Author: allthingslakechelan

by Richard Uhlhorn

At the last Tuesday, February 27, Chelan City Council meeting, there were several items on the agenda of interest to the public.

Planning Director Craig Gildroy went through several items in the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Package he felt was important to discuss before the Council considers the Planning Commissions upcoming recommendations

Planning Director Craig Gildroy brought forth a motion to accept the Chelan Planning Commission’s recommendation to prepare a recommendation on the 2018 Comprehensive Plan Package. The City Council sets the 2018 amendment docket and instructs the Planning Commission to prepare these recommendations.

Comprehensive Plan and Development Regulations may only be amended once a year. The Planning Commission took public input at its January and February meetings.

Gildroy touched on several items in the recommendations which included impact fees on developers. The Growth Management Act allows impact fees to be placed on developers based on impacts to parks, fire services, schools and transportation. “We may not be able to adopt all impact fees,” said Gildroy. “We need to come back to the Council on these issues.”

Gildroy said the Planning Department is monitoring the Date Mining situation and that a public hearing is scheduled for April 10.

He also brought up the Affordable Housing issue and stated that there is no density limitation in the city limits which allows for micro housing and small homes to be built. “How do we get the builders to build it them),” said Gildroy

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth remarked that cottage housing and building accessory dwelling units within the City Limits would provide a lot of opportunities for the rental market.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth feels that ADUs and other small housing units built in the City would help alleviate some of the rental problems.

Councilwoman Wendy Isenhart feels that the local banking industry needs to be a part of the affordable housing conversation.

Councilman Ray Dobbs

Councilwoman Wendy Isenhart said that the local banks should be a part of the conversation. “The need to be writing mortgages for that.” Councilman Ray Dobbs remarked that the banks can’t not do it (write mortgages) anymore. Gildroy stated that the education part is more important than the work.

Mayor Mike Cooney asked if the Planning Department has seen an increase in people coming in. Gildroy replied that they’ve seen more interest in multi-family units than other types of housing in the City. “We haven’t seen people coming for ADUs.” He reiterated that outside of the permitting to build an ADU, there are no hookup fees associated with them. They are restricted to 300 to 1,000 square feet.

City Clerk Peri Gallucci brought forth a motion to authorize the Mayor to execute the GovQA Professional Services Agreement for Public Records Requests.

“We have been inundated this year and have reached the $100,000 threshold,” said Gallucci. She told the Council that while she doesn’t track the time it takes to process these requests, it is time consuming. Logging public records requests is now required by law and the log must include, at minimum, the identity of the requester, the date of the request, the text of the request, a description of the records produced, a description of any redacted or withheld records, the reasons for any redactions or withholding, and the date of the final disposition of the request.

The requested software has the reporting metric points built in, has a comprehensive web portal where every document including emails are located in the same place, allows the requestor to log in and track their records requests, and offers proactive technology which will eventually reduce the time spent on fulfilling requests at a cost of $4,700 per year with a renewal fee each following year.

“The goal of this program (software) is that all the documents requested will be in that portal,” said Gallucci.

Councilman Ray Dobbs asked if a requester would be able to print from the portal. Gallucci said she wasn’t sure, but would find out.

City Administrator Mike Jackson brought forth a recommendation for a Council consensus to bring forth a motion at the March 13 Council meeting to hire Julie Brunner, Housing and Community Development, to perform preliminary work on drafting a housing availability and needs assessment for Chelan and to work on the potential of forming a Community Land Trust in Chelan and the surrounding area.

Mayor Cooney remarked, “We are not going to get affordable housing in our community without a land trust.” Hollingsworth added that having Brunner on board would help with this issue.”She would help us refine it and focus on the issues. There are a lot of organizations going on a parallel track.”

Dobbs asked if there was a plan for the City to subsidize the affordable housing issues. Cooney replied that there are plans for a major fundraiser and tax credit. “We are trying to sell this to the community… we have to sell it. It is a topic that is dominating and hurting our community. It is the highest priority for people who want to live here and work here,” said Cooney.

John Olson and Steve Kline both commented during the Citizen Comment period that the City needs to look into helping to provide rental units because 80 to 90 percent of the low income workers are looking for rentals, not to purchase a home.

