Author: allthingslakechelan

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by Richard Uhlhorn

The City of Chelan held a special meeting on Monday, March 16, for council members and city staff to hear a webinar on Managing the Impact of COVID-19 in the City.

Special spacing was set up at the Monday, March 16, Special City Council/Staff Meeting on the COVID-19 crisis.

The City released a memorandum for City of Chelan customers to consider when interacting on City business during the COVID-19 crisis.

To our valued City of Chelan customers. We appreciate the trust you place in the City of Chelan, including our commitment to safeguard your health and safety as you interact with us. That’s why we want to share the steps we are taking in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

As always, our priority is to protect our customers and employees as we perform our dally business. In the current environment we are following guidance from health experts and elected officials at the state and local levels to stop the spread of germs and reduce risk. Here are some of the actions we have taken to date:

• First, we are encouraging customers who may be planning a visit to the offices of the City of Chelan to reconsider and avoid making the trip. The City of Chelan website provide a number of tools and resources and you can always connect with us by telephone at (509) 682-4037.
• Keep in mind that it isn’t necessary to meet with us in person to pay your bill. The ability to pay your utility bill online in addition you may also pay your utility bill by phone through Point & Pay by calling 1-866-706-6609.
• There are drop boxes conveniently located In front of City Hall and in the alley behind City Hall. • Ifyoudo visit the City of Chelan, you’llfind that we are practicing social distancing and minimizing personal contact (avoiding handshakes, for example). Also, we are frequently disinfecting common areas, workspaces and meeting facilities.
• Public works will continue maintaining services such as water, sewer and garbage & recycling.
• Planning and Building asks that the public call or email and limit in office visits unless absolutely necessary.
• Building will perform all new construction inspections; however, occupied structure inspections will be done on a case by case basis. If your inspection is within an occupied building, please email or call us about your inspection at 682-8017.
• Parks Department transactions can be conducted by phone at (509) 682-8023. The office is open for business, but we do ask that people come in only if necessary.

These are uncertain times for our state, our country and the world. We fully understand that customers will be apprehensive about several things, including your essential utility services.

Thank you for your patience as we respond to the changing nature of this event. And if you have questions for City of Chelan, be sure to contact us. For information on COVID-19, please visit the Washington State Department of Health website at: https://www.doh.wa.gov/

City Administrator Wade Ferris imparted information to the Council members on what the City was doing to prepare its staff and departments for COVID-19 issues.

The Mayor, Council and Administration discussed Legislative Body Meetings which cannot be 100% remote because of the open meeting clause that says the public must be allowed the opportunity to attend. “This does not address the situation we are in now,” said Wade Ferris, city administrator. “There is no question about it… it will be a real challenge to hold a public meeting remotely. We are exploring ways to do this.”

The other option open to the City is to decide if it is necessary to even hold a meeting. “Can it be postponed,” asked Ferris. The other option is to minimize the agenda items. In all instances the City must comply with Social Distancing for the meeting site.

Another option would be to provide the public to listen by telephone, computer or live streaming.

The City will be deciding on a remote location in case Council Chambers become compromised.

Ferris commented that the City is currently operating at Level I which allows visitors to enter City Hall, but if the situation warrants, the City will move to a Level II where the offices would be locked down and residents would have to conduct business by telephone or email.

It was related to the Council that the City does have the capability to accept payments by credit card, however with restaurants and other businesses shut down potentially creating a severe impact on hourly wage people, the City is looking for a way to waive certain monthly payments for a time. “There are people out there that live on a margin,” said Ferris.

Councilmember Ray Dobbs asked if payments would be deferred or forgiven. Ferris replied that they would only be deferred. “The City has to be careful about gifting.”

Dobbs said that the City has to look at making life easier for people. McCardle said, “There has to be a structure around that.” Olsen stated it was important to help somehow, particularly this time of year. “This could last well into summer,” he said.

The City is planning with the Fire Department, Sheriff’s Department and other agencies involved in working on the crisis.

Mayor Goedde said, “If it all ends quicker, these measures are all worth the effort.”

Health, School and City officials participated in a panel discussion about the emerging COVID-19 Virus situation in the Lake Chelan Valley which was hosted by Lake Chelan Now.

By Richard Uhlhorn

Barry DePaoli said that closure of the Lake Chelan Schools was imminent at a round table of health and other agency officials yesterday morning. I don’t think he knew how immediate that order would come down from the Governor who has effectively told the State School System that K-12 schools would shout down on Tuesday, March 17 until Sunday, April 26.

Chelan School Superintendent Barry DePaoli stated that a
school closure was imminent. Later in the day the closure was
announced to begin on Tuesday, March 17.

Today, the School District is encouraging students to attend school on Monday, March 16, so the District Staff can prepare them for instructional opportunities that will follow in the next six weeks. (Say Current: http://www.chelanschool.org). “We are looking at how to serve students,” said DePaoli. “It will be a challenge on how to (continue) to educate our children.”

Barry DePaoli encourages parents to get their children to school on Monday, March 16, so they can be prepared for the upcoming closure.

DePaoli’s biggest concern is anxiety amongst children. “We are going to get through this.” He is in touch with superintendents around the valley.

Manson School Superintendent Matt Charlton stated that his District is in the planning stages for a shutdown.

Also on board was Matt Charlton, Manson Superintendent. “How do we talk to students about this?” Charlton said the Manson District will probably concentrate on a literacy emphasis during any shutdown. “We have a group working on the shutdown.”

Both district students have laptops that can be used at home. DePaoli’s concern is how to instruct those students who don’t have internet conductivity at home.

