Despite some hitches in communication, the city of Oak Harbor is seemingly on track to receive funding from the Conservation Futures Program to protect a waterfront property from development.

In January, the commissioners considered a pause for the Conservation Futures Program, which provides funding for preserving open spaces, timberlands, wetlands, habitat areas, culturally significant sites and agricultural farmlands within the county.

But during a work session this past week, the Island County commissioners decided to move ahead with funding for Freund Marsh, which consists of three parcels just under four acres. Preservation will provide public access to the land, which is near a beach. The cost of acquisition is $582,490.

With continued silence from city officials about accepting the grant, the funding has been in limbo until recently. The city has experienced significant turnover in the past few months, with the departure of former mayor Bob Severns, the election of new Mayor Ronnie Wright and the termination of Blaine Oborn, the city administrator who originally gave the presentation about preserving Freund Marsh to the county commissioners in August 2023.

County Public Health staff recommended revoking the funding in a memo to the commissioners dated March 6, but the tide seem to have turned this week. As outlined in the memo, Severns did not respond to the grant contract, which was sent to him in September. Oborn told county staff in October that an additional month of processing was needed to further analyze the stipulations in the agreement, which included the completion of a feasibility study. When asked again in January, Oborn said he intended to bring the matter before the city council in February, but he did not follow through with this promise. Oborn was terminated Feb. 23.

The commissioners, however, decided to give the city another chance. Commissioner Janet St. Clair suggested the issue could come back to the board at a later date.

“I just want to know that they’re going to do the things we’ve asked for in a timely way and they’ve agreed to the things that we asked, like the tide gate and other things, without asking for future funding,” St. Clair said.

Commissioner Jill Johnson said it was her understanding that the city had finally agreed to accept the money. Public Health staff said they would “workshop” the contract language.