The next City Council meeting is on Tuesday, March 13, beginning at 6 p.m.

by Richard Uhlhorn

In November of 2017 an adhoc committee worked with Chris Bell Associates to study Chelan’s current recycling program under an interlocal agreement with Chelan County and Entiat. The City has been helping to finance, operate and supervise the North Chelan County Recycling Project since 1998.

Based on the study, Chris Bell Associates recommended in November that the City move towards a curbside recycling program which means that the City will no longer operate the drop-off recycling center at 50 Chelan Falls Highway. The County is also looking at a volunteer curbside recycling program. The City passed a motion on December 18 to begin the formation of a curbside recycling program.

Once the City of Chelan’s mandatory curbside recycling program gets underway sometime in April, these recycling bins will be removed.

City Administrator Mike Jackson told the Council that while the program has been successful, the value of commodities has dropped. The City has been spending $253,000 to fund the recycle project and will use those funds to offset the estimated annual cost of the new curbside recycling program.

Jackson said that glass and paper have no value. “Tons of bailed paper is going into landfills,” said Jackson. Last year the recycling center had $85,000 in revenues. “The equipment is aging and the County is moving to a volunteer curbside program,” Jackson said. “We have moved to mandatory curbside recycling.”

The City’s Recycling Program
is changing to curbside

Jackson said Chris Bell Associates was coming back to Council before implementation of the plan and suggested that the Council authorize the Mayor to finalize and execute the Notice of Termination of the current Interlocal agreement with the County.

Mayor Mike Cooney said, “We have been losing money. We don’t have a time and we want to be good neighbors. We are not springing things on people.”

On Thursday, Brenda Blanchfield of the County’s Solid Waste Department said the UTC has selected Zippy as the franchised hauler of recycled material in the Chelan area. “The County will have a volunteer curbside recycling program,” said Blanchfield.

That means that Zippy is working on a program to deliver a recycling container to those individuals outside the City limits who want to continue to recycle at some price point.

The cancellation policy of the interlocal agreement is 90 days. The City hopes to roll out its mandatory recycling program by Earth Day in April.

The City Council unanimously moved to authorize the Mayor to finalize and execute the Notice of Termination between the City and County.

The County replied to the City with a letter from County Engineer Eric Pierson, who hoped that the City will “entertain coordinating/contracting with Zippy to help reduce the burden of the cost to haul recycling materials to Spokane for both the City and County in hopes of minimizing the impacts of the transition to the new program.

by Richard Uhlhorn

There has been a lot of misinformation on social media concerning the upcoming April Special Election by Chelan County Fire District No. 7. After talking with Commissioner Russ Jones, the issues become clearer.

A Chelan Fire & Rescue firefighter sprays water on a structure fire on Hwy. 150.
File Photo by Richard Uhlhorn

First, the District employees 12 full-time firefighters, six of which are being paid under a Federal grant that ends at the end of this year. “They wanted to put the levy request out in April,” said Jones. “If it fails, then they can begin the process of looking for other employment opportunities in the fire services.”

The District had aTask Force of 10 local business representatives and residents who reported that they liked the current level of service. However, if the current levy request doesn’t pass, the District will not be able to retain the six being paid under the grant.

The six original employee firefighters will be retained and the level of service will go down, but the Fire Station would still be manned 24/7.

Currently, the District collects 92 cents per $1,000 dollars of assessed value. The new request is for $1.32 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Of that request, $660,000 (31 cents) of the additional money collected would be used to retain the six firefighters. Seven cents of the additional money ($150,000) would be used to establish an equipment replacement fund and two cents of the additional money ($50,000) would be used to enhance the volunteer program

“The firefighters wanted us to go for the maximum $1.50 per thousand, but we couldn’t do that,” said Jones. In agreeing to go to the public with this Special Election, the commissioners made it perfectly clear that this was a community decision. “We get zero community input at our commission meetings outside of the fire service,” he added. “The bottom line is that this Special Election is input from the community. It is whatever the community wants, “said Jones

Chelan Fire & Rescue firefighters work a structure fire on Hwy 150.
File Photo by Richard Uhlhorn

The District currently has 60 volunteers on board, but according to Jones, it is harder and harder to get volunteers nationwide. “There are a lot of hours a volunteer has to put in,” said Jones. The District can no longer, because of Federal and State requirement, recruit a volunteer and hand him a hose. Jones would like to propose that a volunteer spend two years before being eligible for a career position which he feels should be an incentive for volunteer wishing to enter the fire services.