The other issue being discussed within the districts is how they can support breakfast and lunch meals. “These are the only quality meal some of these students get,” said Charlton

Charlton also said that Manson is seeing an influx of west side families with second homes coming in and added that one family has already requested that his athlete be allowed to train with the Manson track athletes. “That’s a new dynamic,” said Charlton.

Mayor Bob Goedde stated that the City is planning on
|keeping essential services running.

Mayor Goedde assured that panel that the City is concentrating on keeping essential services running. “Those people will have backup if necessary,” said Goedde. The City is also discussing the possibilities of shutting doors at the Planning Office and Public Works.

Hospital CEO George Rohrich believes there will be an outbreak in the Valley.

George Rohrich told the panel that the hospital believes that there will be an outbreak in the valley. “We are beginning to discourage access to patients and will restrict access from friends and families who want to visit,” he said. He also said the hospital wants to insure that visitors are healthy before they come into the hospital.

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer said every effort was being made to make sure EMS serves the public while keeping
first responders from the fire department and EMS safe.

Ray Eickmeyer – EMS Director said he was in constant contact with the hospital’s partners. “We are talking about what’s going on and are opening new ways to communicate.”

Procedures have changed for EMS in order to protect first responders from the Fire Department and EMS. “We need to be on the same page.”

CVCH Administrator Mary Louise Jones stated that an incident command center was being set up to manage their daily operations during this crisis.

Mary Louise Jones – CVCH administrator, said they were setting up an incident command center to manage their daily operations. “We are very proactive. If you have symptoms, please call and we will decide whether or not you can stay home or come in.”

Maria Sirois, LCCH Quality Control Officer stated that the hospital is expecting to test more people in the next several weeks. Two have already been tested and were found to be negative.

Points that should be taken seriously include keeping surfaces, door knobs and other frequently touched surfaces wiped down. Don’t frequent places where there are a lot of people gathered and try to maintain at least six feet space. Stay at home if possible.

Hospital CEO George Rohrich said, “Personally, I would say the virus is here. The Department of Health is trying to slow down the infection rate and let science and technology catch up.” He sees that happening in the near future and hopes people can respect both sides of the issue.

Mayor Goedde stated that the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce should put out information for visitors because that is where they would go for information.

The SeniorCenter will be delivering meals Monday through Thursday. If you request a meal, that request has to be in before 9:30 a.m.

The City of Chelan will be holding a special council meeting at 2 p.m. in Council Chambers to participate in a Covid-19 Webinar sponsored by the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) with Council discussion to follow. Action may be taken.

FOR MORE AND UP TO DATE INFORMATION:

https://cityofchelan.us/

http://www.chelanschools.org/

https://lakechelancommunityhospital.com/lake-chelan-clinic/clinic-home/

http://cdhd.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020-01-COVID19-Public-Health-Advisory-Eng.pdf

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by Richard Uhlhorn

COVID-19 or better known as the Coronavirus has now been classified by the World Health Organization as a pandemic. “We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

In Washington, Governor Inslee is banning large gatherings of 250 or more people in the Seattle Metro Area in an attempt to stop the spread of Coronavirus. It is not expected to include work places or school closures, however major sporting events are affected and are trying to make plans for the spring sports season.

The Lake Chelan School District along with other school districts in the area have shut down all indoor activities including:

 Athletic and extracurricular indoor practices and competitions

 Parent-teacher conferences (scheduled for March 16-21)

– Schools will communicate alternative meeting and conferencing plans with parents

 All non-school organized indoor activities and gatherings

 Public meetings scheduled in school facilities

 Public events and functions (dances, plays, concerts, festivals)

 Afters Program and Family Night scheduled for March 11 th

 Community user groups (youth sports organizations, churches, non-profits)

Tuesday evening’s Chelan City Council Meeting addressed the COVID-19 crisis. City Administrator Wade Ferris told the Council that the City was looking at quite a few things regarding local actions that have already been taken. “It is changing hourly,” said Ferris. “We have to be proactive,” he added.

Chelan Administrator Wade Ferris took the City Council through the COVID-19 pandemic at last night’s City Council meeting.

This includes starting with the City’s employees and their contact with the public. “Our employees have a lot of contact with people,” said Ferris. “We have to protect our employees.” A part of that protection will include the janitorial service wiping down all counters and other locations.

“The worst case would be closing down City Hall.” Ferris added that it was important to see who the essential employees are. “Regardless of what happens, we will keep the water flowing.”

If ordered to stay home, employees will continue to be paid. There was also a discussion regarding the possibility of retaining public access through virtual meetings that could include On-Line Streaming. “We need to comply with the Open Public laws,” said City Attorney Quentin Batjer. Puyallup lawmakers have already moved town halls to telephone.

“We will coordinate with Chelan County, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow their lead,” said Ferris.

Councilman Peter Jamtgaard.

Councilman Peter Jamtgaard asked if there was discretionary funding the City can use? Finance Director Steve Thornton replied that all of the departments have operating budgets and that there is $150,000 available. “We would come back after the fact with a budget amendment,” said Thornton.

Ferris also said that Mayor Bob Goedde has been working with the school district on Emergency Declarations.

He also said that it was important for information to flow whether it is good or bad. “Our goal is that whatever we put out is accurate. How we get that out is important.” He mentioned the local media outlets. “We will use every source we can think about. This is really important,” said Ferris. “It is critical that we make the right decisions.”

Councilman John Olsen reported that Chelan’s Senior Center would be closed down beginning Wednesday, March 11.

Councilman John Olsen said that the Chelan Senior Center has been closed down as of Wednesday morning.

Councilwoman Erin McCardle asked about the information out of the Chelan/Douglas County Health District. Ferris said the City would follow their advice.

