Board to run Oak Harbor pool levy in November

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 2, 2018

Oak Harbor voters will get another chance to reopen the city’s swimming pool.

On Thursday, the North Whidbey Park and Recreation board, which runs the pool, agreed that the maintenance and operations levy should be placed on the November ballot.

The levy failed last November, forcing the district to close the pool. The empty pool loomed in the dark in the background of the meeting.

The commissioners meet again July 5 to discuss the levy, plans for reopening the pool, the director vacancy and a mission statement.

Juli Brooks Leete expressed frustration with board members and their lack of action. She runs the North Whidbey Community Pool & Recreation Foundation, which is raising money to reopen the pool.

“For us to be successful, we all have to start working together,” she said.

Commissioners Wendy Shingleton and Pat Hardin agreed to co-chair the levy committee.

The commissioners and Brooks Leete discussed throwing a “block party” to kick off the levy campaign in August. Brooks Leete said the plan is to have a band, a slip and slide, children’s activities and “pints for the pool.”

The commissioners haven’t decided how large the levy should be. The levy that failed would have collected 17 cents per $1,000 of assessed value; that’s $34 a year for the owner of a $200,000 home.