attempting to connect with the new manager at Walmart to see if they are willing to put a fence up along the edge of their property.

Hines invited people to send any residual questions they may have about SPiN Cafe to spincafeoh@gmail.com.

When questions finished pouring in, the meeting concluded with the mayor emphasizing their continued effort to work with the public and solve their concerns.

“We are all working tirelessly every day. I know you don’t think we are, but we are,” Wright said. “I’m happy to sit down with you one-on-one and have conversations.”