Saving an animal won’t change the world…
but for the animal, the world changes forever.

by Richard Uhlhorn

Mayor Mike Cooney proclaimed that Tuesday, February 27, to be “World Spay Day” in the City of Chelan at the Chelan City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 13.

Mayor Mike Cooney proclaimed Tuesday, February 27 “World Spay Day.”

Last year, according to Peri Gallucci, District Leader Volunteer for the Humane Society of the United States, the Spay/Neuter Program at the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society performed 3,654 Spay/Neuter surgeries in 2017 and has significantly reduced the intake and euthanasia of animals since the program’s inception in 1988.

Peri Gallucci
District Leader – Humane Society of the United States

In addition to the Humane Society, veterinarians, local and national protection organizations, and private citizens continue to work together to advocate the spaying and neutering of pets and community (feral) cats through “World Spay Day” in the United States and the world in 2017 and continue to join together to continue this work in 2018.

“There were 2,554 adoptions at the Wenatchee Humane Society last year,” said Gallucci. Unfortunately, the statistics are appalling. There are 2.4 million healthy and adoptable cats and dogs are put down in animal shelters each year due to the lack of critical resources and public awareness.

Over 90 percent of pets living in poverty (families that cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets) and 98 percent of feral and stray cats go unaltered. If you have one male cat and one female cat that are unaltered and they are left to breed, you’ll end up with 12 cats in the first year, 67 in the second year, 376 in the third year, 2,107 in the fourth year and it goes on and on. By the time you have reached the seventh year, 480,000 cats will have been born.

Feral Cats that have been unaltered can breed up to 480,000 cats in seven years. 

The Wenatchee Humane Society has a program to help low income people spay or neuter their pet. Through this program, we will reduce the number of cats and kittens coming into our shelter and give more of them another chance for a long and healthy life.

The goal is to make this crucial veterinary service available so recipients will continue with regular veterinary care and reap the benefits of maintaining a healthy pet with local veterinarians.

There is also a program where community cats (feral) can be brought in for spaying or neutering and then returned to their haunts without adding to an ever growing problem.

If you are looking to adopt a pet, the Wenatchee Humane Society spays or neuters all dogs, puppies, cats and kittens before they leave for their new homes. Regular adoption fees for dogs start at $110, adult cats range from $25- $65 and the fee to adopt kittens is $75 unless there are special prices listed in the pet’s description.

The adoption fee includes spay or neuter, well health exam, a microchip and initial vaccinations. The Society’s adoption fees are far less expensive than having each of these services performed on your own.

For more information on these programs, call the Wenatchee Humane Society at (509) 662-9577 or visit their website at: https://www.wenatcheehumane.org/spay-neuter/

Planning on tThe Woodin Avenue Bridge Project is 90 percent complete with bidding slated to go out in April. Project completion is estimated for November

by Richard Uhlhorn

City Council received a 90 percent design presentation on the Woodin Avenue Bridge design work being conducted by Dan Ireland, SCJ Alliance, at its Tuesday, February 13 City Council meeting. “We are kinda in the home stretch,” Ireland told the Council.

The

Dan Ireland with SCJ Alliance updated the City Council
on project planning for the Woodin Avenue Bridge Project.

The presentation updated the Council on Funding, construction traffic control methods, construction schedule, and communication methods during the upcoming Woodin Avenue Bridge project slated to begin this April.

The project will incorporate three different segments into one construction project that is scheduled to be completed by November, 2018. It includes a new waterline underneath the bridge, restoration of the bridge structure itself and repaving of the road surface. The Woodin Avenue Bridge is also slated to become a one-way road

The primary goal of the project is to limit disturbance to the general public and local businesses.

“We are still asking for input,” said Ireland who indicated they would start advertising for the project in April. “It’s going to impact our larger contractors in the area,” he said.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth asked, “Have you been communicating with Campbell’s about work hours and so forth?” Ireland replied that they have been communicating with the most impacted businesses and will attempt to offset any issues as much as possible.