Councilman Dr. Ty Witt added his perspective on the virus.

Councilman Dr. Ty Witt weighed in and remarked that regular influenza kills more people and said, “What I like about this exercise is that we will learn to wash our hands. New virus’ come up all the time. I just wish it wasn’t so prominent.”

Jamtgaard stated that people are booking vacations where they can drive instead of flying, which could mean that Chelan will continue to be busy this summer. “I was talking to Tom Gormley at Lakeside Lodges and he said he has never had so many bookings this early.”

At this time there has not been any positive cases reported reported in the Lake Chelan Valley, but our local medical personnel apparently believe there are people who would test positive.

It is obvious to everyone that this pandemic is going to continue to affect our lives in the Chelan Valley in some negative ways, however, as most people are saying, “It is better to be safe than sorry.”

As of Wednesday morning, 120,000 people worldwide have been infected and that number is growing hourly. It is important to remember that the Coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as a fever and cough. Older adults and people with existing health problems are the ones at risk of more severe illness including pneumonia.

According to Robert Redfield, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this pandemic is going to get worse as the days wear on.

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by Richard Uhlhorn

“This was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” said Brett LaMar about Lake Chelan Building Supply’s sale to TAL Holdings LLC. LaMar was approached three years ago, but Brett backed off. When TAL LLC looked into building a facility out at Apple Blossom Center, Brett became more serious about his own personal estate and his family’s stake. “How am I going to do this,” asked LaMar.

Brett LaMar has reached an business agreement with TAL Holdings LLC of Vancouver, Washington for TAL to take over ownership of the business, leaving Brett as the manager with the business name remaining.

TAL approached Brett again and after a long and arduous negotiation, Brett and TAL agreed in concept. “The negotiations took quite awhile,” LaMar said. Once the employees were covered and other issues surrounding the sale agreed to, the acquisition went forward.

One of Brett’s biggest concerns was his employees. “They are my next layer of family,” he said. LaMar also doesn’t see a whole ton of difference except for Marson and Marson moving its operations to the LCBS Chelan location.

The LaMar family kept its property in the deal. TAL only purchased the business interest. TAL has a nine store chain of retail building material centers in Oregon and Washington. Lake Chelan Building Supply will begin operations as a part of the TAL family of companies on March 30.

Brett will remain as LCBS’s manager and is on the board of TAL. “We’ve tried really hard to be a member of the community,” said LaMar. “My door is wide open if any customer has concerns or a question. We are an open book,” stated Brett.

Brett posed with his son Bryson at a Manson High School baseball game. Brett is one of the assistant coaches and has been very active in the community.

The Backstory:

 TAL Holdings LLC is a Vancouver, Washington Company and shares the same basic business principles of building honest, fair and ethical relationships with its customers. TAL CEO M. David Dittmer said, “We are excited to join forces with Lake Chelan Building Supply.”

TAL currently operates a branch in the Chelan market under the Marson and Marson brand; but the Marson and Marson location in Chelan was not adequate to support the business potential in the market. “The opportunity to join forces with Lake ChelanBuilding Supply presented itself and the rest is history,” said Dittmer.

Marson and Marson, another TAL Holdings company will move its operations to Lake Chelan Building Supply’s Chelan location as a part of the business deal between the three companies.

Over the next few months, the Marson and Marson location will close with employees and product transferred to the LCBS Chelan location.  At that time, TAL will continue to operate under the Lake Chelan Building Supply brand. “I am pleased that TAL has decided to honor the legacy of my parents and Lake Chelan Building Supply by continuing to operate under our company name.”

“Lake Chelan Building Supply has a strong employee group. Their years of experience in our industry, coupled with the expertise of the Marson and Marson team in Chelan, make us the place to go for building solutions for both the consumer and the contractor,” stated Dittmer.

Dittmer stated that, “This acquisition is the right addition to our company. We have an opportunity to strengthen our market share in greater Lake Chelan with the addition of LCBS. We are anxious to expand our footprint in this growing market.”

Lake Chelan Building Supply was founded by Edd and Sharon LaMar in 1979 on the simple but important moto; “Where Customers Become Friends.”

One of Brett’s recreational pursuits is to join Lake Chelan Mountain Bikers group rides with his wife Beverly.

About TAL Holdings LLC:  TAL Holdings has 4 operating divisions: 1) Tum-A-Lum Lumber, founded in 1906, serving the Hood River, The Dalles, and Pendleton markets in Oregon, 2) Marson and Marson Lumber, founded in 1955, serving the Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Chelan and Cle Elum markets of Washington, 3) Browne’s Home

Center, founded in 1947, serving the San Juan Islands of Washington and 4) Gerretsen Building Supply serving the Roseburg, Oregon market.  All four divisions provide contractors and homeowners with a wide assortment of building material products and services.

http://www.TALHoldingsLLC.co

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by Richard Uhlhorn

Evie Hirschberger, a Chelan resident, once again addressed Chelan City Council regarding high density developments and her concerns that the development (Holiday Hills) in her neighborhood is zoned for multi-family dwellings that would allow monthly rentals. “Keep in mind those of us who have built houses in Chelan,” said Hirschberger. “Why are we not looking at other communities in how they have addressed these issues.”

Evie Hirschberger continues to address City Council concerning developments and development standards.

Hirschberger went on to comment how important municipal codes are for protecting neighborhoods. “If the codes don’t protect neighborhoods, we have failed,” she stated.

Mayor Bob Goedde told Hirschberger that there might be a position opening up on the Planning Commission. Hirschberger replied that if the codes aren’t protecting neighborhoods, they need to be made stronger.

