chelan – Page 2 – All Things Lake Chelan

Council approves higher density at Apple Blossom Center

By Richard Uhlhorn

Apple Blossom Development changes:
What is affordable in the housing market? That has been an ongoing debate. We all know that the Weidner apartments will rent at market rate prices.

At the Chelan City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 12, the council passed Ordinance No. 2025-1640 Amendment No. 1 to the Apple Blossom Center Development Agreement.

This agreement will increase the density of the development from the assumed number of 720 units to an estimated 828 units. Chelan Apartments might develop up to 64 cottage units while Weidner and Chelan Apartments will add no more than 80 450 sq. ft. micro units.

Initially, Weidner plans on constructing 250 apartment building and increasing that to 450 if their initial investment is rented.

It was rumored that the micro units might rent for approximately $1,500 per month which in many minds is not affordable. I reached out to Weidner’s Development Director, Nick Nowotarski about micro unit and cottage rents. He replied that the Leavenworth micro units were renting for $1,000 per month. “As market rate housing, the rents for the micros will be determined by what people are willing to pay.” Weidner is not planning on building any cottage units.

Chelan Community Development Director, John Ajax, stated in his opening report that the micro units are about the ability to provide affordable units.

Council members all have concerns with the increased density, parking and increased traffic. Ajax addressed the potential traffic issues by reporting that currently there are no plans to alter traffic flow. “There might be a roundabout at the Walmart intersection,” said Ajax. “Weidner would be making some contribution to that intersection.”

Terry Sanders is concerned with proper infrastructure being in place along with serious concerns about traffic, etc.

“Traffic is something we are going to have to address,” said Brad Chitty. Mark Ericks added that potential traffic problems need to be addressed before they arise.

Both Sanders and Jon Higgins voted No on the amendment due to their concerns.

With the Ordinance in place, Weidner and Chelan Apartments have a clear road to increasing the density of the development.

Unit Lot Subdivisions:
City Council unanimously approved an ordinance allowing Unit Lot Subdivisions as required by a state law passed in 2023. This law required short plat regulations for all cities, towns and counties.

The law allows the division of a parent lot into separately owned unit lots. Portions of the parent lot not subdivided will be owned by the owners of the individual lots or by the homeowners association.

**These four units are an example of subdividing a parent lot into four individual lots.**

Jon Higgins asked where these lots would be allowed. Ajax replied parent lots could be subdivided everywhere in the city. Tim Hollingsworth asked about covenents.

Lynette Grandy is concerned tht building heights will ruin iconic views within the city and buildings that don’t represent the communities small town historic architecture. “The look like shipping containers,” she remarked.

**Lynette Grandy and friend addressed city council regarding the new law allowing parent lots being subdivided.**

Grandy would like to hear more public testimony on the subject.

Downtown Sewer/Water project:
City Staff requested its consultant, Ardurra Group Inc., to provide an Additional Services Addendum (ASA) for the Lift Station No. 1 Improvements Project.

Jake Youngren, public works director, told the council that the work encompasses all the requirements by the Department of Ecology. The city is working with Chelan County PUD on the lift station remodel that will become a main feature of the Riverwalk Park property.

Youngren reported that adequate funds are available. The PUD is estimated to pay $85,100 as their portion of the work. The total additional services amount is $241,842.

**The pumphouse located at the northwest end of Riverwalk Park will be removed and remodeled.**

The design ASA includes the following additional work:

Coordination with Chelan County PUD regarding the landscape architecture components and park features to be installed as part of the lift station project.
2) Geotechnical support to understand and mitigate potential soil contamination as well as soil mechanics.
3) Completion of environmental permitting requirements established by the Department of Ecology as part of the funding agreement.
4) Inclusion of gravity sewer design elements for a gravity sewer pipeline upgrade along Columbia Street between Johnson Avenue and Lift Station No. 1.

The council unanimously passed this ordinance.

Lakeside Park bid award:
Chelan Parks Department, after rejecting its first bids on the Lakeside Park project, rebid the project after working with Berger Associates to revise the project plans, accepted the rebid by Cascade Central Construction. The new base bid was $1,279,299.21. The original scope of work included restroom and playground renovations, a new ADA compliant walkway, beach improvements and other park enhancements.

During the community comment period at the beginning of the council meeting, Lakeside resident Barry DePaoli told the council that there has been some improvement at the park but that he has seen multiple violations of the new rules without consequences and that the security team has no backup from the Sheriff’s Department. He also told the council that he is disappointed that he was told to stop providing feedback in the collaboration process. “We want to be a part of the process,” he stated.

The work has been scaled back resulting in reducing the cost of the base bid by $234,000. Cost-reduction efforts in the revised bid included reducing finishes within the restroom building, square footage of beach enhancement, square footage of concrete pathways, and some site furnishings.

The project will begin in early September.

In addition:
The in-water work for the Lakeside Park Renovation Project was bid separately for the installation of a new T-dock and beach enhancements to the designated swimming area.

The Dock Company bid $ 231,748.60 for the work. The total project exceeds the budgeted amount by $250,000 and the Parks Department is seeking approval to reallocate funds from its shoreline access and road-end parks funds which has $379.115 available. This will require a budget amendment.

Tim Hollingsworth asked it the department is sure the city needs to have docks at Lakeside. He cited potential conflicts with watercraft users and the swimmers. “We need to think outside the box on Lakeside.”