Councilwoman Erin McCardle, who is also the new executive director of the HCDA (Historic Chelan Downtown Association), asked to be added to an email list on project updates so she can keep the downtown businesses informed about any issues that might crop up that will affect them during the construction process. “We will communicate with the public about the ongoing work so there are no surprises,” said Ireland.

The bridge will be usable throughout most of the project with only several segments of the construction project shutting it down completely.

The funding for the restoration of the bridge structure is from federal dollars. It has been preliminarily approved to combine the waterline project with the one-way project that have independent environmental permitting processes into one construction project which will allow the City to work with an additional $250,000 TIB grant funding.

Proposed Construction schedule:

April/May – Bidding and Contracting
June through November – Bridge Restoration work
June – Phase 1 Waterline work
July – Phase 2 Southside waterline work
August – Phase 3 East Columbia and West Columbia.
September – Paving
October/November- Project Wrap-up.

It is estimated that there will be eight bridge closures during the month of June and four during the month of September.

Construction schedules will be updated weekly by Email, city website and social media

by Richard Uhlhorn

“I move to immediately impose a moratorium on the issuance of building permits and /or authorization of crypto currency and high density load operations for an indefinite period of time or until such time as the planning department brings forth appropriate code approved by council.”
Councilwoman Kelly Allen

Chelan City Council had a special presentation on the PUD’s Electrical Load Growth by Chelan County PUD’s Chad Rissman, Director of Engineering and Asset Management and Andy Wendell, Director of Customer Services.

It was a fascinating quarterly update on what is happening with demand for electrical loads in the County and the concerns the PUD has going forward.

The PUD is seeing increased demand for its electrical output because of economic confidence that is driving residential building, new technologies, recreation and retirement, and the popularity of crypto currency mining companies attracted to the Chelan, Douglas and Grant Counties because of the low electrical rates.

Bitcoin mining refers to the process of connecting computers to the global Bitcoin network and using them to verify transactions between users of the crypto currency. The computers that do this verification work receive small Bitcoin rewards for their trouble, making it a lucrative exercise, especially when done at a large scale.

The PUD has had 75 High Density Load (HDL) inquiries between October and December, 2017. “Our phones were literally ringing off the hook from around the country and around the world,” said Andy Wendell. The PUD is also seeing a significant number of applications for HDL service and 95 percent of those applications are for leased space. “They are not coming here and building… they are looking for leased space.”

Andy Wendell – PUD Director of Customer Service
Wendell holds a melted electrical box from an unauthorized Bitcoin mining operation where the electrical service was overloaded.

This means that these Bitcoin miners are adding a transient load to the system. “They are here, but they may not be here next month or a year from now,” he said. “That’s big concern for us. It is yet to be determined if these are long term sustainable loads.”

In addition, to the legal applications for HDL service, the PUD has unapproved HDL loads existing within its system and that is of real concern (insert picture of burned box). The Bitcoin computers work in a series and run 24/7. When hooked up in a normal residence they increase public health and safety. One unapproved mining sites started a fire when the electrical system couldn’t handle the load. Over one acre burned from the fire. “Our transformers are simply not designed for these loads.”

Chad Rissman – PUD Director of Engineering & Asset Management

Chad Rissman told the Council that the proposed “Advanced Metering” system would help alleviates problems of overloading because they could monitor these loads immediately. “We are really looking forward to this system.”

The PUD has increased its rate for Bitcoin Mining and other companies requiring High Density Loads to 3.8 cents per Kw hour. “That’s not a big difference, but even 5 cents per kilowatt hour is attractive to these companies,” said Rissman. The reason for the increase, passed by the PUD Board is that HDLs require significant upgrades in infrastructure to handle the loads. There is also a significant up-front fee to upgrade electrical service to handle these loads. For someone wanting 5 megawatts of power, the upgrade costs could run just under a million dollars according to Rissman. “We are trying to figure out a rate schedule. We can’t just jack up the rates…it has to be justified.”

They also want to work with the County and Municipalities on this issue.

Councilman Kelly Allen said, “It’s not really economic development. If a resident is operating do you notify the communities?” she asked. “We are looking at that,” said Wendall. “Our focus is on health and safety and we have the authorization to shut down unauthorized operations.”

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth said this type of operation should fall under home occupation businesses and if unauthorized it would be a code violation. “It seems to me that the key is building violations,” he said.