A special presentation was made by J-U-B Engineers Steve Marshall on the companies Master Plan for the airport. He stated that more large airplanes would want to use Chelan Airport for charter operations from the metro areas. However, he said if a pilot determines that the runway is too short or won’t handle his aircraft landing at Chelan, he will make the obvious decision to fly on to Wenatchee or another airport that will handled his aircraft.

Steve Marshall of J-U-B Engineers presented an update on the
Chelan Airport Master Plan

Marshall reported that there are currently 160 operations at the airport. Mayor Goedde asked if the runway is stong enough to handle larger aircraft. Marshall stated that it was more about runway width than strength. Councilman Peter Jamtgaard asked if Chelan has the runway length and Marshall said that all airplanes are different. “Some need more runway.”

Peri Gallucci is working on a Cat Spay/Neuter Clinic on Wednesday, April 1, in Manson at Dr. Kathyeryn Kraemer’s Lakeland Veterinary Clinic. “This is the first community clinic we are hosting,” said Gallucci.

If you have a pet that needs to be neutered, the cost is only $25.00. However, if it is a feral cat, the cost is only $10. “There are many benefits to spaying,” said Gallucci. “It can increase their life span three to five years.”

City Clerk Peri Gallucci described an upcoming Spay and Neuter on April 1 in Manson at low cost for people who might not have the money to otherwise spay their pet cat. It also offers lower spaying costs for feral cats.

The Wenatchee Valley Humane Society is taking donations to help individuals who can’t afford the service. So far, $350 has been donated. If you make a donation, make sure you tell the Humane Society person that the donation is for the Manson Clinic. To make an appointment, call the Humane Society at 509-662-9577.

Mayor Goedde read a World Spay Day Proclamation.

Motion Considerations:

 The Washington State Department of Commerce has offered a $30,000 grant to the City of Chelan to perform a Housing Action Plan.

The City’s Planning Commission has been working on alternative housing type standards as a way of meeting the City’s housing needs based only on the Comprehensive Plan.

The $30,000 Action Plan is a first step towards adopting new forms of housing regulations. Drafting of this plan will include a Housing Steering Committee and public input. “We want to get public input to answer basic questions. This is a chance to look at our housing needs,” said Planning Department Director Craig Gildroy.

The Council unanimously authorized the Mayor to execute the agreement with the Department of Commerce.

The Council also unanimously approved a contract with Berk Consulting to write the Housing Action Plan. “They did all the anlysis for us in 2017,” said Gildroy. The Housing Action Plan will build on the 2017 Comprehensive Plan Housing and Economic Development Elements, and look at existing conditions and trends to develop a long term housing strategy within the City, not just for affordable housing but all housing needs.

Public Works brought a Professional Services Agreement forward to the Council in the amount of $43,613 for S&B Inc. for software integrations services for the Water Treatment Plant Valve and Instrumentation Project.

This Project replaces flowmeters, valves, and actuators that will require software design to integrate into the operations of the treatment facility.

The Project was budgeted at $1,187,800, but ended up $422,478 less than the estimate for a total of $618,536. The funds for the project will come from the City’s Water Capital Fund. Public Works Director Jake Youngren said it’s nice to have a project come in under the estimated cost. “It’s nice to win sometimes.”

The Council unanimously approved the Professional Services Agreement iwth S&B Inc.

Youngren also brought forward a budgeted project to conduct a Sanitation Rate Study this year. The proposal was to authorize Mayor Goedde to finalize and execute an agreement with Bell and Associates for this study at a cost of $11,290.

There will be a City Workshop on Tuesday, March 3, beginning at 4 p.m. Today’s topics include the following topics:

• Information Board Discussion (Mayor Goedde)
• Short Term Rental License Discussion (Planning Director Gildroy
• Rate & Fee Resolution Amendments for Building and Planning (Gildroy)
• Special Event Fees Discussion (Staff)
• 2020 Proposed Budget Amendments (Finance Director Steve Thornton.

The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is on March 10 beginning at 6 p.m.

by Richard Uhlhorn

The Lake Chelan Community Hospital Emergency Medical Services held its annual EMS Awards Banquet at the Senior Center on Friday evening, February 28.

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer thanked everyone for coming and said the banquet was dedicated to Alan Anderson who served the community for many years as an EMT before he passed.

After showing a video reviewing the Service’s 2019, Paramedic Kurt Middleton told the assembled crowd, “Our EMS crews are awesome. They provide the best care they can.” He lauded the leadership and said the Eickmeyer is a tremendous leader of the team.

Paramedic Kurt Middleton

In 2019, the EMS personnel underwent 136 hours of individual training, paid 236 visits to patients, responded to 1679 emergencies and attended and helped with 173 community events.

The current Service was begun in 1972 by Greta Griffiths along with other local residents and was called the Lake Chelan Valley Ambulance Service. “Today, we are in our 48th year,” said Ray Eickmeyer. “2019 was a good year and our ambulances traveled 53,000 miles.”

“We know we are providing the best care to our patients,” continued Eickmeyer. “We continue to lead the nation in critical care and only two counties in the State equal our service.”

A video interview with Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Cline was shown. Jerry suffered a cardiac arrest in 2019 and EMS crews and Fire District 7 personnel were on the scene in seven minutes. “Without our team, we would not of brought him (Jerry) back,” said Eickmeyer.

The following individuals were recognized at banquet.

First year pins were given to Paramedics TJ Bishop, Brian Dice, Jonah Dobbs and Natalie Renick. EMTs receiving first year pins included Jonathon Mendoza, Samantha Rains and Liliia Veremchuk. Greg Moser and Mark Schramm also received first year pins as paratransit drivers.

