In his first State of the City address, Oak Harbor Mayor Jim Slowik addressed the nationwide economic slump and its effects on Oak Harbor; he described the current council’s workflow and achievements; and described plans to keep the local economy humming along.

“We’re getting close on some good economic successes and developments,” he said of forthcoming plans that will be released soon.

Speaking to a Chamber of Commerce crowd at the Elks Lodge, Slowik said the former council used a “big picture” approach to the city, while the new group of council members look at the tasks before them a little differently.

“We do things in a phase-like approach,” he said.

Many of the council’s projects over the last year have moved forward in phases, such as Fort Nugent Park, which has progressed through three stages of development.

The long-awaited municipal pier will be another project with a multi-stage structure. The aquatic portion of the project is estimated at approximately $11 million and the land-based part of the project is expected to cost just over $1 million dollars. The mayor acknowledged that the city does not currently have enough money to fund the the project in its entirety, but said there is enough to begin the upland portion with funding accrued from the federal government.

This first phase will include improvements to Flintstone Park and the addition of a community room and upgrades to the bathroom and parking lot.

“If Bremerton can do it, Oak Harbor can do it,” Slowik said in reference to the city of Bremerton’s boardwalk project.

Slowik also made mention of the upcoming construction to complete the Waterfront Trail, which will serve as the connecting link in the 1.5 mile trail that stretches from the marina to Freund Marsh. But the Waterfront Trail may not be the last link in the coastline trail system.

“We’re talking with the skipper of the base and the Navy to include Maylor’s Point in the final stages of the trail,” he said.

The Marina Plan also received attention in the mayor’s speech. The $23 million plan will revitalize the 420-boat facility which serves as an important tourist draw for the city.

“We’re eighth on the Dream Town list, and moving up I might add,” he said of Oak Harbor’s July rating in Bizjournal’s dreamtown list.

Slowik also lauded the city’s achievements including its recognition by the Association of Washington Cities’ “Golden Apple Award” for the third year running, its listing in LIFE Magazine’s 100 Best Vacation Destinations, and the Gallery Golf Course’s mention in Golf Digest Magazine as one of the best places to play in the Seattle area.

In addition to projects that enrich the community and encourage tourist activity, the mayor also outlined the need to make improvements to the storm water system. The current system needs to be replaced, he said, as a slide of a 42-inch wide storm water outfall pipe appeared on the projector screen.

The pipes, which were installed in the 1950s, are quickly deteriorating and require constant monitoring by the public works department during the stormy season. Steps are also being taken to reduce the amount of polluted water that makes its way into the harbor, he said.

Engineering costs are already allocated in the amount of $300,000, which include permit fees. The result of the engineering assessment will determine the type of storm water outfall that will replace the current system, said Slowik. The new outfall system is estimated to cost about $1 million, he said.

To reduce the amount of pollutants in storm water, the city has installed rain gardens, which help to filter out pollutants and decrease the amount of runoff that flows into the harbor.

Recycling is also on the forefront of the city’s agenda, said Slowik.

“That’s where our efforts are.”

The city currently recycles 100 tons of solid waste per month.

“We’re leading the county,” he said. “We’d like to recycle glass and aluminum, but the county doesn’t do that yet.”

The city currently recycles at a rate of 23.5 percent, he said, but has a goal of 50 percent.

Slowik also paid tribute to the city’s 66-year partnership with the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

On the issue of public safety, the mayor cautioned Oak Harbor citizens to the dangers of identity theft, which rose 42 percent in the past year. Violent crime is also up slightly, but property crime is down, he said.

Oak Harbor Fire Department responded to 1,392 calls last year, said Slowik.

“The best protection in fire safety is training and inspections,” he said, crediting the decrease in calls, response times and monetary losses to preventative measures.

We’ve got some challenges – we’ll handle them,” Slowik said, flipping quickly past the slide outlining a few of the city’s “works-in-progress.” The audience responded in kind to the humor with a hardy bout of laughter.

The chamber luncheon audience gave the mayor a standing ovation following his first state of the city address, in addition to three cheers of “hip-hip-hooray,” lead by Helen Chatfield-Weeks.