Author: allthingslakechelan

by Richard Uhlhorn

CITY-FIRE DEPARTMENT AGREEMENT FOR FIRE SERVICES:

The agreement for Fire Services with the City of Chelan has been in the works for four to five years and Chelan Fire would like to get an agreement in place before next year’s Fire Department’s WRSB Insurance Rating evaluation.

“It’s been four to five years we have been trying to get an agreement with the City of Chelan,” said Commissioner Russ Jones. “I’m a little worried. We have to have it in place and we’ve gone through several (city) administrators on this. I think we need to draw a line in the sand.”

Chief Mark Donnell said he could get on the City Council’s agenda on December 14 to discuss the importance of reaching an agreement.

The agreement would include giving the Fire District maintenance issues like making sure the City’s fire hydrants are in working order. Currently fire hydrant maintenance is a City responsibility.

ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF POSITION:

A heated discussion ensued on whether or not the Department should replace Brandon Asher’s Assistant Chief position when he officially takes over the Chief’s position when Mark Donnell retires at the end of December.

Phil Moller, board chair, stated that he didn’t think the Department needed an Assistant Chief, but instead designating a career fire fighter as the Assistant Chief. Brandon Asher argued that hundred’s of hours have been spent by him and Chief Donnell in the Chief’s and Assistant Chief’s position.

Elevating a career firefighter to that position would mean any extra hours worked beyond shift work would create lots of overtime. “That person has to be very functional,” said Asher. “He would be integrated with everything. I can’t work 365 days a year and he would fill in when I’m gone. We need to have that flexibility.

Russ Jones asked Moller if it was the title associated with the position? Karyl Oules said to Asher, “I hear what you are saying, but I need to look at this more.” Jones added that the job description and how they want it titled.

Chief Donnell chimed in and said that if it was a Captain upgraded to Assistant Chief, the Department was in essence opening the position to Union bargaining. “Overtime would become an issue,” said Donnell. “It is an administrative position along with field work. I believe the job description has been updated.”

Donnell added that next year there would be another $500 million available for Safer Grants and that the Department would be putting in for another grant. “It is an integral position.”

Jones said, “I guess I didn’t see any issues with it. I personally don’t have a comment on it.” Moller reiterated his position by saying, “I just don’t feel we need that guy right now. We don’t need to do it tomorrow.”

Asher replied, “It is a huge need for two people. You are constantly on call. One person cannot do that work.”

Jones remarked that from a numbers standpoint, the Commission had time to look at the position.

AIRPORT LEASE:

The District has been on a year to year lease with the City for its fire station at the Chelan Airport. Asher stated that there is no increase in the $2,739 per year lease. “It is a 20 year lease with no increase price and it includes water.”

REVENUE:

Asher told the Commission that the Department received $89,155 from the existing Safer Grant which ends this year, another $9,000 in State Mob money from 2020, and that another $96,000 is expected from 2021 State Mob revenues.

CALLS FOR SERVICE:

The department responded to 67 calls for service in October which is down from an average of 74. This month, so far, there have been a total of 51 Calls for Service, eight of which were Advanced Life Support calls, 20 were Basic Life Support and 23 were No Transport calls.

Five hundred eighty one calls for service have been answered this year.

FIRE:

The department responded to two brush fires and a Structure fire on Markeson Street that was a total loss. “When the residents left, they left the front door open which created a path for the fire which started in the back of the house,” said Asher who was on scene within three minutes of the call out. The nearest fire hydrant was 350 feet away which forced Asher to use some residents to help try to suppress the fire. “That’s not what we want to do,” said Asher.

The Department will conduct a training fire on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. at 221 Nixon Street.

FIRE ASSOCIATION:

Association president Dan Crandall reported that the Association brought in $263.00 in revenue in October and spent $872.00. The current bank balance is $30,895.00.

Crandall notified the Commission and Administration that he is stepping down as President of the Fire Association on December 31. A new president will be nominated by the board at that time. “I will be staying on as an executive committee member,” said Crandall.

Crandall reported that both the Parade Truck and Marine 71 have been decked out with Christmas lights.

There will be a Holiday Social for the Fire Department on Tuesday, November 30 at 6 p.m. at Laylas.

by Richard Uhlhorn

HDCA REVITALIZATION:

City Council members heard a presentation to update the council on the Historic Downtown Chelan Association’s (HDCA) revitalization efforts.

Steve Clark, a HDCA board member, told the Council that they know there are things that need to be fixed, rehabilitated and addressed.

The HDCA and City are partnering to advance the City’s Comprehensive Plan initiatives, identified Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) projects, and the Downtown Master Plan initiatives.

Dan Ireland from SCJ Alliance told the council that the project is staying consistent with the HDCA’s Main Street Program to increase economic vitality, keep view corridors and connections between amenities. “People are spending more time downtown,” said ? “There have been a lot of changes over the years. Pubic outreach is very important.”

The Public Survey conducted earlier this year had 1,600 responses from a broad cross section of residents.

The wish list includes more food trucks, lighting and wider sidewalks. “Walk-ability is a big issue here,” said Ireland “What people wanted to see was an expansion of sidewalks. They want a more walkable downtown.”

Outdoor dining options was also high on the list along with the quality of life in the downtown corridors.

Mayor Bob Goedde may be the only City official who doesn’t want to see Chelan change. He would prefer the downtown area remain the same as it has been since 1965. “Let’s take it to the Post Office and see what residents say,” said Goedde. “There are a lot of questions to answer.”

John Olson stated that everyone in town is aware of traffic changes and the unintended consequences.

