by Richard Uhlhorn
Artificial Intelligence:
“Our priority is getting more engagement from the Community,” said Mayor McCardle. “This platform will make it easier to go out to the community.”
She introduced the representative from Fulcrum Management Solutions who made a presentation to the Council and staff at last week’s workshop meeting on an AI engagement and research platform called the ThoughtExchange.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform will supposedly help the City engage with its residents in a more meaningful way through its data driven open ended survey capabilities. “It is more solution based on what’s working and what’s not working,” said the representative Jasmine.
Councilman Bob Goedde mentioned that many residents in Chelan are older and don’t have the necessary smart phones or computers to engage. “I don’t have a smart phone,” remarked Goedde.
McCardle told the Council that there are many AI applications the City could use. “We would own it, but it comes with an account manager,” said McCardle during a telephone conversation.
The $25,000 cost would be split between each department.
It will be discussed at this Tuesday evening’s Council meeting but no decision will be made at this point.
American Rescue Plan Act Funds:
The City has $233,000 ARPA funds remaining to be spent by the end of the year. These funds were allocated to the Anderson Road Project, but the Council was informed by City Administrator Wade Farris that the City was approached by the Chelan Community Center about supporting the Boys ;
Maribel Cruz, executive director, told the Council and staff at the June 4 workshop that the Lake Chelan Community Center has secured a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club to provide 10,000 sq. ft of space at the Center.
She provided a game plan for school age kids to use the space as a fun and safe place.
According to Mayor McCardle, the remaining ARPA funds would be used by the Boys and Girls Club for tangible items like computers etc. The City is also considering entering into a 15 year lease of the space at a cost of approximately $16,000 per year for the maintenance and operations.
PUD Park Prioritization:
The Council was also given a list of Riverwalk Park improvements that the HDCA (Historic Downtown Chelan Association) would like to see. The improvements they would like the City to consider includes:
- Making the pavilion more usable year-round;
- Make power more accessible throughout the upper areas of the park;
- Improve the restrooms;
- Improve the picnic shelter area
- Add some interactive sculptures or waer features in the upper park area; and
- Provide public restrooms on the south side of the park across the river from the Chelan side.
These improvements would require some City funding, but since Riverwalk Park is a PUD Park, it would make sense to enter into a collaborative effort to undertake some of the improvements suggested by the HCDA.
In other business:
The Waterfront Advocacy Group consisting of Art Campbell, Ron Foster and Greg Petersen, proposed an expansion of dock space in Riverwalk Park near the pavilion. The group expressed a need for a more expansive lakefront access to the downtown area.
This proposal is a moderate 40 t0 60 foot extension to the existing PUD dock beside the original bridge which could be designed to minimize any obstruction to the main Chelan River passing under the bridge. The group would also like to see a floating day use dock and access ramp installed just west of the pavilion.
These issues will be discussed at the Tuesday, June 11 City Council meeting which begins at 6 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend. Comments can be made by the public at the beginning of the meeting, or if it is an agenda item, made at that time.
All Things Lake Chelan 