**The existing docks at Lakeside Park are heavily used**

Parks Director Paul Horne replied that Hollingsworth’s question was a valid one but that the docks are constantly in use by people. Horne feels that the Sheriff’s Marine Patrol can help with inappropriate watercraft use at the docks.

Lakeside resident Tammy Haig told the council that she encourages the city to pursue its pocket parks. She also mentioned that the Butte developer is now asking for a booster pump for water and warned the council that 1300 acres could potentially be developed under its TA zoning.

Administrative reports:
Communications Director Chad Coltman recognized several employees for outstanding work and in particular, Deputy City Clerk Cailey Couch who has taken all the classes necessary to become a full-fledge certified clerk. “Her understanding of the profession is an important aspect of the job.”

City Administrator Wade Farris said, “The city clerk is extremely important and having a backup is helpful.”

Jake Youngren reported that his department had to put divers into the lake to help seal a sewer leak.

Paul Horne remarked that the City’s parks are a lot more family friendly this season.

Farris remarked that crowds were overwhelming at times and that there were still some problems. “We still have lots of work to do,” said Farris. He added that the Sheriff’s Department is stretched thin.

Mayor/Council comments:
Terry Sanders stated that Lakeside Park “is a work in progress.” He would like to see increased signage at the park.

Brad Chitty said he appreciates public input. “It’s how we get things done.”

Tim Hollingsworth stated that he doesn’t want to lose the pocket park projects.

Mayor McCardle remarked that hundreds of hours of staff time have been devoted to the Lakeside Park issues. “You will find a much more family friendly park at Lakeside,” she said. McCardle said that not listening to the residents is a bit frustrating.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB GRAND OPENING A HUGE SUCCESS

by Richard Uhlhorn

**Approximately 100 valley residents took the time out of their busy lives to attend the Grand Opening of the Lake Chelan Boys and Girls Club at the Community Center.**

The much anticipated opening of the Lake Chelan Boys and Girls Club at the Community Center culminated into a huge gathering of interested parents and Valley residents along with numerous youngsters who will benefit from the facility.

**The space is large, bright and inspiring.**

Walking into the club is immediately awe inspiring. It’s an upbeat, electronically driven space for kids to enjoy from computers to gaming stations to an actual podcast place. The space is open, bright and stimulating.

**A group of children sat at the table watching the program**

Numerous luminaries were on hand to celebrate what has been a long process for Chelan to the current space that will help local youth and teens reach their full potential.

Mayor McCardle’s opening statement was that boy’s and girl’s clubs were really personal for her having been involved with one growing up. “I’m very excited to see this as a part of our community,” she said.

**Mayor Erin McCardle cut the ribbon with the help of Brooke Issak and Michael Steele.**

McCardle explained that the city started the process of collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club in March of 2024. Brooke Issac, chairman of the Community Center board stated that it took partnerships to make this come together and create a hub that will benefit quality of life in the Lake Chelan Valley. She thanked Maribel Cruz for all of her work. “There are so many things she has done we don’t know about.” Cruz is the center’s director.

The Club is the 27^th in the state and according to executive director Bill Tsoukalas, the Chelan facility fills a gap in the current system. Brewster has had a club for 10 years and there are three located on the Colville Confederated Tribe lands. The Spokane Tribe also has one.

“We can’t do this alone,” stated Tsoukalas. He introduced the Unit’s Director, Angela Collins who has worked hard behind the scenes as the club came together. It has operated since last October with a successful youth basketball program.

Collins admitted that she initially felt a bit of hesitancy taking on the job, but is now fully committed to the task. She introduced her staff to the crowd.

Tsoukalas, who has been at the helm of Washington’s Boys and Girls Clubs said, “We are looking at Chelan for a long-time partnership. It’s a great place to be. The support of this has been overwhelming. I’m so excited.”

According to Collins, Monday’s Grand Opening served as a soft opening of the spectacular facility. It will begin accepting walk-in child care for children from the first grade through sixth grade.

They are also working on three weeks of camps in August.

During the school year, the club will provide child care before and after school with programs beginning at 6 a.m and ending at 6 p.m.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit, check it out.

Is your home defensible against wildfire… Ruby Theater program outlines the areas fire assets

by Richard Uhlhorn

The Ruby Theater held its second presentation on Fire in the Valley featuring Chelan Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Brandon Asher and Fire Commissioner Mark Donnell. This event took place on Thursday evening, May 1 to a crowd estimated at 50 interested residents.

Chief Asher described Chelan Fire and Rescue’s mission that includes responding to structural fires and wildfire incidents in a district that is 125 sq. miles. In addition, the district responds to all EMS calls, automobile accidents including victim extraction, water rescue on the lake, Regional rope rescues and Hazmat situations.

**Chief Brandon Asher and Fire Commissioner Mark Donnell presented fire information at the Ruby Theater on May 1.**

The district has just hired two new career firefighters to fill out its needs for all situations. It also carries up to 35 volunteers and is always looking to attract more. The largest percentage of volunteers are over the age of 60. While there are a number of younger volunteers Asher said, “It’s hard to attract younger men and women who have jobs and are unable to respond to calls.”

The district responds to more wildfire than it does structural incidents, but its firefighters are trained in both types of firefighting techniques.