AIRPORT:

City Administrator Wade Ferris said the next step in the proposed Airport revisions is for the Council to approve the Airport Layout Plan which has been reviewed by all FAA divisions with no further comments.

When the documents are all approved by all parties, the next step is conducting an Environmental Assessment.

Erin McCardle asked what the time of the EA was and Ferris replied there was no estimate on timing. He added that easements needed to be acquired and property purchased for the extension of the runway that will accommodate larger aircraft including business jets.

The costs will be borne by both the City and the Port of Chelan County as owners of the airport.

Mayor Goedde stated that everything is coming up and that there is a possibility to do everything in one stroke. The City is waiting on funding for a water line to the airport which, when it happens will change the entire area.

Tim Hollingsworth asked by the City was spending money on the airport. “We haven’t seen the economic impact.” Mayor Goedde replied that people are coming back and forth. “This needs to happen.” Ferris added that the project would also bring the airport up to FAA standards.

MOTION CONSIDERATIONS:

The Council authorized the Mayor to finalize and execute the 2022 – 2024 agreement for animal control with the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society.

Council also authorized the Mayor to finalize the City’s agreement for Prosecution Services.

Council authorized the Mayor to finalize and execute an amendment of the No. 1 Water System Plan which will incorporate waterlines to the airport.

The Council also authorized the Mayor to finalize and execute and agreement with RH2 Engineers for investigating undergrounding dry utilities during construction of the downtown alley utility project.

Rate and Fee changes:

For residential properties that have a Accessory Dwelling Unit on the property, the City will not add an additional charge in addition to that of the primary residence and no additional sanitation charges will be applied beyond that of the primary residence.

Parks Director Paul Horne told the Council that there would be an overall seven percent increase on parking with an all day rate of $30 with residential day passes going from $10 to $20.

The Fall Season rates at the Lakeshore RV park from Labor Day through September 30 will be charged as follows:

                        2022 – RV, $54 – Tent, $40

                        2023 – RV, $62 – Tent, $46

                        2024 – RV, $74 – Tent, $53

Winter monthly rates from October 1 to April are as follows:

                        2022 – $798; 2023 – $910; and 2024 – $1039

Hollingsworth said there had been a lot of discussion regarding the RV Park and Ty Witt added that $1000.00 a month for a RV spot was too much. “It seems like a lot of money for a family in need of a place to pay.”

Horne replied that the Parks Department was trying to attract a good balance of families that need a place to rent.

by Richard Uhlhorn

We just got an update on how the levy rate works. As I thought we can levy at a rate below $1.10 and the County will only collect what we actually levy.

Chelan Fire and Rescue held a budget hearing on Wednesday, November 3, to discuss and receive feedback on the proposed 2022 and beyond budget.

UPDATE

The Commission can choose to lower the Levy from $1.10 per thousand in valuation and the County will only collect that amount from the property owners instead of what was reported at the November 3 Budget Meeting.

Assistant Chief Brandon Asher thanked everyone who worked to get the Levy Lid Lift passed. “We appreciated all of the hard work you did,” said Asher. “Luckily we are going over the budget we wanted to present.”

Commissioner Oules remarked that perhaps the District wouldn’t need the $1.10 per $1,000 tax based on the new October 20, 2021 Chelan County Assessor’s Preliminary Values for 2022 which came in at $3,506,519.00 and includes property valuations and new construction.

Under the current valuations, the District expects to bring in $3,506,519.00 in tax revenue and another $10,000 in other revenue (with State Mobilizations this is usually more).

The levy passage will allow the District to hire three more career firefighters which would mean that three personnel are at the Station 24/7. They would also bring on three seasonal firefighters instead of two. “That gives us a lot of advantages,” said Asher.

The levy also will allow the District to put $250,000 in it Apparatus Replacement fund. This is important since much of the moving equipment is approaching its end of life cycle. Trucks will be able to be updated with the passage.

Asher also reported a new expense that wasn’t considered in the budget initially. “The roof is going to have to be replaced,” he said. The cost is estimated at $125,000.

Fire Chief Mark Donnell stated that the proposed budget is a very conservative estimate. “With variations in the economy, it can go up or down,” he said. Inflation is a big concern. “We have to account for that.”

Donnell is also apprehensive about the commissioners electing to lower the $1.10 amount to be collected to $1.01. “If we do take less, the county still would collect the $1.10. That money is going to be collected.”

Russ Jones asked if it was possible for the commissioners to lower the amount collected for the District and not have the County collect the $1.10. Donnell replied that, to his knowledge, the County would still collect the $1.10 which would stay in the bank. “What a screwy system,” said Jones. “I don’t disagree,” said Donnell.

It was pointed out that a decision on the amount collected didn’t need to be made at this hearing. Oules suggested taking the excess and putting it into a holding position.

Resident Tim Sullivan told the Commission to take the full $1.10 and use it. “There is a lot you can do with that money,” he said. Ron Simmons, a retired chief and committee member, stated that as a public process the committee thought through a lot of things. “Career firefighters are an expense, but three more people would give the District 24/7 coverage. That’s very important and gives the District a better staffing model.”

The next budget hearing will be on Wednesday, November 10, beginning at 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend in person and/or by ZOOM. Chelan County Assessor Deanna Walters will attend the meeting via ZOOM to explain the how tax collection in the County will work.

by Richard Uhlhorn

City Administrator Farris presented the American Rescue Plan, Transportation Benefit Districts and Tax Increment Funding information to Council at the Strategic Retreat on September 25, 2021. Due to time constraints, it was decided to continue the discussion at a Regular Council meeting.

