The Village by the Sea recently experienced graffiti in one of its more scenic spots.

During a city council meeting Monday night, Langley Director of Public Works Randi Perry reported that “significant” graffiti has appeared on some picnic tables and benches at Seawall Park. Expenses to remove graffiti, she said, were also significant.

One picnic table that had been removed from the scene, sanded and restained was vandalized again within a week of its return.

Perry said staff are exploring the option of epoxy coating, which would not require picnic tables and benches to be re-sanded and restained. Councilmember Thomas Gill suggested a coating that would deter not only paint but also carvings.

Councilmember Rhonda Salerno asked Police Chief Tavier Wasser if surveillance cameras could be put up at Seawall Park. In response, Wasser said it’s outside of the city’s capabilities. He explained that having security footage would require someone to be in charge of maintaining it, and ordinances would need to be drafted before the department could begin recording it.

Wasser said in an email to The Record that there is nothing that links this graffiti to previous acts of vandalism that occurred at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds and the South Whidbey Community Center in April.