Wildfire is the most worrisome event that visits the valley each year. It is rare that the Lake Chelan Valley escapes having a wildfire during the fire season with the exception of small brush fires that are contained quickly.

Asher described the downtown fire siren as a method of letting people know that a second alarm fire or incident is ongoing. “When it goes off, step outside and look around,” said Asher. “We also try to inform the public through KOZI Radio and social media.”

Fire Commissioner Mark Donnell moved to the Valley in 2015 as a retired westside paramedic and firefighter. He quickly signed up as a volunteer and eventually ascended to the position of Fire Chief before retiring.

Donnell presented his story as a Union Valley resident. He shared photos of his Union Valley home prior to preparing it for a wildfire incident to a photo of the work he has accomplished to save it in a wildfire event.

**A fire plane dumps water on a section of wildfire in Union Valley in 2022.**

In September, 2022, a wildfire started adjacent to the Union Valley road just below his residence. This fire was human caused, probably by a spark from a trailer hitch safety chain dragging on the ground.

Chelan Fire and Rescue’s initial attach crew responded quickly which helped with control, but command was handed over to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). At the time, Asher reported that a unified command was set up quickly. “We had good response on this fire.”

Donnell along with many other residents living in this fire prone area have taken advantage of a program offered by the DNR to make their property defensible.

It wasn’t always like that. Prior to any real defensible space being created in Union Valley a resident in summer of 2001 started a trash burn on his property which got away and ended up burning 46,000 acres on Union Valley.

**A fire investigator inspects damage left by the 46,000 acre 2001 human cause fire.**

The DNR and residents began working on defensible space and are still at it.

The most recent and devasting fire in the Valley began in 2015, burning 56,000 acres of land before it was contained. This wildfire began as a lightning strike on Chelan Butte. Eventually an afternoon wind picked it up and it roared through the south end of Chelan causing millions in damage to homes and fruit warehouses.

Wildfire has a long history in the Lake Chelan Valley. Most of the lakeshore has been engulfed over the years and many thousands of acres have been consumed.

Last year’s Pioneer Fire was just the latest in a series of large wildfires at a cost of millions to the taxpayer. The Pioneer Fire has been reported to have cost $100 million plus to contain.

The August 1970 lightning fire in the Entiat and Chelan Mountains burned a total of 122,000 acres. This fire can be seen in a documentary narrated by Loren Green, as detailed by HistoryLink.org and YouTube. Chelan residents had to evacuate and were sheltered in an evacuation center, but returned the next day to scenes of devastation.

In 1994, the Tyee Complex, another lightning fire that began in the Entiat drainage burned over 135,000 acres and forced evacuations of resident on the south side of Chelan.

As more and more people move to the area and build homes in the wildland/urban interface, constructing defensible space is an important part of building here. The following link will help you negotiate the ins and outs of working with the DNR.

Defensible Space – Prepare Your Home | WA – DNR

City Council approves new contract with Chamber of Commerce

by Richard Uhlhorn

The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce has a new and revised contract that will be in effect until December, 2026. The contract was approved by four of the seven person council on Tuesday, April 8. Voting No, was councilman Brad Chitty; abstaining was Jon Higgins; and absent from the meeting was Terry Sanders.

Prior to voting on the motion to approve the new contract, councilmembers had a robust discussion concerning several aspects of the new contract.

“When this discussion started it was for a five-year extension and $700,000 per year,” said Chitty. “It is time to regroup. I propose to keep it at $700,000 for the next two years while we plan.”

**Councilman Brad Chitty was the lone councilmember to vote No on the current iteration of the Chamber contract.**

At issue was Point 5 a 2 extending for the period through December 31, 2026 where the city would agree to pay the Chamber 20% of the average total city lodging tax collections from the two prior calendar years.

City Administrator Wade Ferris asked about the 20% concept. “What does that 20% look like. Higgins replied that it was a considerable amount of money that would be added to the $700,000 on a yearly basis.

Chitty stated that it was his understanding that the committee would review the $700,000. “I think transparency is important,” he said. Shari Dietrich stated that she supports Chitty’s proposal to keep it at $700,000.

**Shari Dietrich agreed with Chitty but ended up voting for the new contract that will end December 2026.**

However, Tim Hollingsworth said things had gotten more expensive. “Twenty percent of 2024 is $400,000. We need the resources to provide for people who come here,” he said. “I would like consensus on the board that instead of a minimum of $700,000 we make it a maximum of $750,000 in the two-year contract. That is a modest increase.”

“I understand what you are saying,” said Farris. “There is a reason why we spent so much time to put this together.”

**Tim Hollingsworth suggested an amendment to the contract.**

Hollingsworth admitted that the council doesn’t know what the chamber is spending money on. “Right now we don’t know and are just second guessing.”

Mayor McCardle replied that the chamber has to report exactly what they are doing (in the new contract). She stated that the city needs to take a look at what is spent. However she said that for every dollar spent, the city gets back $2.5.

Hollingsworth added that it is lodging tax money. “We are not limited to how we spend it.” He then mentioned the Golf course and that the city needs to find a way to make an investment. “We did determine we could use lodging tax money for this.” Hollingsworth stated he would support the contract as it is.