Ferris gave the Council an update on the potential of the city creating a Transportation Benefit District (TBD). “It is another source of funding for transportation projects,” said Ferris. “Something this community needs is sidewalks,” he added.

He explained that there are two ways the City could raise money within a TBD. The first is to apply a fee to car tabs without voter approval starting at $20 and increasing up to $40 after the $20 fee has been in effect for 24 months and then up to $50 after the $40 fee has been in effect for 24 months.

Any license fees over these amounts, up to a maximum of $100 must be approved by a simple majority of voters. “I don’t think our constituents would be happy with this,” he added.

The other common funding source fot TBDs is a sales and use tax up to 0.2% which must be approved by a simple majority of voters. “The impact of this method is a lot less,” said Ferris. “Visitors would also help pay and it would be hardly noticeable.”

The only downside to a 0.2% sales tax is voter resistance to a new tax. To make it happen, it would require a public hearing to establish a boundary, which would be the city limits.

A governing board would be established with city council. The sales tax method would only stay in place for 10 years. “It could not stay in place (after 10 years) without public approval,” stated Ferris.

Councilman Chris Baker remarked that the a fire levy and school levy are already in front of or will be in front of the public.

Councilman Peter Jamtgaard added that the City would need to more specific with its plans instead of just adding another tax. Councilman John Olson said, “Let’s see what has happened in other communities. It would be nice to hear about it.”

Councilwoman Erin McCardle asked, “Where is that funding going. What are we adding to the mix that we can’t do today?”

Jamtgaard added that it would be nice to see photos and examples of projects. “It is hard for people to visualize projects.”

Ferris said he would move forward with getting answers to the questions and try to get the measure on the ballot in 2022.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth add that it would be good for these funds if the City had something to sell to the public.

Ferris suggested forming the District and then deciding what to do. Councilman Ty Witt stated that he personally sees this as a hard sell. “Fifty percent of the voters are not going to benefit from this. Why would they vote for sidewalks not in their neighborhood?”

Mayor Goedde remarked that the 0.2% Toyota Tax has a Sunset Clause. Witt said he had a meeting on Thursday and would check on that.

Public Works:

Due to the pending demolition of the existing Public Works Department’s Administrative Facility the City Council has approved a temporary office rental to maintain operations.

The plan is to rent 1000 square feet at the Chelan Business Center for $1,300 a month. “This will buy us time until the new building is finished,” said Public Works Director Jake Youngren. The Council approved the rental,

FINANCE:

Residents will soon be able to set-up payments to the City through Invoice Cloud (a partner with Vision Utility Billing) providing customers to have online access to their account information. This promotes E-Billing (paperless billing) and enables customers to pay bills using a wide variety of methods including credit cards, Online Bank Direct -ACH payment from customer bank to the City – Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, PayPal, autopay, pay by text, e-checks and others as they become available.

Customer use of invoice cloud will be voluntary and require action on the customers part to set up an account or pay as a visitor. Customers wishing to receive a paper invoice and pay by check or other means as is currently done will be able to continue doing so.

The City currently issues 2,900 bills / month. Of these 1,150 are direct debit payments, 200 online credit card payments, and 150 bank issue checks per month.

1. Savings in postage, copier costs, and staff time.

2. Invoice Cloud is integrated with Vision Utility Billing. Customers will have online access to account information, and customer payments through Invoice Cloud will be deposited to the City bank account and payment information posted to customer accounts electronically.

3. Customers who sign up for e-billing will receive invoices and reminders by text or email, as well as electronic flyers.

4. Customers will be able to pay their utility bills when they want, and to use the payment method of their choosing.

5. Credit card acceptance at City Hall using a “kiosk” approach.

6. Landlords will have the ability to set up their account, and grant access to tenants (when the tenant is responsible for the utility bill).

7. Features Cloud Store which provides a shopping cart ability to pay more than one invoice per process and Cloud Payment allows integration with third party systems to accept payments for non-invoiced items (perhaps, parking or permits, or perhaps program enrollments).

8. The City would hold no bank or credit card information, and PCI compliance will be the responsibility of InvoiceCloud.

Costs – City:

1. $100 per month ($1,200 per year) access fee – maintenance, support, upgrades, and access to the system for the City and customers.

2. $.40 per paperless invoice issued (current postage cost is $.53 per invoice plus envelope, plus handling). Customer Costs 1. 2.95% per transaction for credit cards with a minimum of $1.95. Current card charges are 2.5% with a $2.00 minimum charge.

3. E-Check Fee $1.95. Current charge is $1.50 3. ACH Autopay – $.95 per transaction

4. Online Bank Direct $.20 per per check (would replace direct debit. Online Bank Direct will allow e-billing, which does not support direct debit))

5. Credit Card or ACH rejects (NSF) – $15 (in addition to City $25 NSF fee)

Parks Branding:

Parks Director Paul Horne told the Council that the branding project being proposed was not going off in left field in answer to the City’s Way Finding efforts. “The Chamber has done well with branding. We had four firms and this group (Arnett Muldrow) specializes in this kind of work,” said Horne.

The plan is to stay consistent with the current branding efforts. Cost of the project is $11,000 with $4,000 held in contingencies. Horne reported that the design team will work closely with the HDCA and Chamber of Commerce to insure the branding efforts will complement other branding efforts.

McCardle said she was excited to see how those various projects are tied together. “It will elevate the awareness of what we have in this valley.”

Olson asked if the PUD parks were included because visitors don’t know the difference. Horne said the PUD parks were not a part of the project.