Paramedic Johnny Rebel received a five year pin, Paramedic Kurt Middleton received a 10 year pin and Paramedic Jim Gilden received a 25 year pin.

Paramedics Craig Vivian, Mistaya Johnston and Brandon Fogelson along with EMTs John Steiner and Linda Nunez all received Save Pins for cardiac arrest saves throughout 2019.

LCCH CEO George Rohrich

LCCH’s new CEO George Rohrich presented the 2019 Administrator’s Award for “Dedication and Service” to EMT Jared Eygabroad who was unable to attend the banquet. “These EMT’s are the best in the State,” said Rohrich. Eygabroad has taken on the job of the EMS Social Media.

Fire Chief Arnold Baker (left) and Dr. Ty Witt (right) received the 2019 Edward J. Armbruster Award for their respective organizations.

The 2019 Edward J. Armbruster Award was handed out by Kurt Middleton to both the Manson Fire Department and Chelan Rotary. Fire Chief Arnold Baker accepted the award for District 5 and Ty Witt accepted for the Rotary.

The Chelan Rotary has been installing wheelchair ramps for EMS patients that need them. Witt said, “We are humbled and honored to be able to help.”

Eickmeyer presented the “Director’s Award” to Paramedic Brandon Fogelson. “There are many in this room that deserve this award,” said Eickmeyer. “Brandon has gone beyond the call of duty this year.”

The 2019 Personnel of the Year given to “Outstanding Individuals Chosen by their Peers” went to EMT Cendie Dietrich, Rachel McCall, Richard Vincent, Mistaya Johnston and Lindsey Stone “These individuals all work well under pressure.”

After the awards were handed out, Eickmeyer stated that the EMS team does hard things. “We are helping others with health issues. We are in the one percent of the nation. When a person is in need, we need to own it. We save lives,” said Eickmeyer. He went on to say that the team’s work in non-emergency needs is just as important to the community. “We will do the right thing, no matter how hard it is.”

He thanked the community for its support. “Without the community, we would not be here.”

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by Richard Uhlhorn

The hospital had to open its board room up to accommodate the estimated crowd of concerned residents that attended Tuesday’s meeting.

As expected the Lake Chelan Community Hospital Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to delay the new hospital construction project for six months while the hospital struggles to build its volume and revenue to a sustainable level so it could reliably pay the mortgage of approximately $100,000 per month.

CEO  George Rohrich stated to the well attended meeting (approximately 40 residents) that the hospital has the funds to build the new hospital, but not the funds to pay the debt service. “I want to reassure the commission that all of the funds from the levies and bond are in the County treasury and every penny is accounted for.”

CEO George Rohrich

CFO Mike Ellis

Rohrich and Chief Financial Officer Mike Ellis contacted the USDA to find out if a pause in the project is even possible and reported that it is. “The period that our financing is guaranteed for is five years from the issuance,” said Rohrich. “It was issued on September 2018 so we have five years from then before we have to ask for an extension.”

They also went to the hospital’s contracted design and delivery team and asked them to project the expenses if they delayed with no changes or minor changes. The cost of pausing the project for six months to a year would add between $187,000 to $199,000. With minor changes that cost would escalate to $1.18 million to $1.2 million dollars. A one year delay with major changes would cost an additional $2.27 million to $2.27 million dollars. “It was a good research effort by our design and delivery team,” said Rohrich.

Board Chair Phyllis Gleasman

Board Chair Phyllis Gleasman asked, “So if we do a six to 12 month pause, it’s going to add that cost of $187,000? Rohrich replied that the amount would be added to the $44.5 million.

Commissioner Jordana LaPorte called for a delay in construction of the new hospital until the hospital was on better financial ground.

Jordana LaPorte asked if the hospital was reduced another 10,000 square feet, it would obviously bring the costs down. Chief Finance Officer Mike Ellis said, “We don’t have the money to change it, so we aren’t even discussing it.”

Craig Shelby explained to the board how much it might cost if the hospital is delayed.

The contractor’s representative, Craig Shelby remarked that a year’s pause would increase construction costs four percent based on inflation for materials. He also said that requesting subcontract bids would be best accomplished in January because it is winter. “It is hard to speculate,” he stated.

Rohrich remarked that the consultants the hospital is contracting for could help the facility quickly turn the financial corner so it can afford the $100,000 per month for debt payments.

CFO Mike Ellis said, “I have an abundance of prudence. I believe it would be a wise decision to delay, not a full year, but enough time to prepare for a very big project. My advice is that it would be wise to delay up to six months.”

LaPorte stated that the hospital needs to see an actual improvement of the cash flow prior to taking on the debt service. “If our cash flow doesn’t improve, we can’t pay for it. I am not in favor of stopping, but I am in favor of pausing at this time.”

Mary Signorelli said she wasn’t ready to make a decision on delaying the construction. “We are having a discussion, right. It is not a rush” Fred Miller agreed with LaPorte.

Mary Murphy stated that if you can’t write a check and if there is nothing in your savings account it would be foolish to move forward. “I feel compelled with public dollars to be responsible with these dollars. We have no assurances,” she said.

Commissioner Mary Murphy

Murphy went on the remark that with the changes in the health care industry all rural hospitals were having a hard time. She doesn’t see the hospital recapturing and filling the beds that the hospital had five to six years ago. “What I see is a movement toward outpatient services. If there is a pause, addressing the right size of the facility that is going to take us 10 years into the future is important, so I have concerns.”

Rohrich said that the hospital will be at a higher risk if it doesn’t get help. He reiterated that the money is protected and can only be used to build the new facility. “The patients will receive the same care tomorrow as they received today, and in a year they will receive it in a more beautiful facility.”