Mayor Mike Cooney

Mayor Cooney chimed in and said, “I don’t see anything good coming from this.”

Allen asked Wendell if others are taking similar positions to the problem. “Waterville has passed a moratorium,” said Wendall. He also said Wenatchee passed a moratorium back in 2015 to not allow cargo containers to be used on vacant lots for this purpose.

Mayor Cooney said that with the difficulty of just trying to site a new substation on the north shore of Lake Chelan that it would be ridiculous to allow this. “In the past two days I’ve had three calls about crypto mining. “They said it would bring in other industry with it. Seems like a flim flam to me,” said Cooney. “I hope our city will take a stand and create a moratorium.”

Allen then made the following motion which was passed unanimously. “I move to immediately impose a moratorium on the issuance of building permits and /or authorization of crypto currency and high density load operations for an indefinite period of time or until such time as the planning department brings forth appropriate code approved by council.”

Chelan County is not the only area in the world where Bitcoin mining is exploding. Iceland also has a major problem with its exponential growth and Iceland’s Mr. Sigurbergsson said, “We are spending tens or maybe hundreds of megawatts on producing something that has no tangible existence and no real use for humans outside the realm of financial speculation. That can’t be good.”

Excellent Wall Street Journal Article

More information on this fascinating business can be found on the PUD’s website at Chelan PUD

Contractors are rerouting the Isenhart Irrigation Line that runs diagionally across the property that the new hospital will be constructed on.

by Richard Uhlhorn

If you are wondering if the hospital has broken ground out by Wal-Mart, you are mistaken. Kevin Abel, administrator explained that the work being done at the corner of Apple Blossom Way and Hwy. 97 on the new hospital property is to reroute Isenhart Irrigations waterline that runs diagonally across the building site. “The hospital is paying for this work,” said Abel. “The reason it is being done now is that it has to be accomplished before the irrigation is turned on.

The architects are still on track and Abel says the estimated completion date for the new hospital is the fall of 2020. “We could start this fall, but are looking at March, 2019 to break ground,” said Abel. “The construction experts feel they can have the roof on by November of 2019 and work inside throughout the winter months. The board hasn’t made the decision yet of when to start.”

Most people know that Kevin Abel has accepted a position in Whitefish, Montana. “Personally is it really hard to leave this valley. I have a great staff, but this is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Kevin Abel, current Hospital Administrator

The hospital board has B.E. Smith, a top healthcare executive consulting and executive search firm is already been hired to find a replacement for Kevin.

Mat Classic is the largest high school sporting event to take place at one time. Every classification is on the floor at the Tacoma Dome at the same time and the dome is packed with family and wrestling fans. For the high school wrestler, qualifying for this Championship is a highlight of their high school wrestling career.

You can call it the dance… but in  reality it’s a classic… Mat Classic. It is the one wrestling venue where every wrestler in the State of Washington wants to be on February 16 and 17. Mat Classic… the largest single high school championship in the United States. It is where the best of the best of high school wrestlers have qualified to compete. Every classification from 1B to 4A is represented and all are wrestling at the same time to a stadium packed crowd in the Tacoma Dome. Exciting… yes. Daunting… you had better believe it.

Wrestling is a team and individual sport. During the wrestling season, the team works to win tournaments and Chelan did very well this year winning the Caribou Trail League and District Titles but, in the end it comes down to the individual wrestler. This year, out of 12 who attempted to make it to the WIAA State Wrestling Tournament in the Tacoma Dome, only three qualified.

Chelan, who has had a phenomenal wrestling season in the Caribou Trail League and at a number of state wide invitationals this year has three young men who will realize their dream of leaving it all on the mat at the Mat Classic this coming Friday and Saturday.

Chelan took 12 hopefuls to the Regionals qualifiers in Medical Lake this past Saturday and only three qualified to step on a mat in the Tacoma Dome and wrestle for the WIAA 1A State Championship.

Erik Alcala (152 lbs), Braden Williams (160 lbs) and Skyler Gordon (182 lbs) will face the best in their weight classes that the state has produced this year. Four other Chelan wrestlers will travel with the team as alternates including Jaiden Buyas, Javier Pastor, Johnny Ayala, and Bryan Mendoza.