The council authorized the Mayor to execute and finalize the contract with Arnett Muldrow & Associates.

Mayor/Council comments:

Hollingsworth remarked that a letter received from downtown businesses showing a rift between businesses over potential work in the alley between Columbia and Emerson Streets. “I hope they can bring some consensus with the downtown businesses,” he said. “It they want real support, they need to come up unified and bury the hatchet. There has to be a solution there.”

Public Works Director Jake Youngren said the issues are something public works is completely aware of. “We will do what we can to provide sanitation during construction,” he said. He said the game plan was to bring in a 20-yard garbage container and a 10-yard recycle container using the old Chamber parking lot.

John Olson was not happy with the Chamber requesting $800,000 next year to solicit more visitors. “We obviously are failing to adequately serve the visitors that we already have.” He stated that the Chamber reported 2 million annual visitors to Chelan.

Olson also remarked that Chelan’s infrastructure hasn’t changed significantly since he was a child 70 years ago. “We have a failing infrastructure already, as we discussed tonight, and there are thousands of housing units being developed right now”

Olson also stated that he attended the Keep It Blue campaign meeting at the Boat Club last week and said there are some issues on the lake that we should all be aware of.

Mayor Goedde announced that LINK will be developing new routes throughout the valley.

Ferris said the Airport management will begin clocking the number of landings and takeoffs at the Chelan Airport, which is important information when going after grants.

Mayor Goedde added that a commercial airline wants to use the airport twice a day. He also stated it was important to get water flow to the airport so it could develop.

The next Council meeting will be held on November 9 beginning at 6 p.m.

by Richard Uhlhorn

Mary Murphy, board chair of the Hospital commission said she had been thinking a lot about change and is hopes that it takes care of itself. She added that she appreciates the work being put in by the executive branch, leadership teams and board. “I think we are making very good progress to make the organization work well,” said Murphy in her opening statement at Lake Chelan Health’s board meeting on Tuesday, October 26.

FINANCE:

CFO Cheryl Cornwell reported that the hospital lost $472,577 in September. The hospital’s operating revenue was $1,535,424 for September. “The CARES funding will add several millions to the revenue,” said Cornwell. “We are still waiting on Medicare which will add another million to the bottom line. In the end, we are going to get paid what we get paid. It’s an odd time to do hospital accounting.”

She also asked the board to get out of the contract with Quorum. “It is costing us a lot of money,” she said. “It has been detrimental to us when it was supposed to be beneficial.”

Murphy said the hospital’s attorney would need to be involved in that. Cornwell replied that the contract is not good for the hospital. Jeremy Jaech stated that if the contract is costing the hospital money, it shouldn’t be a problem to opt out.

FACILITIES:

Signorelli reported that she has sought three property evaluations from three different real estate agencies on Heritage Heights. She has received two and expected a third on October 27. “I will send the valuations to the board.”

Heritage Heights has asked to extend its contract over the 25 years it has remaining. Signorelli recommended that the board consider turning the current lease into a lease to purchase which would put them into an ownership position. “At the end of the lease, the property would not revert back to us… they would own the property.” Signorelli added that a decision needs to be made of what would work best for the hospital and Heritage Heights. Jordana LaPorte reminded the board that the property was an asset to the District. “We need to do the right thing for the District,” she said.

Signorelli said the board would discuss what they want to do at the next board meeting in November.

Fred Miller reported that the new hospital is on budget and on time.

Agustin Venegas, marketing manager, has been working on the Hospital’s transition plan and told the board that the remodeling expense for the third floor (business offices) would be minimal. The Clinic and Express Clinic will reside on the second floor.

EMS and other operations will remain on the first floor,The board has retained the services of Kimberly McNalley, a board certified coach, who will help with board development.

BOARD DEVELOPMENT:

McNalley told the board that she will  observe their meetings silently and is intending to plan on a board development session on November 17. “Where do we best spend out time together,” she asked. McNalley asked the members to give her a complete individual conflict profile by November 5. “We can then customize how to spend our time together.” McNalley is a highly respected coach with 22 years experience in the medical field. When they meet for a half-day development session, McNalley will be asking the board members for their perspective.

Shawn Ottley, the hospital’s quality director, reported that he is looking over changes that past CEO George Rohrich proposed for the hospital’s organizational chart. He stated that there were some challenges.

Cheryl Cornwell, the hospital’s CFO, told the board that they need to make Ottley the hospital’s COO. “We are in dire need of higher leadership doing the work that needs done,” she stated. “I don’t want to wait two months or even a month,” said Cornwell.

Murphy replied that the board needs to take more time and hold a special meeting on the subject. “It’s not something we can push down the road. We need to schedule some time and have the resource managers in the room.”

Mary Signorelli said she appreciates the initiative Ottley has taken in tackling the subject. “I appreciate your work.”

Ottley reported that he is putting the strategic plan in a form that is more strategic towards goals within department levels. “How are we going to get there. The leadership team will take the rest of November to polish the strategic plan. Ottley said he would send the board updates on the progress.

The board is putting together the pieces of a CEO transition plan and will be working closely with the Human Resources office. “I hope to meet in the next week or two,” said Murphy. She thanked the staff for weighing in on the process.

Signorelli remarked that she thought the new CEO should have experience in Critical Access Hospitals. “That will help us hone down the applicants.”

Regarding a recruitment flow chart, Murphy said it has been a challenge. “What is the procedure for hiring the best CEO,” she asked. “Finding a balance has been a challenge.”