The motion to pause construction and design for six months and then re-evaluate where the financial situation is was passed unanimously.

In other business:

At its last meeting in January, EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer told the board that the services levy was expiring at the end of the year and they needed to prepare to run a new levy to continue EMS services in the Valley.

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer requested that the board consider a proposal for a new replacement levy in August with an 8 cent per $1,000 increase
to $.39 cents per thousand for a 10 year period.

“We have not changed our staffing, but we have a few things that are concerning,” said Eickmeyer. “We have one ambulance that is 26 years old and we can’t even buy parts for it anymore. It’s not something I’m comfortable with.”

Eickmeyer stated that EMS is fiscally conservative and wants to increase the levy amount by eight cents to 39 cents per thousand of assessed value. “There is no other agency in the State that I can find that is less than 50 cents per thousand. I think I am the least expensive agency in the whole State of Washington,” said Eickmeyer.

With four ambulances that are 26, 20, 14 and 10 years old and will eventually have to be replaced, Eickmeyer said, “Four ambulances is not cheap.” Gleasman asked how much an ambulance costs. Eickmeyer replied, “$200,000.”

“We’ve put a lot of money into serving the community. The current funding we have now pays for the complete service, but we just don’t have money left over to replace capital equipment,” Eickmeyer told the board.Rohrich added that the biggest change to ambulance services is inside the box (ambulance). “It used to be pretty straight forward. It’s all digital now and it doesn’t take long for it to become obsolete. We can’t be cheap about this… we must have a quality service.”

A resolution to put forward a new levy will be brought to the board at its next meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting the Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation presented the board with a check for $67,384 to cover the first year of the Studer Group Leadership Training.

The Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation presented the Hospital with a $67,384 check to cover the first year of Studer Group’s Leadership Training Program

The Board unanimously passed a new Business Plan for 2020 based on the six pillars that were developed at a strategic retreat in 2018. Rohrich developed a new format for the plan that includes items he hopes will make the hospital better.

The Board discussed the proposal by QHR (Quorum Health Resources) to help improve their financial situation and look at compliance issues. “What we expect is that they will show us the way to achieve the best results,” said Rohrich. “We are already making progress.” He said the key is that the hospital can achieve these things but that it might take longer.

“We would like to achieve profitability tomorrow, but that’s talking silly,” stated Rohrich. “It’s going to take awhile to get this boat turned around.”

Public Comments:

At the beginning of the meeting, Jim Wall asked if there was a plan in place to deal with Corona virus in the community. Eichmeyer replied that the EMS is following the State of Washington Department of Health for updates with what is going on. He also remarked that the department has N95 Masks (antiviral masks) available for every person in the community if necessary.

Dr. Ty Witt commented at the end of the meeting and applauded the board’s decision to pause the hospital construction, but went on to say that he had put his heart and soul into getting the bond passed.

However, Witt had some harsh words to say about the financial state of the hospital and laid blame on past CEO Steve Patonai for not working on quality or patient satisfaction, but trying to be in the top 10 percent in the State of Washington. “We lost five wonderful providers,” said Witt. His concern is that the hospital could lose its supporters and noted that there are a number of naysayers out there. “It looks like we are heading in that direction.”

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The next board meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 24 at 1:30 p.m. in the Hospital’s board room.

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by Richard Uhlhorn

Mike Cooney, executive director of Chelan Valley Housing Trust made a presentation to City Council on February 11 and asked for $30,000 in unrestricted funding to be released to the Trust.

Mike Cooney, executive director of the Chelan Valley Housing Trust, gave a short presentation to the Chelan City Council at the February 11th meeting.

Affordable housing has been identified as Chelan’s largest problem. The idea behind CVHT (Chelan Valley Housing Trust) is to secure property and build homes for residents who are making less than $54,000 a year.

“We are committed to building homes for lower to middle income families,” said Cooney. “We started three to four years age and the Housing Trust was formed.” Cooney said the organization has 12 board members and is currently getting ready to build five town homes behind City Hall on Emerson Street. Emerson Village will have a price point of $200,000.

Emerson Village will be the first project to be completed by the CVHT with five town homes being constructed this summer at a price point of $200,000.

“We have raised a considerable amount of money,” said Cooney. He was at Council to request the release of $30,000 from the $47,000 that the Lookout has so far contributed for affordable housing. For each home sold at the Lookout, they donate $1,000 specifically for affordable housing needs. “We are asking the Council to release $30,000 of that money to purchase land,” said Cooney. This would leave some of that money for Habitat for Humanity.

“We feel we are on the right track. I’ve been to Olympia several times to discuss these issues.” It is a known fact that many employers and small businesses are struggling to find and retain employees. A lot of the local employees are living outside the Lake Chelan Valley which creates instability and employee turnover.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth stated that he was President of the LCHT and wouldn’t vote on the release of the funds, but added that he felt it was appropriate to ask questions.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth is also the President of the CVHT

City Finance Administrator Steve Thornton said release of the funds would require City Council approval. Hollingsworth replied that this money is unrestricted funds. City Attorney Quentin Batjer added that the $47,000 collected so far from the Lookout is earmarked for affordable housing only.

Councilman Servando Robledo asked if the Council should have a resolution. Batjer said that a policy could be considered. Councilman Ray Dobbs (on a phone connection) asked if this could be reviewed.

Cooney stated that the City is in the second year of a five year $20,000 donation for construction of affordable and low income housing and added that Chelan County has just matched that donation because the LCHT covers the entire Valley.

