Oak Harbor Girl Scouts raising funds to save building

Oak Harbor Girl Scout Troops is planning a $70,000 fundraiser campaign to restore a building after plans to give the facility to the city of Oak Harbor fell through.

The Oak Harbor City Council discussed at length during two meetings this year a proposal from the Girl Scouts of Western Washington for the city to take over ownership of the building, which is on city property. The hope was that the city has the funding to repair the structure while allowing the troops to continue to use it.

At a workshop last month, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington CEO Andrea Anderson presented a proposal to donate the building at 759 SE 4th Ave. to the city, with the understanding that it can support Girl Scouts and all other youth in Oak Harbor.

A resolution to accept the building failed in a 3-4 vote. Councilmembers Chris Wiegenstein, Bryan Stucky, Eric Marshall and James Marrow were opposed. The council members who opposed the proposal expressed concerns about the costs, the fairness of helping just one organization as well as a lack of plans for its use.

In an email, Marshall pointed to significant costs the city would immediately inherit if it took on the building, which included replacing the roof and carpet. He also noted that the city would be responsible for ongoing utility and routine maintenance costs.

“Importantly, none of these expenses are accounted for in the current budget,” Marshall wrote in an email to the News-Times.

However, Marshall’s support for the local Girl Scouts remains firm.

“It is my hope that the local troops and the Girl Scouts of Western Washington can find a solution that allows for the continued use of the building, ” he said in an email.

Currently, Oak Harbor has seven troops, which include 65 girls and 58 adult volunteers, Anderson explained. The building is used once a month for a Service Unit meeting, and the troops each have two reservations to use the space each week, she outlined.

In contrast with the Western Washington Girl Scout speakers, during the public comment period, Jenny Neal, the former service unit manager for the Oak Harbor Girl Scouts, stated that it may not be necessary to donate the building to the city. She said the troops aim to raise sufficient funds to repair and maintain the building. She emphasized they are ready to take on the work to have greater access and availability.

True to their word, the Oak Harbor troops, in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, are launching a three-year campaign to raise $70,000 for building repairs. This includes funding a roof, carpet and floor replacement, as well as covering utility and maintenance costs. Fundraising plans include collecting online donations, organizing year-round fundraisers and coordinating volunteers to help with restoration efforts.

Neal said her passion for the building was driven by her experience as a troop leader for 12 years, and her understanding of the stress of starting out in that role. Having a main meeting space already established makes it one less reason to be stressed, she told the News-Times. She admitted that there are many more safe places now than before to meet, however, the options still aren’t accommodating for all of the girls’ schedules, locations and comfort.

It is important to have the Girl Scout presence in Oak Harbor, Neal said, because it gives young girls an opportunity to learn to become leaders, to give back to their community and to make friends. With a large influx of Navy families in Oak Harbor, many of the girls seek out a Girl Scout community.

“A lot of times the only consistency they have is Girl Scouts,” Neal said. “That helps build some more stability within the military community.”

The Girl Scouts of Western Washington are committed to partnering with the Oak Harbor community to deliver programming to local youth, Julie Parker, the VP of Marketing and Communications at Girl Scouts of Western Washington, told the News-Times.

“We’re continuing good-faith negotiations with the city to ensure safe, reliable meeting spaces for Girl Scouts in the community — now and into the future,” Parker said in an email.

To make a gift designated to the Oak Harbor Girl Scout House, visit girlscoutsww.donorsupport.co/page/FUNMGLLMHUH or mail a check to Girl Scouts of Western Washington at 5601 6th Ave. S. Suite 150, Seattle, WA 98108 with “Oak Harbor Girl Scout House” in the check’s designation or memo line.

The Girl Scout House plans to launch its own donation site sometime next week, Neal said.