The next full board meeting will be on November 30 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on ZOOM.

by Richard Uhlhorn

A Keep It Blue Membership and Fundraising Event will be held at the Lake Chelan Boat Club from 4 to 6 p.m.
on Thursday, October 21.

On Tuesday evening, October 12, Phil Long, director of the Lake Chelan Research Institute and Mike Kaputa, director of Chelan County’s Natural Resources Division, delivered a Lake Chelan water quality update.

“If you go to the middle of the lake, the quality is the same as it was in 1987,” stated Long who added that the story is a lot different along the lake’s shoreline, particularly n the Wapato Basin. Algae which had been non-existent for years is now showing up on rocks along the shoreline. “We are seeing something going on along the shoreline,” said Long.

Algae forms with nutrient input (such as phosphorus). “Lake Chelan is a very large protected lake managed by the Forest Service in the upper Lucerne Basin,” said Long.

The nutrients being added to the lake can come from and overuse of lawn fertilizers, goose poop which can be seen at Lakeside Park and Sunset Marina on the docks.

Other issues facing the near-shore environment is the aquatic invasive species which right now includes a healthy invasion of Asian mussels and milfoil in certain areas of the lake. “There is 12 acres of milfoil in the Wapato Basin,” said Long. Long mentioned the potential use of D.A.S.H. (D.A.S.H. stands for Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting and is an alternative to chemical use to kill unwanted plants. Divers identify unwanted non-native or invasive plants that need to be removed, pull them out by the roots and feed them into a suction tube that transports the plants to a boat to be hauled away.)

Kaputa thanked the City and Council for their dedication and funding support of the County’s and Institute’s ongoing monitoring of the lake. “We are pooling our resources for this work.”

Kaputa went on to say he’s sorry Cameron ‘Skip’ Morehouse is no longer with us (Morehouse passed away in September). “Skip helped secure local funding when he was on the council and was a regular participant with the Watershed Planning Unit,” said Kaputa. “I enjoyed working with him.”

Kaputa went on to say, “Lake Chelan is at a very high risk for the introduction of Zebra and other invasive mussels. It’s just a matter of time before they show up in Washington.”

Washington currently has three inspection stations at its borders. “What we don’t have is what they have at Lake Whatcom.” Whatcom County and Bellingham have a well-known program for boat inspections entering their waters which is financed by their own efforts. One-third of the $450,000 funding comes from the sale of stickers.

In 2022 Lake Chelan will a voluntary inspection program for boaters coming to the lake.

Public Works Director Jake Youngren remarked that the department inspects the raw water reservoir before the water goes into the treatment facility and that they get a “substantial amount of them (Asian clams) there.”

Kaputa requested that the City Council add one more year to its five-year funding commitment to help continue the work on keeping Lake Chelan healthy and clean. The Council unanimously agreed to that request.

CHELAN — The Keep It Blue campaign, which is dedicated to the long-term protection of Lake Chelan’s water quality and supply, will release its first State of the Lake Report on Thursday, Oct. 21.

The report will be released at the Keep It Blue Membership Program Launch Party and Fundraising Event, to be held 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Lake Chelan Boat Club. The event, which is open to the public, not only is an opportunity for people to join the Lake Chelan campaign but also to visit information booths and listen to presenters who will talk about water quality issues.

“We are releasing the 2021 State of the Lake Report and, at the same time, inviting people to join us in building upon this important effort,” said Mike Kaputa, director of the Chelan County Natural Resources Department. “The Keep It Blue campaign is one that impacts anyone who depends upon or enjoys Lake Chelan.”

The Keep it Blue campaign is an effort of the Lake Chelan Watershed Planning Unit, which is made up of a collection of stakeholders, including Natural Resources and the Lake Chelan Research Institute. The partners formed Keep It Blue as a way to not only monitor the quality of Lake Chelan, the largest natural lake in the state and the third deepest in the nation, but also to educate the public about community-based actions that will help protect the lake.  With the substantial development around it over recent decades and its increasing popularity with tourists, the lake has grown into a key economic driver for the region.

The report, which will be released annually, covers key water quality metrics such as water clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll concentrations, dissolved oxygen depletion rates, and the growth of near shore algae and aquatic invasive species.

Among the highlights in the 2021 report, which will be available at the event as well as at www.keepitbluelakechelan.org, is that Lake Chelan “exhibits remarkable long-term stability in water clarity, nutrient concentrations and growth of algae.” This is due to the large, mostly pristine nature of the lake’s watershed, according to the report.

The report also states that the near shore environment of Lake Chelan is less stable, undergoing a transition in which algae along the shoreline has increased and aquatic invasive species have expanded over the last few decades. The Lake Chelan Research Institute and Natural Resources are focusing their attention on addressing near shore water quality, or specifically, pathogen indicators and aquatic invasive species.

Funding and in-kind support for the long-term monitoring of the lake is provided by Chelan County, the city of Chelan, the Lake Chelan Reclamation District, Cascadia Conservation District, Chelan PUD, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Forest Service.

In addition, numerous businesses, including Campbell’s Resort, Cashmere Valley Bank and private individuals have provided financial support to the Lake Chelan Research Institute.

However, the Oct. 21 public event is an opportunity to build upon the campaign’s effort, increasing membership to fund future monitoring efforts and studies. The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring all 400 of its businesses in the Chelan and Manson areas to the membership program in its first year. More information about membership is at www.keepitbluelakechelan.org/membership.