Dobbs asked what other outside funding sources have donated. Cooney replied that private donors and other businesses have donated funding for this purpose. “We have $280,000 currently,” said Cooney. Thornton said that the City Funds and other funds are not being co-mingled. Robledo said the City should be consistent and require people to come back to Council and report.

Councilman Servando Robledo wants organizations to be required to report financial information to the Council on their activities.

Mayor Bob Goedde said that the staff should set up criteria for release of funds. Cooney replied that he would like to come to Council and give quarterly reports. “We are here to get it done,” stated Cooney. “We are not asking for anything unreasonable.”

Interim City Administrator wants the City to develop policies and criteria for handling affordable housing funds.

City Administrator Wade Ferris stated that to be fair to organizations the City needs to come up with criteria and policies.

Councilman Peter Jamtgaard asked what the definition of affordable housing is? Cooney said he would send the Council that definition by email the next morning. He went on to say that LCHT is not competing or overlapping with Habitat for Humanity.

Dobbs asked that the City reach out to Habitat and Hollingsworth replied that they have already done that. Councilman John Olsen remarked that it should also be noted that Steve Kline sold the property to be build on at a much reduced price to another buyer who then sold it to the Trust for a bargain rate. Hollingsworth said it was gratifying including all of the in-king contributions that are making this project come to life.

The next City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 25, will bring this issue back up with a resolution to release the funds.

By Richard Uhlhorn

The Lake Chelan Community Hospital continue to struggle financially. It has seen a seven percent drop in revenue over the 2018 revenue which has resulted in a net loss of $1,761,852 over 2019.

Chief Financial Officer Mike Ellis reported that the hospital had net operating revenues of $24,762,805 with a Net Operating Loss of $3,848,355 as opposed to 2018 which had a $1,769,745 loss.

CFO Mike Ellis discusses December’s financials with the board.

Non Operating Revenue of $2,086,503 helped keep the losses below two million dollars.

One of the primary reasons for these losses is the lower patient days logged at the hospital along with the loss of doctors and staff over the year. Visits to the Clinic are also down, but Emergency Department visits are up.

“Volume is the major issue we have,” Ellis told the Commissioners. “Cash is on the low side. We have cash locked up in Accounts Receivable.” Ellis remarked that the hospital did better in December and seems to be making progress in January. “We have $3 million locked up in A/R,” he said. This has created a situation where the hospital is not paying bills immediately.

The Hospital’s new CEO, George Rohrich, was on the agenda to report on the Hospital’s Business Plan (a 2020 Pillars Update), but told the board that he didn’t have a report yet. “My apologies. We will get there.” Rohrich is still getting his feet on the ground.

CEO George Rohrich requested and received the boards approval to enter into two new contracts with health related consultant companies.

He then asked the board to approve a contract with DNV Healthcare. DNV is an international company that provides quality driven accreditation and clinical excellence certifications for hospitals.

“Medical errors are costing billions of dollars,” said Rohrich. He said that DNV would help the hospital with Medicare payments and other medical issues. “It comes with a cost,” stated Rohrich. The first year will cost the hospital $26,200. “Ultimately, they would help us achieve high quality for our patients.”

The Board unanimously approved this contract.

Rohrich then asked the board to approve a contract with the Studer Group which is a global advisory firm that helps develop strategies and solutions for health care institutions to fulfill their mission while creating sustainable growth.

Rohrich said the company would increase accountability with the staff. “Times are hard in our hospital,” said Rohrich. “I think we have to spend some money,” Rohrich told the board. He believes that a partnership with Studer will accomplish better results for the hospital.

“These are investments,” stated Rohrich. “We expect returns.” The board unanimously accepted his recommendation to hire Studer at a cost of $67,384 per year for three years ($202,152 total). There was no pushback on this contract. Mary Signorelli said,” You mean we have to spend money to make money?”

The Hospital is suffering financially from low patient volumes and high accounts receivables. Over the past year, under CEO Steve Patonai, the hospital had an exodus of approximately 75 staff members and doctors which has led to an exodus of patients to other facilities like Columbia Valley. Rohrich, as the new CEO, has to reverse that situation and bring patients back to the hospital. He is a firm believer that the Studer partnership will help accomplish those goals.

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Construction update:

Despite the Hospital’s ills, the construction of the new hospital is moving forward. Project Manager Dick Bratton gave a construction update. He reported that the Design Development has been completed and asked the board to expedite the budget to move forward with the working drawings so construction can begin in the spring.

He reported that during the design development effort, they found another 940 square feet of space by changing several corridors inside the hospital. Rohrich said, “I wish we had more square footage to have all of or entities at the hospital, but that is not possible.”

The hospital and contractors are working very diligently with the Naumes Group and the City of Chelan to secure the necessary permits. They have developed a preliminary traffic plan that the City has reviewed. Bratton said Naumes is reviewing the plan and when approved by them, the traffic plan will be forwarded to the City for final approval.

Commissioner Mary Murphy said that design is critically important for the community. “I know we are going to build a hospital, but I don’t want it to be obsolete when it is finished.”

The Board unanimously approved moving forward with construction drawings to the Construction company can line up sub-contractors before the summer building season makes contracts difficult to obtain.

Construction of the new Hospital which is scheduled to break ground in the Spring will not be impacted by the hospital’s operating finances.

Board Elections:

Board Chairwoman Phyliss Gleasman swore in board members Fred Miller and Jordana LaPorte to a new two year term at the Tuesday meeting.

Mary Signorelli proposed that all of the officers stay the same to keep continuity. This was unanimously approved.

EMS Report:

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer reported that he would be coming to the board with a plan to run a new EMS Levy next year.