“Everyone who showed up at the Regionals had a chance to make it through,” said Coach Jeffrey Chambers. “Even though it was a tough outing, as coaches, we are super proud of the fight in our young men.”

The preliminary matches at Mat Classic will take place on Friday afternoon and evening. The WIAA brackets are not up yet, but All Things Lake Chelan will post it as soon as it is up. You can follow the matches throughout the tournament as the WIAA updates the wins and losses as they occur.

Good luck to the three young wrestlers hitting the mat on Friday.

Issabelle Harris carves a line in the Intermediate race
at Echo Valley during Play Day.

A young lady enjoys the rush and excitement of the tubing hill at Echo Valley

 Echo Valley Playday Photos

The kids were all smiling and having a great time racing down the slalom ski course set up at Echo Valley for the annual Play Day activities which included racing for all ages, a scavenger hunt and an obstacle course for the under 9 group.

A group of the young racers at Echo Valley’s Play Day.

A lot of volunteers make this event successful every year. Ann Congdon, Tom Allen, Eric Page, John Page, Eric and Krystina Nelson, Lucas Green and the board members of the Lake Chelan Ski Club.

The skies were blue, the weather crisp, but the snow at Echo is beginning to disappear. “I wasn’t even sure we would be able to open today,” said John Page. Fortunately, the weather turned cold and the hill was groomed enough to make for some excellent corn snow for the events.

The Poma Hill was closed, but Rope Tow 1, 2 and 3 were all operational. The Tubing Hill was busy and has plenty of snow to keep it operating for another week or two.

The views from Echo Ridge are always stunning. This is of Glacier Peak from the upper parking lot at the Ridge.

Up at Echo Ridge, it was pretty quiet. “I think a lot of people stayed away because of the harder, faster snow,” said Bruce Willett, Chelan Ranger District. But he added that the groomer had made the skiing conditions really good. “I’m hoping for more snow,” he added. Echo Ridge has a good base. The long term weather outlook is for milder, wetter conditions which would be good for both Echo Valley and Echo Ridge.

Following are the results of Saturday’s races:

ROPE 1 – INTERMEDIATE RESULTS:

• 1^st – Luke Hefley – combined runs 57.20 seconds
• 2^nd – Kole nelson – 63.30 seconds
• 3^rd – Hannah Lyman -64.11 seconds
• 4^th – Austin Pratt – 64.31 seconds
• 5^th – Raden Rogge – 64.79 seconds
• 6^th – Bailey Morrison – 65.42 seconds
• 7^th – Lily Peterson – 66.70 seconds
• 8^th – Colin Morrison – 71.25 seconds
• DQs – Raven Pope and Isabelle Harris

ROPE 1 – ADVANCED RESULTS:

• 1^st – Nate Peterson – combined runs – 51.53 seconds
• 2^nd – Grace Peterson – 53.35 seconds
• 3^rd – George Wakeling – 53.87 seconds
• 4^th – Olivia Nelson – 55.38 seconds
• 5^th – Carter Lyman – 60.62 seconds

ROPE 2 – BEGINNER (under 9) RESULTS:

• 1^ST – Hunter Lyman – combined runs -21.39 seconds
• 2^nd – Finn Nelson – 21.67 seconds
• 3^rd – Wyatt Page – 24.97 seconds
• 4^th – Yui Hatanaka – 27.99 seconds
• 5^th – Ryoma Hatanaka – 80.89 seconds

by Richard Uhlhorn

Can’t afford to live in the Lake Chelan Valley? Need an affordable home? An affordable rental unit? It’s an issue facing the entire valley and the City of Chelan hopes to change the lack of affordable housing.

Over the next 20 years, the City of Chelan will need to find an additional 720 housing units to fill the expected growth. This would fulfill the need for all types of housing needs including seasonal.

On Tuesday afternoon, February 6, the City held a workshop in Council Chambers to explore how the City can create affordable housing for its growing senior population and the service and hospitality industry.

City Council, the Mayor, and Staff held a workshop to explore ideas on solving the affordable housing crisis in Chelan on Tuesday, February 6.

Mayor Mike Cooney is serious about pushing for solutions to the housing crisis. He told the group that businesses in the downtown core are having a hard time hiring people because of the lack of housing. “Pretty soon, they won’t have any employees,” said Cooney.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth remarked that young people can’t afford to move to Chelan. Many of the hospitality and service workers are commuting from outside the area.