“Through our partnership with the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce, the Keep It Blue membership program will help to create a community of dedicated people who share the responsibility of promoting sustainable practices and protecting water quality in Lake Chelan,” said Lisa Dowling, a member of the Keep it Blue Board and a natural resource specialist with the county.

by Richard Uhlhorn

Chelan County Fire District #7 (Chelan Fire & Rescue) is asking voters to approve the first Levy Lid Lift in 15 years. The Levy Lid Lift rate for Proposition 1 is at $1.10 and is based on the July assessments from the Chelan County Assessor.

“We took the latest assessment values from the Assessor we could get before the deadline to get the levy on the ballot,” said Chief Mark Donnell in a telephone conversation.

At the non-meeting on Wednesday; Phil Moller was tied up in Wenatchee and Karyl Oules was also unavailable, so there was no quorum.  Chelan property owner Al Lorenz was at the meeting and gave the District what he calls the newest assessment numbers which could potentially give the District an additional $400,000 over their projected revenues.

Donnell stated that the District has not received the official preliminary value statement from the assessor’s office and said the numbers could change again.

Donnell said that even with the potential increase in tax revenue, the District will still have barely enough funds to do what needs to be done; primarily upgrading outdated fire units.

The Assessor’s office gave a $3,204,549,974.00 valuation for 2021 back in July, which was the number used by the District to project their figures. New assessment numbers will not be out for several more weeks.

In 2022, based on the Assessor’s July figures, the District would receive a projected $3,506,519.46 at the approved Levy rate of $1.10 per thousand of valuation. In 2023, it would receive a projected $3,435,337.00 at a $1.07 per thousand.

If the Levy fails, in 2022, the District would receive a projected $2,467,503.40 at the current $.78 cents per thousand.

If the voters decide to fail the levy lid lift (the first request for a funding increase in 15 years), the District would struggle to maintain the needed level of service and it would potentially result in having to let some personnel go.

Chelan’s EMS at Lake Chelan Health had no problem increasing their levy amount in order to purchase two new ambulances to replace the ambulances that are beyond their life span.

Chelan Fire District also has equipment that has reached or will reach its life span. The Fire District’s property owners deserve the best service.

With more and more properties being developed in the Lake Chelan Valley in the urban/wildland interface, the importance of having a well trained professional staff and volunteer base is necessary.

No one wants to relive the horrors of the 2015 Chelan Complex when South Chelan was in danger of being destroyed. This year’s wildfire in the 25-Mile Creek drainage could have been devastating to the homes on the South Shore and First Creek if it had been allowed to cross over into those two drainages.

Your YES vote guarantees continued quality service. If, for some reason, you vote NO on Proposition 1, be assured that Chelan Fire and Rescue will continue to respond to emergencies, but probably at much lower service level.

by Richard Uhlhorn

The Lake Chelan Community Hospital Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution to un-surplus the current hospital building. “We need to rescind that building because we are planning on using it,” said Board Chair Mary Murphy.

When the voters first approved the building of the new hospital, its projected space was large enough to accommodate all the district’s needs. However, over the years since the new building was approved by the voters. it has been downsized for a number of reasons.

The current hospital will be utilized by the district for administration offices, EMS and potentially, the walk-in clinic.

Jeremy Jaech asked what the purpose of surplus the building was in the first place? Murphy replied that the district had planned on selling the building and used the profits for other things needed by the hospital. “We were going to do everything we needed at the new campus until we had to scale back,” said Murphy.

HeritageHeights:

CEO George Rohrich told the board that he and Mary Signorelli met with Timi Starkweatehr and that the facility was not making any moves to obtain a loan until November. “There is no urgency now,” said Rohrich. “When we get all the information, we will bring it back to the board.”

Capital Equipment:

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer recommended that the board approve the purchase of two new ambulances. “We have one 27 year old ambulance we can’t purchase parts for anymore and a 20 year old ambulance that also needs replacing,” Eickmeyer told the board. “We won’t see the new ambulances for at least 365 days.” He explained that the issue was the non-availability of computer chips in the vehicle manufacturing industry.

“I know these are expensive but I’m asking that you consider ordering,” said Eickmeyer. He added that waiting to order would increase the price by 12% or another $30,000 each. The board approved the purchase.

Jeremy asked if the new levy funds covered the cost of the ambulances? Eickmeyer replied that the levy did indeed have the costs covered. The old ambulances would be sold; the older one to a person and the 20-year old one to a smaller fire department.

“We’ve got every ounce of life out of these,”said Eickmeyer. The average life of an ambulance is ±20 years depending on a number of variables.

FINANCE REPORT:

C. Cornwell presented the July financial report. $3.38 million was forgiven from the CARES monies, and LCH expects $2.6 million back from the cost report. The Finance Committee is recommending engagement of a service contract with Kronos for accounts payable and HR functions, as well as scheduling and additional services interchangeable within the two contenders for EHR. If approved the rollout is expected to take six months.

CFO Cheryl Cornwell said a contract with one of the two proposals would help improve the hospital’s revenue, “if we ever get out of the COVID Pandemic.”

Along with increasing the hospital’s revenue, Cornwell said they need to “make sure our revenue cycle is healthy.”

FACILITIES REPORT:

Rohrich stated that the new hospital in on schedule and that there were no large value change orders in August.

“The Facilities Plan is moving forward and in 30 to 60 days we will know the costs,” said Rohrich. The plan will also indicate who is going to sit where.

By Richard Uhlhorn

Chelan Fire and Rescue is expecting $170,000+ in State Mobilization money with $100,000 of that from equipment used on the wildland fires. “None of this would have been possible without our volunteers,” said Chief Mark Donnell. It was also reported that Marine 71 was hired for work on the Twenty Five Mile Fire and has earned $4,000, which will go into the Marine 71 budget.