EMS Director Ray Eickmeyer reported that he is proud of the investment in EMS services over the past 10 years. “There is no one better than us,” exclaimed Eickmeyer. “We have a lot of collaboration. We don’t do this alone.” He pointed out Manson Fire Chief Arnold Baker and the Manson Fire Department’s help.

Eickmeyer said that out of 29 grant requests, EMS has been successful with 26 of them. The most recent success will allow the EMS to secure a new ambulance.

Eickmeyer told the board that by the next commission meeting he will have a recommendation for the next EMS Levy request which they are thinking about running during April of next year.

Rohrich added that Eickmeyer should bring the cost of the levy to the public and for how long it will run.

During the public comment period on resident said she had heard a number of complaints about Clinic patients having to come to the hospital to have lab work done.

The board will hear a special presentation by QHR on Tuesday, February 11 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The Board’s next regular meeting is set at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25. The public is encouraged to attend and to bring their concerns or comments. The board allows public comment at the beginning of each meeting and at the end of each meeting.

by Richard Uhlhorn

 You have your ballots, and now you have a decision to make. It is actually an easy one. The Lake Chelan School District is asking voters within the District to vote “YES” on its two replacement levies on February 11.

What voters are being asked is to continue to help finance the various educational programs in the Lake Chelan School District. What was called an M&O levy in the past is now referred to as an EPO Enhancement Levy or Education Programs and Operations Replacement Levy.

The second request is a Technology Levy that will provide funding for the replacement of aging computers, printers, servers and document cameras along with staff training. This new request will result in an estimated tax rate of 9.3 cents per $1,000.

The Technology Levy will provide funding for new computers, printers, servers
and document cameras, and Staff Training.

Currently, the Lake Chelan School District is receiving $1.31 per $1,000 of assessed value for Maintenance and Operations and the Technology Levy is approximately 10 cent per $1,000 in 2020 for a combined total of $1.41 per $1,000.

The new requests, if passed by 50 percent of the District’s registered voters is estimated to drop to $1.38 in 2021 and $1.34 per $1,000 in 2022. The EP&O Levy being requested is for two years while the Technology Levy will run through 2024.

“If we don’t pass this levy, it directly impacts our students,” said School Administrator Barry DePaoli.

Chelan High School Students fulfilled their civic duty by holding a Candidate’s Forum for the Mayor Race this past November.

The primary reason schools seek additional funds through the levy process is that the State of Washington only provides approximately 82 percent of the funds required to operate a school district.

The EP&O Levy funds the following:

• Student Support:
  Nurses – Resource Officer – Liasions – Counselors
• Maintenance & Operations:
  Additional Staff – Food Services
• Academic Programs & Classroom Support
  Early Learning Programs – College in the High School Courses
  Curriculum Materials – STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) – Highly Capable Program – Chelan School of Innovation – Career & Technology Education Course & Programs
• Enrichment Activities & Programs:
  Athletic Offerings – Afters Program (MOE & CMS) – Club Programs (FFA/FCCLA/FBLA/Chelan Project, etc) – Arts Programs (Music, Art, Drama) – Experiential Field Trips (San Juans/Holden Village)
• Opportunties:
  High School schedule that creates opportunities for acceleration, exploration and remediation.)

Lake Chelan School District has not failed a levy in the last 20 years.

The school district has a number of successful programs that have been funded in part or in full from the current levy.

The Lake Chelan School  District’s AFTERS Program helps students who are struggling to catch up and provides enrichment opportunities
like photography for other students.

The Afters Program is 28 years old this year. I have been involved since 2005 when I was asked to begin a Photography enrichment program for the middle school and elementary school, along with helping set up a high school photography program. It consists of two separate programs; Target Afters where students who are struggling receive help and Enrichment Afters where students elect to be involved in a variety of activities. This program keeps many students at the school until 4:30 p.m. instead of dumping them at home when the parents are still at work.

School Athletics is a large part of a student’s team building.

Funding for the Athletics Program comes from the levy. Funds are used to pay coaches and for transportation services to and from event and activities.

The Chelan Project is a 110 member strong Associated Student Body leadership program that is recreation and service oriented. 

The Chelan Project is a ASB leadership organization that is focused on promoting and enhancing outdoor recreation and environmental awareness. This student organization offers kids a chance to go backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, skiing and rock climbing. It began with a small group, but now has 110 members.

Chelan Middle and High School have a successful music program.

Chelan’s Music Program is well known for its excellence and will be traveling to Disney Land in April to perform. On March 17 and 18 the Middle School and High School will perform its Spring Concert in the Performing Arts Center. This is a levy funded program that produces an excellent evening of music.

This past Fall, 110 seventh grade students traveled up-lake to the remote village of Holden where they attended educational workshops and visited the $500 million dollar Rio Tinto Rehabilitation Project. 

Student trips: With Rio Tinto finishing its rehabilitation project at Holden, Middle School seventh graders had the opportunity to spend four days in this remote village in workshops and tours. It is a program designed to bring the students together in a setting that has no outside influences like cell phones. The students learn to work together and are introduced to a number of environmental activities.

“We need the levy funds to backfill what the State doesn’t provide,” said DePaoli.

DePaoli and the school board are also beginning to plan for the District’s future. After the failure of the major bond issue last year, Depaoli said, “We are looking at a path forward and will be communicating with the community on what their vision is. We have some challenges.”

Phase I will brainstorm community values regarding the district, students, schools, educators and program offerings.

Phase II will identify issues and opportunities for the district including programs, technology advancements, cultural shifts, needed facility improvements, and funding shortages.

Phase III will develop short and long term plans.

“We need to know where we will be at the end of the decade,” said DePaoli. “We need to look at capital projects. We will be spending way more time with the process with the community.”

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