Stirred up by revelations about skyrocketing cost estimates for the sewage treatment plant, the Oak Harbor City Council is demanding better communication from the city administration and staff about the project.

During Tuesday’s meeting, members of the Oak Harbor City Council said they were disturbed not only by the new cost estimate, but by learning about it from Saturday’s edition of the Whidbey News-Times.

The council members aimed their criticism at Mayor Scott Dudley, noting that he knew about the cost estimate for two weeks and didn’t alert the council.

“Is this how we advocate open government?” Councilman Danny Paggao asked rhetorically. “Is this how we advocate government transparency?”

Councilman Joel Servatius agreed.

“Mayor, we have asked time and time and time again for communication, and Mr. Paggao didn’t use the word, but I will use it: the disappointment is extreme when we get information from the News-Times — and it’s important information.”

Councilman Rick Almberg said the mayor’s comments to the newspaper about the staff were unfair, and they have a handle on the project.

“We all know it’s the political season,” he said, referring to the fact that the mayor is seeking reelection this year.

In the article, Dudley revealed that the city’s two contractors now estimate the cost of building the new sewage treatment plant — a project required by the state — at $116 million. That’s about $40 million above a previous estimate.

Dudley said he is concerned that his staff members didn’t know why the price increased so drastically and he blamed them for not alerting the council, saying they decided to remove the issue from a workshop agenda.

The mayor has the ultimate authority over the staff and agendas.

Dudley was unapologetic Tuesday about going public with the information before alerting the council.

“I think the City Council, the citizens need to be well aware of what is being said, what we’re being told,” he said.

Councilman Bob Severns made a motion — which passed unanimously — to require the city administrator to provide detailed progress reports about the treatment-plant project, both in writing and verbally, at each council meeting.

“It can’t be more important that we get this kind of reporting and be, as a body, up to speed on this,” he said, adding that the city staff did that kind of progress reporting during the Pioneer Way project.

Almberg and Paggao will also participate in regular meetings between the staff and the city’s contractors about the project.

City Administrator Larry Cort said city staff members are working hard on the massive project.

Cort said they are holding a special workshop for the council and public at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 7.

Cort said the groundbreaking is just a few months away.