Planning Director Craig Gildroy told the group that “We need to provide all housing types for all income levels.” He gave a presentation that included a toolbox for building affordable housing in Chelan. “We’ve never had anyone take us up on that,” said Gildroy.

The department’s toolbox includes:

• No Density Limitations
• Expanded downtown zones in 2017
• Permit outright for attached and detached ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Unit)
• Multi-Family units
• Cottage Housing
• Single Family, Duplex & Triplex Standards

It was brought out in the meeting that many homeowners in the City might not know about the opportunities available to build an ADU on their property. For example, a home owner might have a garage that could be turned into a small apartment for extra income and that is allowed under current regulations for a permit fee from the Planning Department.

Erin McCardle remarked that it is hard to move forward. “I want to make sure we look at solutions that impact the most people,” she said.

Hollingsworth added that there is a general lack of lower priced smaller homes or rentals in the City. “The focus has been on accommodating the higher end market and we’ve been kinda successful at that.” He mentioned the Lookout and Legacy Ridge as examples. “We need to focus on the lower end.”

One of the major problems facing the Council and City is the current one size fits all fees for water and sewer hookups. An 800 sq. ft. housing unit costs the same as a 4,000 sq. ft. residential unit. If a builder wants to build a 10 unit apartment house, he is looking at a huge number in his building costs.

Mayor Cooney stated that this meeting was the time to discuss those fees and how the Council might change them to help developers build lower cost units. Hollingsworth added that this was the stuff the City can do to attract lower affordable housing development by subsidizing the lower end. “We need to make those fees more equitable.”

Serando Robledo told the Council that they need to be very careful that any affordable housing that is constructed doesn’t become a short term rental. Hollingsworth added that this would be a code enforcement issue and a part of the qualification for lower fee structures.

Mayor Cooney moved the discussion along by telling the Council that since the Town Hall meeting, the City has been offered land and asked if the Council is willing to reduce or waive fees to get affordable housing in the City. “People are making offers to the City,” he said.

The question was who would pick up the slack of waiving or reducing fees. Cooney said it would be picked up on the higher end of the market. Dobbs added, “We would get more for larger homes.” Cooney added that a number of developers have said they are not building in Chelan because the fees are too high.

Ty Witt asked what the City was allowed to do and said, “I think it’s time to act on that.”

Hollingsworth suggested inviting some contractors in and have them discuss what would be practical to build smaller affordable units.

Since the Mayor’s Town Hall meeting in January, developers and land owners have stepped forward to help and a number of trades, land offers and donations are being made to help with the affordable housing crisis.

The Lookout has offered three acres and expertise that could accommodate 20 homes in the $150,000 to $180,000 range, but have said it wouldn’t happen under the current rate structure I the City.

Other offers that have come into the City include 20 acres of surplus land east of the City; two developers willing to make donations; continuing discussions with Weidner for 240 market rate units; negotiations for  potential land purchase for affordable housing.

Cooney asked each Council member to write out a summary of the meeting so the City staff can see where they would like to go.

He then opened the meeting up for public comment and Kevin Sanford who teaches Current World Problems and construction at Manson High School told the Council that his students had conducted research into the problem and came up with similar results that the City has. “It is a problem in the entire world,” said Sandford.

Kevin Sandford, a teacher at Manson High School has a construction class that is learning a trade and building small 150 to 180 sq. ft. tiny homes in hopes of helping alleviate the affordable housing crisis in the Valley. 

Sandford’s construction class in Manson came up with a solution and are building 180 sq. ft. micro homes on trailers. They are fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom and living space. “They are learning a trade and they are excited about doing it. My dream is that local vendors will buy into the idea,” he said. The units would cost $10,000 for a single person.

Hollingsworth asked if something like this could be permitted in the City. Sarah Schrock, the City’s new Project Planner, stated that anything build offsite would have to be approved by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

John Olson asked the Council to please read his research on how Bend, Oregon is treating Short Term Rentals. Bend is charging a fee to owners of STRs and the money goes into a pot to help build affordable housing.

Sherri Schneir, Columbia Valley Housing Authority, told the Council that the City needs long term rentals. “Maybe more than home ownership,” she added.