He then suggested an amendment to the motion as follows: “I move to authorize the mayor to finalize and execute the LCCC Lodging Tax Fund Agreement subject to the following changes:

1.- Sec. 5 (c) Remove the words “not fall below” and replace with “not to exceed $750,000.

Final Agreement Change

5c. Minimum Funding Guarantee. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the combined total reimbursement paid to the Chamber for Advertising and Promotion Services and Visitor Information Center Operations shall not exceed $750,000 in any Agreement Year during the term of this Agreement.

Chamber Reporting Requirements.

a. Annual Report: The Chamber shall submit a written annual budget and performance report to the City by January 15th of each calendar year for the upcoming year. The report shall include:

(1) Overall Performance Metrics: i. Lodging Tax collection growth, overall as well as Q1 and Q4; ii. Sales Tax growth, overall as well as Q1 and Q4.

(2) Traditional Marketing Performance Metrics, including but not limited to: i. PR impressions by target audience; ii. Social media engagement by platform iii. Website traffic (e.g., page views, unique visitors); iv. SEO key words and click-thru rates v. Social media engagement (e.g., followers, engagement).

b. Mid-Year Review: A mid-year discussion shall be held during the July Council Workshop of the current calendar year. The review shall include: (1) Review of year-to-date Lodging Tax collections and marketing performance as defined in section 4; (2) Adjustment to Q4 strategies if necessary.

c. Quarterly: during the April, July, October and January workshop, a Chamber representative will provide an update on marketing efforts to City Council.

d. Monthly Expenditure Reports: Payment shall be made following the receipt of a report from the Chamber showing the previous month’s expenditures. The report shall be submitted by the 5th business day of each month and include: (1) Date, vendor, check number, and purpose of each expense; Page 4 of 7 (2) Categorization of expense (e.g., Wages, Supplies & Materials, Marketing, Legal & Prof. Fees, Permits, Utilities, Insurance) (3) The City percentage of each expense. (4) Any other information reasonably requested of the Chamber by the City, provided that the Chamber is permitted adequate time to prepare the information requested.

Public input: John Olson, a past city council member told the council that the City of Chelan is falling behind in its infrastructure needs. He mentioned the burgeoning second home sales, the population, number of retirees and new developments like the Wiedner Apartment

**Citizen advocate John Olson reminded the council that the city is falling behind on infrastructure needs despite the growth.**

Tourism:
Tourism in Chelan and around the world has become a double edged sword. Tourism has surpassed agriculture as the Valley’s number one economic driver.

In 2020, lodging tax receipts hit $1,357,013 which is the year that COVID hit and began to shut down air travel and other vacation locations. The pandemic drove lodging tax receipts up to S2,602,445 and $2,019.330 in 2021 and2022 respectively. Since then, receipts have remained above the $2 million mark.

With the increase in lodging tax receipts (more heads on beds) some unintended consequences arose with overcrowding at Chelan and other Valley public parks. Most notable were major issues of overcrowding at Lakeside Park which resulted in residents forming “Friends of Lakeside’ coalition to bring the overcrowding issue to the City Council.

**Last summer, Lakeside Park overflowed with visitors.**

This overcrowding issue didn’t just materialize from out- of-town visitors. It also included weekend issues wherein local users of Lakeside would show up at the park early in the morning, set up tent camps for large family gatherings that included loud music, barbeques and potentially illegal consumption of alcohol.

The Friends of Lakeside and the City worked together to change the city’s park rules that will hopefully eliminate most of these issues. To help, new signage, new parking kiosks and $100,000 contract to a company to help enforce those rules.

**Don Morse Park also receives its quota of visitors on a hot summer day.**

In 2024 there were over five million visitors to North Central Washington. Over 10 million visitor days were recorded with July and August being the busiest months.

“International travel to the United States has plummeted in recent months following President Donald Trump’s return to office, with global tourists increasingly avoiding the country due to fears of detentions, deportations, political rhetoric, and heightened border scrutiny,” Travel and Tour World wrote in a March report.

The steepest drop off in travel to the US comes from Canada. Border crossings fell by 12% in February and 18% in March. Tourism industry losses could exceed $90 billion dollars this year.. If the above reports are true the 2025 tourism season should be calmer with the advent of the current federal administration’s trade wars that will keep Canadians and other international travelers from visiting the Lake Chelan Valley.

School superintendent presents potential bond issue to city council

by Richard Uhlhorn

Lake Chelan School District Superintendent Brad Wilson made a special presentation to the City Council on the potential $70 million dollar bond issue that will be presented to the district’s voters in November.

**Lake Chelan School Superintendent Brad Wilson**

“We are in the pre-bond phase right now,” said Wilson. “There is no official bond issue yet.”

The district has been exploring the process leading to an eventual recommendation for the bond to be issued in November. “Bonds are challenging,” stated Wilson. “They require a 60% approval.” The district has no other bond issues currently.

The district began the process back in October, 2022 with a community/staff listening session and then a student listening session in November 2022.

In February, April, May and September of 2023 and then in March, April and September of 2024, the district worked with an 18 member Facilities Advisory Team to continue the process.

An OSPI grant was used for a study and survey completed by ALSC Architects of Spokane.

New elementary building:
The largest portion of the proposed bond issue is the construction of a new elementary building. MOE (Morgan Owens Elementary) was built in 1948 and has been rated as 30 percent effective for drainage, roofing, ceilings, plumbing, HVAC systems, fire protection, and electrical systems. OSPI rates the building at 50.30 out of 100.

