An Oak Harbor task force established to address homelessness and safety is holding a public hearing to provide an update on the progress and answer questions on Wednesday, June 11.

The meeting of the Pathways to Stability Task Force will be at 6 p.m. at the Oak Harbor High School. Everyone is invited to attend.

Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright and Police Chief Tony Slowik established the task force at the beginning of the year following public complaints about homelessness and a large public turnout for a town hall meeting with SPiN Café, a nonprofit day center for homeless and low-income residents. The city has seen an increase in calls for police in the area surrounding SPiN Cafe after it moved to a former bank building on Barlow Street.

When the task force was started, Wright said he planned on securing funding for a feasibility study within six months. Within a year, the goal is to have the feasibility study complete and to have plans to build a “one-stop shop” facility that will house a range of services for homeless people.

Last week, a press release was posted on the city website, www.oakharbor.gov, that offered answers to frequently asked questions about SPiN Cafe.

The release states, for example, that state law allows facilities like SPiN Cafe to operate in areas like Barlow Street that are zoned for hotel use. It explains that the facility rents from the property owner and that the city wasn’t involved in funding a location.

The press release states that increased activity around the area, including loitering on private property and panhandling, “raised safety and livability concerns among residents and nearby businesses.” It outlines what the city has done in response, which includes quarterly business district meetings with SPiN representatives and businesses owners; frequent walk-throughs of law enforcement with private property owners to address vagrancy, litter and other concerns; the hiring of five new police officers; and the creation of a three-officer Community Response Team to address public safety concerns.

The release states that the city has expressed a desire to the SPiN Cafe executive director and board that the facility move to another area.

“Oak Harbor Police Chief Slowik has stated that while the services provided by SPIN Cafe are necessary and valued, the current location presents ongoing safety and livability challenges for the Oak Harbor community,” the release states. “The mayor and police chief are in constant contact with SPIN Cafe and its Board of Directors on ways to address community concerns.”