After being shut down for the past two weeks, a city-funded advertising campaign to promote downtown Oak Harbor and struggling businesses has resumed.

The city council gave the nod last week and by Saturday full-page ads were once again appearing in newspapers. But unlike those before, the latest ads are focused less on the city’s road project and more on helping businesses.

The decision to recommence advertising, along with the change in direction, is the result of a recent meeting between city leaders and an official from the Washington State Auditor’s Office. It turns out there is a little more latitude when it comes to spending city funds on promotion than had been previously thought.

For many business owners, who are battling both the adverse effects of the SE Pioneer Way Improvement Project and a stubborn economy that’s refusing to recover, it was particularly good news.

“Any help the city can give us is welcome,” Kay Coolidge said, owner of Popsies Gourmet Popcorn & Specialty Sweet Shop.

Coolidge said she is feeling the pinch from prolonged construction and the Great Recession, a term being used more and more to describe the economic decline that began in late 2007 and has lasted longer than any other since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

While many merchants have been quick to blame the city’s one-way road project for a severe drop in business, Coolidge said she can’t factor out the impacts the recession has had on her candy shop.

“I’m hanging in there but last year wasn’t good either,” she said.

Late last month, the city council voted to stop all downtown outreach largely due to merchant-driven complaints. Kristi Jensen, a shop owner and member of the Downtown Merchants Association, and Councilman Scott Dudley voiced concern about the ad campaign, arguing that the focus was contrary to the council’s decision earlier this year.

In March, the council voted to spend $167,500 on outreach for the downtown area. The purpose was to help businesses get through construction, but the effort was hobbled by restrictions on how city-funds can be spent when it comes to the promotion of private businesses. As a result, the ad campaign was focused largely on road work.

According to City Finance Director Doug Merriman, the recent meeting with the specialist from the auditor’s office was very enlightening. It’s now clear that some city pots can be used for promotional purposes, but there are still limits, he said.

An individual business can never be the sole focus of an ad but downtown events that bring attention to the whole area can. However, it must be connected with the construction project.

For example, Saturday’s ad focused on First Friday, a monthly event put on by merchants. It listed the hours for late-night shopping, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., while also highlighting that the road is open and parking will be available.

However, considerable care still needs to be taken if the city is going to avoid being stung later with an audit finding, Merriman said. He recommended that guidance always be sought before any new advertising ideas are put into place.

For some city council members, the green light from experts was all they really needed to hear to justify starting up advertising again.

“I’m anxious to get this bus rolling again,” Councilwoman Beth Munns said.

Munns and Jim Palmer were the only two council members to vote against stopping the ad campaign last month. They argued there was no reason to stop advertising, which was casting at least some attention to downtown, while they wait for further guidance from state auditors.

There was some discussion about creating a clear “roadmap” of future advertising efforts but the idea was ultimately abandoned as the decision the council made was only to resume  advertising.

Downtown Merchants Association President Ron Apgar, who attended Tuesdays’ council meeting, applauded the council’s decision. Most businesses are surviving but about 20 percent are really hurting and any action that leads to more attention being cast on the downtown area is welcome, he said.

“It’s not all roses, but we’re staying positive,” Apgar said.

He emphasized that the merchants association is a diverse group with many and varied opinions about the road project, and that it was grateful to the community and city staff who have helped to support them.