The building is located adjacent to Hwy.97A which adds to safety concerns of the students.

“We got a good rounded view of what we need to do to our facilities,” Wilson stated.

The estimated costs to replace the elementary school and add Pre-Kindergarten is $54,740,000 with OSPI matching funding of $4,044,314 (only if bond passes).

Middle/High School:
The middle/high school has been rated only 30 percent effective (poor) for its roof, doors and windows, interior construction, ceilings, HVAC systems, electrical systems, audio communications, and electronic security & integrated automation systems.

The building is not up to industry standards for CTE learning. The bond issue would remode the metal and wood shop, move floor-weight room next to art room on the main floor and the mezzanine would become the wrestling room for an estimated cost of $9,550,000.

Mt. Goat Fields:
The field modernizations would include a track field with lights, more parking, locker rooms and two concession/bathroom buildings for $9,850,000.

Other issues:
It would cost an estimated $50 million to remodel the existing MOE building of which up to $6 million would be required to provide portable buildings while the remodel was being accomplished.

The proposed location for the new elementary building would be on the northwest end of the Community gymnasium property.

The overall cost to district property owners is estimated at $0.86/$1,000 of assessed value for a 20 year bond. A $500,000 home would cost the property owner $1.18 per day. Or $430.70 per year.

Presentation:
Brad Wilson can be reached at 509-682-3515 or by email at wilsonb@chelanschools.org.

Wilson’s presentation to the City Council can be seen here:
Facilities plan for April 9 community mtg.pdf

Chelan Fire gets another boat

By Richard Uhlhorn

Fire Chief report:
Assistant Chief Shaun Sherman gave the report in Chief Asher’s absence. He reported that there were only 40 calls in February of which 72 percent were EMS calls. “There were no major incidents,” said Sherman.

Sherman stated that pre-fire planning was ongoing. “We are working out the bugs and getting positive reports back.” He added that all of the department’s airtanks (bottles) were undergoing hydrostatic testing.

New boat acquisition:
Sherman reported that the new work boat from the Pasco Fire Department couldn’t be delivered until a clear title is obtained. Apparently Pasco FD is applying for a lost title.

Sherman stated that he and Jason (?) would be traveling to Pasco to test the new boat.

Commissioners report:
Simmons brought up the district’s dropbox process and stated that the commission can’t be signing vouchers without proper review. Commissioner Mark Donnell added that all the commissioners need to be on the same page.

Station 71 generator update:
Apparently the controller on the generator broke, but an alternative has been found. This generator will eventually supply power to the station in the event that PUD power is lost.

California mobilization:
Commissioner Russ Jones asked how the California mobilization billing was going and Administrative Manager Misty Fifield said the final billing has been submitted.

SOG – 226 – Marine Emergency Responses:
Simmons asked Sherman if six hours, including night training, on boat operations was attainable? Sherman replied that it was. “We are lucky to have Russ Jones and Tim Sullivan to help. Boating is a dangerous activity,” Sherman stated. “I hear your concerns.”

Simmons added that his concern is if someone not quite trained takes the boat out on a call and gets in trouble… Sherman replied that it all comes down to training plus evaluation of the trainee. “If he doesn’t pass than more training is required.” He added that there is an elevated risk on the water.

There is also the element of trailering the boat. “We’ve never had trailer training.” Jones suggested a trailer class.

Strategic Plan:
The department will audit the policies that apply and if needed, correct them.

Firefighter medicals:
Donnell stated that medical examinations need to be done right. He remarked that volunteers over 60 have to be looked at differently than a young volunteers. Simmons replied, “We need to be real careful how we go about this. I agree with you,” he told Donnell.

Sherman told the commissioners that the department has a physical requirement depending on each position a firefighter fills. He also stated that there is a mental component to the process.

Donnell highly recommended yearly physicals for fire personnel.

Annual Report:
Simmons suggested leaving the 2024 annual report as is but said he would like discuss what the department does in the future.

Summer seasonals:
The department administration wants to hire three summer seasonals. Jones asked if that would add $35,000 to the budget? He was told it would.

Donnell said he didn’t even know where the department was going to get its seasonals. Sherman said they want to bring seasonals on by April 24. “If you are asking for a third seasonal, we want more information,” said Donnell.

Community input:
A Union Valley resident and past fire fighter told the commissioners and administrators that he has put four 1,000 gallon tanks on his property all connected to a heavy duty sprinkler system for fire protection of his property. He also has a fire truck on site. “There are 90 families living in Union Valley. I would like to get some support.”

John Olson, a communjty advocate remarked that when he ran the Re-Runs truck that there were a number of south shore residents whose homes were not accessible. He said he would like to see the department investigate those access roads to see what could be accessed.

Donnell replied that they would attempt to access fire situations where and if it was safe.

Simmons said he was concerned with political rhetoric on KOZI.

Simmons also stated that he isn’t sure that sending firefighters out on State Mobilizations is in the best interest of the department. “We are not a for profit agency,” he added.

Firefighter Chris Burchman, who was sent to California, said he ran into a California firefighter who thanked Chelan for coming down and helping out. He told Burchman that he was sent to the Pioneer Fire last summer and truly appreciated Chelan for sending crews.