The department responded to 117 calls in August which is 12 percent higher over last year. Fifty-two percent of the calls were medical in nature. Forty seven percent were non-transport issues.

            Advanced Life Support                                     11

            Basic Life Support                                            17

            Non-Transport                                                 43

“Lake Chelan Health and Confluence are in crisis mode,” said Donnell. “There is a huge influx of people coming in from Idaho.”

Donnell stated that turnout has been pretty good. The one loss in the Shady Pass area was the old 1917 Hale House that had an estimated worth of $526,000. The loss to the district in revenues is $340.88.

He said that the current estimated cost of the 25-Mile Fire is $20 Million. Structural assessments on structures on the South Shore were completed in 2013 and 2015. A lot of effort went into protecting those structures from the possibility of the fire reaching them from Shady Pass to First Creek.

The current state mandate for vaccinations has Donnell concerned that the District could lose some volunteers. “We are wanting to tweek the language for exemptions,” he said. “We hear some people would leave (if vaccinations were required).” Donnell said the exemptions would not affect the career staff who would be required to obtain vaccine status or an exemption or face the possibility of dismissal with the opportunity to hire them back.

Donnell reported that the City has taken over the maintenance of fire hydrants.

Assistant Chief Brandon Asher reported that two firefighters have taken retirement and another two have moved out of the area. Training has focused on wildland fires. “With the 25-Mile Fire we are starting to get a good baseline for wildfire.” He said the District was able to field a full Strike Team with equipment for six days on the 25-Mile Fire.

The firefighters have been testing hose and will be trained on the new portable radios which are programmable. He has also been in contact  with Chelan County Fire District 1 regarding a recruit academy.

Fire Fighter Association:

Dan Crandall reported that the association had no expenses in August, deposited $238.50 bringing the associations bank balance to $32,507.88. “We voted to donate $1,000 to the family that lost their home and all their belongings,” said Crandall. The association also decided to purchase all the candy for Halloween. He added that the associations website is up and being updated daily.

Fire Alarm Issue:

Donnell said that the Fire Alarm issue continues with a number of false alarms. Chelan Resort has so far had 22 false alarms. “We are creating a program to encourage businesses to work on their fire alarm systems.” Donnell said the District would respond to the first false alarm for free, but after that it would go to $50 for the second alarm and then up to $200 for the third alarm. “This money can go back to help fix the problem. It doesn’t penalize them.” He stated that Chelan Resorts is not moving as fast as he would like. “We don’t have a big problem with false alarms with the exception of Chelan Resorts,” said Donnell.

Budget:

Donnell said he and Asher would be meeting one-on-one with the board members to go over the two budget scenarios; one if the levy passes and the other if it doesn’t.

If Proposition 1 passes the annual budget for 2022 would be $3.1 million dollars and if it doesn’t, the budget would drop to $2.25 million.

Commissioner Russ Jones remarked that just because assessments go up, doesn’t mean a big increase in revenue for the District which is allowed to only increase by 1 percent per year.

Donnell stated that Asher will be leading the commissioners through the budget process as a part of his upcoming administrative duties.

Prop. 1 Public Relations:

The District is preparing a video that will be used to show a unified leadership within the Department and a message that shows that Chelan Fire & Rescue is an All-Hazard Department, not just a fire department.

In addition, a direct mailer is being prepared to send to District residents explaining the Levy.

The District will be using social media outlets to get its word out to the public.

They are also planning on a Community Coffee hour at the Vogue, Apple Cup and other locations so residents within the district can visit and ask questions of Chief Donnell, Assistant Chief Asher and Board members.

There is an October 4 Candidate’s Forum being planned and the District will be able to have levy information available.

Succession Plan:

Donnell told the board that he is giving Asher more and more administrative responsibilities as they move towards Chief Donnell’s retirement date.

The Succession Plan looks like this:

• Promote Assistant Chief Asher to Interim Chief effective January 1, 2022.
• Chief Donnell would take an Executive Officer role to mentor Chief Asher in developing the necessary administrative strengths.
• Leave the Assistant Chief Position open
• Assign a Captain to a Day Captain position
• Promote one Firefighter/EMT to Captain
• Hire one additional Firefighter/EMT to cover the seventh position (which would reduce Overtime hours)
• Chief Donnell would contract with the District at an hourly rate.

Donnell told the commissioners that his intent is not to rack up a number of hours, but just to help Chief Asher as needed.

The District also plans on conducting a Feasibility Study to analyze the possibility of an Interlocal Agreement with Manson Fire District #5 and Lake Chelan Health’s EMS department.

Chairman Phil Moller stated he sees no reason not to conduct the feasibility study.

Commissioner Jones said he doesn’t mind looking at a study either. Moller replied that it might bring the Lake Chelan community together. “What are the pros… what are the cons? All we are asking is, ‘What if’.”

by Richard Uhlhorn

Outgoing executive director of the Lake Chelan Housing Trust introduced his replacement to City Council on Tuesday evening, September 14, and asked the council for the City’s continued partnership with the Trust.

Steve Wilkinson told the Council that he is currently employed by the South Central Kansas Economic Development District with a budget of $1.2 million dollars. Wilkinson worked as a commercial banker in Whatcom County for a number of years.

He told the council to allow him to ask questions. “I want to learn. Partnerships have allowed me to have success.” His focus as the new executive directorship of the Housing Trust will be to work with young people who work in Chelan, but can’t afford to live in Chelan.

