by Richard Uhlhorn
Karyl Oules:
It was Karyl Oules last commission meeting and the kudos from Chief Brandon Asher were heartfelt. “In the end, you became one of our best supporters,” said Asher. “I really appreciate how you listened to factual information. You were a part of decisions, not just for our community, but for the region.”
Oules replied that when she first joined the commission, she didn’t like what she saw. She became a staunch supporter of the department’s direction and leave the position feeling good about her contributions.
Chief Asher presented her with a $50 gift certificate and a Chelan Fire and Rescue coffee cup. Brad, another supporter of Oules also gave her a coffee cup gift and said, “I enjoyed working with you.”
Chief’s report:
Chief Asher reported that overall, November was a nice quiet month for the department. There were several car fires and one water rescue off the Grandview. “There were no major incidents, so we had no real volunteer turnout.”
The staff is continuing to put final touches on the Community Fire Plan. “We should be finished with it by the next meeting,” stated Asher.
The new $41,000 Rivercom communications equipment is almost complete and Asher reported that when complete, Rivercom will make sure it is all programmed correctly.
The Audit is on ongoing. “I expect them to have some recommendations. We will probably get some advise,” said Asher. “They have some sample policies that we might integrate into our program.”
Asher reported that administration will probably make job offers for the two new incoming firefighters in the next five to 10 days.
The department received a one year extension with the Department of Natural Resources. “It allows us to fight fire on their land.”
The department continues to work on Community Risk Reduction.
Assistant Chief Shaun Sherman remarked that the old ladder truck from Entiat has been purchased and will be towed to Chelan. “There are thousands of dollars worth of parts on that unit,” said Sherman.
The recent snow storm (Wednesday) proved that the investment into the four-wheel drive truck was a great investment. “If there had been a fire, we wouldn’t have had trouble getting to it.”
Assistant Chief’s report:
Chief Sherman reported that the department was successful in receiving a $10,000 grant from the DNR. “We will look at allocating those funds for training so we are a little more effective out there,” said Sherman.
Sherman also wants to do more training on the department’s building inspection program. The department doesn’t have the enforcement capability “I want to train people on how to do inspections and also do a better job for our businesses.”
Commissioner Mark Donnell asked who will be enforcing that the inspection deficiencies get corrected? Asher replied that the City has hired Chris Baker as its code enforcement officer. Sherman added that the department is going to focus on City businesses, but that if the County wants help with enforcement, that it might be a path for more funding.
Unfinished business:
Asher remarked that the City’s TIF program has one more year before being dropped. Mitigation will begin when Widner begins its apartment building project. “We need to plan for the future,” said Asher who added that it looks like the $9 million dollar request from the Federal government has reach the President’s desk.
Budget:
“The budget outlook is good,” said Asher. With the two new hires, the department will be able to drop the seasonal hires to two. “We would then have one seasonal per shift.”
The commissioners unanimously approved the $5,720,673.23 2025 budget.
New business:
The commission unanimously approved Taylor Rains for out-of-state travel to the National Fire Academy in March, 2025.
The also passed the MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center) resolution 2024-06. The MRSC is a statewide resource that provides general legal, finance and policy guidance to support local government entities.
All Things Lake Chelan 