Short Term Rental Code ordinance passed by city council

by Richard Uhlhorn

Agritourism code amendments:
After months of debate and discussion the Chelan City Council unanimously approved the Agriculture Based Short Term Rental Code ordinance.

Community Development Director John Ajax has been working with the Chelan Planning Commission for a number of months to pass a new agritourism code that will help property owners monitize their property.

The proposed code changes went through an arduous process by the Planning Commission who reviewed the proposed udates to the Agricultural Tourism Code at meetings on April 17, May 15, July 17, August 21, September 25, October 16 and November 20, 2024.

A public hearing was held on November 20 to receive public input on the code amendment. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendments including the retention of a five-acre minimum lot size. On February 25, 2025, the City Council held one more public hearing on the amendments.

The recommended amendments can be read in the following chapters of the Chelan Municipal Code

Chapter 17.46 – Special Use District Chapter

17.47 – Agricultural Tourism Chapter

17.77 – Short-Term Rentals Chapter

17.56 – Conditional Use Requirements (introducing new provisions for agriculturally based rentals)

The new amendments to the code will permit small scale, agricultural based short-term rentals within the SUD (Special Use District), providing the property meets the following criteria: a minimum lot size of 5-acres with at least 51 percent of the property used for agriculture.

GMA 2025 docket:
City Council unanimously approved the 2025 Growth Management Act Comprehensive Plan Docket along with several other amendments.

Each year the City updates its annual work plan under the GMA. This year the docket includes work on climate resiliency, housing affordability, zoning code refinements and infrastructure planning. In addition, there are several development regulation amendments that remain in the docket.

Most interesting is the Housing Action Plan which will focus on alternative housing types, density incentives, and accessory dwelling unit flexibility.

Interlocal agreement for legal services:
City Administrator Wade Farris reported that the Chelan/Douglas Regional Port Authority was requesting an additional $1,000 from the City to continue its legal efforts against the state to contain the illegal diversion fuel taxes for the purposes. “They have been diverting these funds illegally,” said Farris. The City authorized $1,000 last year towards the effort.

The Council approved this expenditure.

Indigent Criminal Defendant legal services:
City Attorney Quentin Batjer reported that Kottkamp, Yedinak & Esworthy, PLLC defense of indigents arrested in Chelan has exceeded the Primary Attorney’s quarterly caseload limit and needs to assign overflow to Hankins, Tibbits Law Firm who has agreed to accept the excess caseload at a cost of $600 per case.

Apparently the overflow is due to an increase of property theft at WalMart.

Ecology funding for sewer project:
Chelan Public Works completed a funding application in the fall of 2023 for a sewer main replacement project from Don Morse Park to Columbia Street from SR150 to Lift Station No. 1. The City’s application was approved and awarded in 2024.

The City staff is working with the Department of Ecology (DOE) on the scope of work, grant and loan administration, design and construction, construction management and change order allowances.

The $5,411,000 funding amount is on a 20 year repayment plan at 1.2% interest.

The Council approved the motion to finalize the agreement with DOE.

Administration reports:
Public Works Director Jake Youngren reported that Public Works opened six proposals for the downtown water and sewer pipe replacement project and has accepted Selland Construction’s bid of $2,468364.92. Selland Construction was the second lowest bidder n the project. Ascent Foundation and Moore bid $2,420,103.37, but had several anomalies on their bid which led to the City rejecting it.

Interestingly, the bids came in below the Engineers Estimate.

Landscape architecture for lift station 1 is something the Public Works Department has been working on. Lift Station 1 is located at the northeast corner of the Woodin Avenue Bridge at the entrance to Riverwalk Park.

The above ground structure will be removed and the lift station will go underground with landscaping to help disguise it. “We are collaborating with the PUD,” said Youngren. “We are amending the current landscape element to what their goals are for landscaping and our needs,” he added.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth asked if Youngren had any concerns about groundwater table. Youngren replied, “We are confident we will be able to construct subsurface without a problem.”

Speed limit reduction on Hwy 97A. Youngren stated that Public Works is looking at reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph from city limits to SR 97A mile post 231and from mile post 231 to 232.88 to 35 mph. From there to mile post 233.66 to 30 miles per hour and from there to 25 mph t mile pst 234.49 before the speed limit resumes to higher speeds.

“It is kind of a confusing ordinance,” said Youngren. “I will come back to you. We’ve been working with all the property owners.”:

Wayfinding signs. Community Development Director John Ajax told the council that the planning department has been working on the wayfinding signage for 10 years. “The signs are waiting to be installed. We didn’t know that we were going to have a Lakeside Trail,” said Ajax. “We need to repurpose the signs with the Lakeside Trail.”

The signage will go from Lakeside all the way to the Lookout. Youngren stated that downlake winds could be problematic and they were looking at brackets to withstand high winds. Mayor McCardle asked what the next step was? Ajax said he has to get together with the city engineer.

Proposed 2025 budget amendment No. 1. Finance Director Jackie Tupling presented the Council with the first budget amendment of the 2025 fiscal year.

City Council will reconvene on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

Park regulations get tougher

by Richard Uhlhorn

Chelan Park 2025 regulations:
Chelan City Workshops give Chelan’s department heads an opportunity to interact with council members on the various issues facing the city. At the Tuesday, February 4 workshop the big issue the council will be considering at its Tuesday, February 11 council meeting is a new ordinance (Ordinance No. 2025-1629) on City Park regulations.