Cooney reported that Anderson Village has all the necessary components working including the engineering and architectural components. The new affordable housing development on Anderson Road will include 45 homes, a community garden, trails and other amenities. They will sell for $200,000 to $250,000 each to individuals who can qualify for financing. “We hope to start building next fall.” said Cooney.

Cooney then requested $50,000 of the $61,000 that has been provided by the Lookout from homes sold. The Lookout donates $1,000 from every home sold. “We are seeking a one time exemption for engineering and design costs,” said Cooney.

Councilman John Olson asked Cooney how many inquiries the Housing Trust received on the Emerson Estates development. Cooney replied that it was between 50 and 60 per home.

Wilkinson will assume his duties as executive director on October 1.

Sheriff’s Department Contract:

Sheriff Brian Burnett was back at City Council via ZOOM explaining that there were some errors in the budget calculations for the upcoming 2022-2025 contract with the City.

“There were some wrong calculations that came from another city’s budget that didn’t get caught,” explained Burnett. The Council was presented with the newly corrected agreement for their consideration. It does include some increases, mostly due to increase salaries and benefits.

Councilman Chris Baker asked Burnett about the lack of a SRO program and if anything was being done to correct that situation. Burnett replied that the program was an on-going arbitration process between the department and the bargaining unit. “We are hopeful. We have a moving target with the school district,” he said. “No one wants it (the program) more and we are doing everything we can to resolve the issues.” The issues, of course, are the State’s mandate that every staff member be vaccinated, or obtain a medical or religious exemption. “We will keep everybody informed.”

Councilman Peter Jamtgaard brought up the issue of the department’s Marine Patrol and marine safety on the lake. “There is a level of patrol concerns,” said Jamtgaard. He said that the department and City have kicked the can down the road and that a final solution to the issue needs to be found.

Burnett replied that it is an on-going topic within the department. “There are so many more people visiting the lake that it will probably take two more people to make a dent in the situation.”

Jamtgaard suggested that the Marine Patrol stagger its patrol periods so the perpetrators on the water would never know when they were going to show up. “People learn when you are out there. Surprise patrols would make it a little more unpredictable.”

During the Citizen’s Comment period a local resident  talked about missing buoys and the problem of personal watercraft users cruising inside the no wake zone at speed creating a dangerous situation for swimmers. Duane and Dixie Baker also submitted a letter detailing the same issues. “Over the past four years, we and our neighbors have been calling the Marine Patrol, City Hall, and the Mayor, in an on-going attempt to address this situation to no avail,” the Bakers wrote.

Mayor Goedde said the City was looking into the issue. Councilman Ty Witt asked Burnett if the City gets a report on the number of tickets given on the water. Burnett replied that certain violations like reckless driving would be ticketed. He added that in 2020 the department saw a 10 percent increase in visitation. He said that the big violators come from the rental companies and that education would be helpful.

The Council unanimously approved the revamped contract.

Golf Course:

Parks Director Paul Horne asked the Council to accept and authorize the Mayor to finalize and execute an agreement with Mears Design Group to assess the Lake Chelan Golf Course Irrigation System. “This project would assess the irrigatino sstem and all components of it,” said Horne.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth asked if there hadn’t been an assessment recently. Horne replied that an assessment of the irrigation system hasn’t been done for a number of years and that everything has changed in how it is operated by a controller. This project agreement was unanimously agreed to.

Capital Budget Financing update:

Finance Director Steve Thornton explained and transmitted information to the Council concerning the upcoming 2022 budget and 2022-2026 CIP proposals.

Several notable Council priorities are funded in the 2022 -2026 Proposed CIP. These include:

1. Public Works Administration and Engineering Building – $900,000 is requested in 2022 to complete (total funding $2,520,000).

2. Parks Maintenance Building, parking lot and restrooms -$2,640,100 requested in 2022 to complete (total funding $3,168,808). Assumes receipt of $400K in REET Funds Oct – December.

3. Lakeshore Access / Road Ends Pocket Parks – $150,000 per year requested 2022-2026. Project funding available for use in 2022 of $300,000 including 2019 and 2020 appropriations.

4. Lakeside Park RKO Grant Project – $500,000 grant match previously appropriated and 2022 RKO grant funding of up to $500,000.

5. Street and Sidewalk Projects – $260,000 combined annual funding 2022-2026 requested. Increased from an annual appropriation of $90,000 per year.

6. Downtown Restroom Improvements – $40,000

7. Skateboard Park – $1,600,000. $100,000 local fund match 2022 and 2023 $50K per year). Balance of funding through grants and / or capital campaign.

8. Sewer System Projects – $10,179,328 project funding requested 2022-2026. Funded through user rates, GFC’s, revenue bonds, and Lake Chelan Sewer District and Lake Chelan Reclamation District cost sharing. The projects address aging infrastructure and system growth demands.

9. Water System Projects – $10,762,473 project funding requested 2022-2026. Funded through user rates, GFC’s, and revenue bonds. The projects address aging infrastructure and system growth demands.

Mayor/Council Comments:

Ty Witt reported that the glass recycling project has crushed 20 ton of glass in its first two months.

Tim Hollingsworth remarked that talk about recreational facilities had made good progress. He also mentioned the importance of partnerships with the Housing Trust.

Servando Robledo said the finance information was good, but a little bit early.

Chris Baker said he is interested in the upcoming Citizen’s feedback to find out what everyone is interested in.

John Olson stated that the City’s workshop with Washington’s City Insurance Authority was terrific. He stated that the City doesn’t have a public participation plan but needs one. He also stated it was time to discuss a moratorium on development. “We need to consider that.”