**Shade tents and umbrellas will be allowed as long as they provide visibility.**

This ordinance, if passed by the city council will implement new regulations covering five new policies that will help control park issues that became unmanageable last year.

Working with the Friends of Lakeside, a neighborhood advocacy group since last September, the city came up with policies to help make the parks more family friendly.

It is hoped that Chelan Parks will have these policies in place by Memorial Day. They include enforcement and infrastructure elements.

The workshop on February 4 provided direction for staff to draft the required revisions to the existing Code of Ordinances, particularly Chapter 9.22 PARKS – Prohibited Acts. They include:

Dogs – are permitted in the parks during the off-season between Labor Day and Memorial Day as long as they are on a leash no longer than eight feet. Dogs and other animals are not permitted during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Glass Containers – New… glass containers will not be allowed in Chelan Parks.
Tents & Canopies -Tents with flooring will not be permitted except for Chelan permitted special events. 10X10 tents will be allowed as long visibility is not obstructed. Beach umbrellas will be allowed to protect park visitors from the sun, but no pitching or maintaining a tent or canopy or other improvised structures.
Fire & BBQs – not permitted unless provided by the Park.
Alcohol & Smoking – Prohibited.

Hollingsworth noted that getting the word out to public is going to be hard. “We need to make a reasonable effort,” he said. The Parks Department will be hiring enforcement for the weekends during the summer months.

2024 Finance progress:
Finance Director Jackie Tupling shared the major and significant revenue numbers for each department at its Tuesday, February workshop. “The ending balances was better than expected,” said Tupling. The Parks ended up $600,000 in the hole. The Golf Course broke even and the department is receiving a $702,000 grant.”

The $700,000 grant is for planned improvements at Lakeside Park.

Tupling reported in writing that:

Sales tax receipts decreased by $29,309 in the fourth quarter bringing the amount to $775,189. Total to date is $2,757,532
Lodging tax, 2% and 3% came in slightly higher than last year’s 4^th quarter by $25,802. Total 2% capital funds collected in the fourth quarter was $298,645. Total for the year was $813,710. Three percent collections in the fourth quarter was$47,149 and $1,223,562 for the year.
Real Estate Excise Tax IREET) added up to $175,913 or $522,549 for the year. Tupling reported that REET collections were up $53,327 dollars and $140,420 to date.
Building fees are slightly higher compared to 2023
General facilities charges are down
Receipts in Parks and Recreation are higher in General Parks, the Marina and Golf Course, but down in the RV Park, Putting Course and Recreation/Youth Sports.

Chelan Butte:
Tupling reported that the $500,000 set aside for Chelan Butte’s potential purchase has reached its sunset clause. “You guys can be thinking about those funds when they drop off.”

**Chelan Butte from Lake Chelan Marina**.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth asked where the city is at concerning the Butte and the Trust for Public Lands. Tupling said it was time to move forward. There is no potential buyout purchaser for the privately held land and it is still available for development.

Chelan/Chelan County PUD partnership:
Mayor Erin McCardle reported on the City/PUD partnership. “Going back to last summer and looking at the community requests we came out with four projects,” stated McCardle. They were:

Connecting a wastewater line from the PUD’s Fish Rearing Facility to the City Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Chelan Gorge Park Revitalization. Building a multi-use four plex for baseball, softball and soccer along with other improvements.
Imagine Downtown – modernize infrastructure, enhance public spaces, and integration of innovative technologies like Wi-Fi for all.
South Chelan vacant property to potentially be developed into an additional community park.

One of the big issues with the public has been protecting the Chelan River from the east side of the Woodin Avenue Bridge to the dam from motorized traffic with the exception of boats transiting to and from the Chelan PUD boat launch.

**The Chelan River has become a favorite paddleboarding and kayaking place.**

The city has prepared a proposed resolution to keep the river free of motorized traffic including a proposal by a local consortium that would like to develop a docking area along the north side of the river west of the pavilion. The proposed resolution recognizes the increasing demand for expanded motorized access to downtown and supports such access west of the Woodin Avenue Bridge

The community wants more access to the water and a proposal to add access points for non-motorized craft and swimming areas.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth remarked that “There is a tremendous amount of non-motorized use in the river. We need to recognize the popularity of that corridor. Mayor McCardle added, “We don’t want to encourage additional boat traffic.”

Karyl Ouels retires from fire commission

by Richard Uhlhorn

Karyl Oules:
It was Karyl Oules last commission meeting and the kudos from Chief Brandon Asher were heartfelt. “In the end, you became one of our best supporters,” said Asher. “I really appreciate how you listened to factual information. You were a part of decisions, not just for our community, but for the region.”

**Fire Chief Brandon Asher presents Commissioner Karyl Oules with a Fire and Rescue coffee cup and a $50 gift certificate to honor her contribution to the fire commission.**

Oules replied that when she first joined the commission, she didn’t like what she saw. She became a staunch supporter of the department’s direction and leave the position feeling good about her contributions.

**Oules (left) will be replaced on the commission by Ron Simms in January who will join commissioners Mark Donnell and Russ Jones.**

Chief Asher presented her with a $50 gift certificate and a Chelan Fire and Rescue coffee cup. Brad, another supporter of Oules also gave her a coffee cup gift and said, “I enjoyed working with you.”

Chief’s report:
Chief Asher reported that overall, November was a nice quiet month for the department. There were several car fires and one water rescue off the Grandview. “There were no major incidents, so we had no real volunteer turnout.”

The staff is continuing to put final touches on the Community Fire Plan. “We should be finished with it by the next meeting,” stated Asher.

The new $41,000 Rivercom communications equipment is almost complete and Asher reported that when complete, Rivercom will make sure it is all programmed correctly.

The Audit is on ongoing. “I expect them to have some recommendations. We will probably get some advise,” said Asher. “They have some sample policies that we might integrate into our program.”

Asher reported that administration will probably make job offers for the two new incoming firefighters in the next five to 10 days.

The department received a one year extension with the Department of Natural Resources. “It allows us to fight fire on their land.”

The department continues to work on Community Risk Reduction.

Assistant Chief Shaun Sherman remarked that the old ladder truck from Entiat has been purchased and will be towed to Chelan. “There are thousands of dollars worth of parts on that unit,” said Sherman.

The recent snow storm (Wednesday) proved that the investment into the four-wheel drive truck was a great investment. “If there had been a fire, we wouldn’t have had trouble getting to it.”

Assistant Chief’s report:
Chief Sherman reported that the department was successful in receiving a $10,000 grant from the DNR. “We will look at allocating those funds for training so we are a little more effective out there,” said Sherman.

Sherman also wants to do more training on the department’s building inspection program. The department doesn’t have the enforcement capability “I want to train people on how to do inspections and also do a better job for our businesses.”

Commissioner Mark Donnell asked who will be enforcing that the inspection deficiencies get corrected? Asher replied that the City has hired Chris Baker as its code enforcement officer. Sherman added that the department is going to focus on City businesses, but that if the County wants help with enforcement, that it might be a path for more funding.

Unfinished business:
Asher remarked that the City’s TIF program has one more year before being dropped. Mitigation will begin when Widner begins its apartment building project. “We need to plan for the future,” said Asher who added that it looks like the $9 million dollar request from the Federal government has reach the President’s desk.

Budget:
“The budget outlook is good,” said Asher. With the two new hires, the department will be able to drop the seasonal hires to two. “We would then have one seasonal per shift.”

The commissioners unanimously approved the $5,720,673.23 2025 budget.

New business:
The commission unanimously approved Taylor Rains for out-of-state travel to the National Fire Academy in March, 2025.

The also passed the MRSC (Municipal Research and Services Center) resolution 2024-06. The MRSC is a statewide resource that provides general legal, finance and policy guidance to support local government entities.

Water rights – water quality -boat inspections – discussed at Lake Chelan Watershed Unit meeting

**Lake Chelan stretches 55 miles from Chelan to Stehekin.**

by Richard Uhlhorn

**The Lake Chelan Watershed Meeting was held on December 11 at the Chelan Fire Department. The next meeting will be held on March 17.**

Water Rights:
Years ago, Chelan PUD granted the Lake Chelan Valley 60,000 acre feet of water from Lake Chelan to use for development and agriculture. Today, the Valley has used most of those acre feet and only 5,373 acre feet remain before there is no more water available for water right applicants.

Department of Ecology’s Andrea Reyes explained at the Lake Chelan Watershed Planning Unit’s December 11 meeting that the water rights coordinated cost reimbursement application process was moving forward. “Once the remaining water is used, there will be no more water left,” she said.

RH2 Engineering is currently processing nine applications which will be done by the end of the year. “We will be through with Batch No. 4 by April,” said Reyes. “We will review if we get additional water or not.”

Doug England asked how the water right requests are being evaluated and how the needs far into the future.

Anthony Dunn – Ecology, said they were looking four years down the road. “You have to be able to show a need within a particular period of time.”

Mike Kaputa – County Resources, said there are only 15 applications remaining. Dunn replied that if Batch 5 uses up the water, there is nothing left to process. “There are no reserves to allocate from.”

If Ecology actually grants a 2005 request from the City of Chelan for 3,800 acre feet of water for future development needs, only 1,173.62 acre feet would remain. Both the Lake Chelan Reclamation District and Chelan County have requests for 2,040 acre feet and 1,000 acre feet.

The 2015 request from the Reclamation District would break the reserve remaining to (875.33) acre feet leaving no reserve to allocate from unless more water could be found or the PUD granting more acre feet to boost the reserves. Those applications below the Reclamation District’s request would not be able to process their water right applications.

**Phil Long and his new assistant at the Lake Chelan Research Institute updated the attendees on data collection and analysis.**

Water Quality:
Phil Long, director of the Lake Chelan Research Institute, reported that the Institute has made some incredible progress in the last several months. “We gone over several years of data,” said Long.

The Institute has hired Anna Galipeau, an environmental scientist from Montana State University in Bozeman. She has been working on data collected since 2018 with funding from the City of Chelan and Chelan County. “She’s been analyzing what has been going on which is helping us immensely” said Long.

Long reported that the Institute is also analyzing the impacts of the 25 Mile Creek fire; updating the State of the Lake report.

Funding for these studies have come from private donations, the US Forest Service, Chelan County and the PUD.

**Advertisement for funding the Lake Chelan Research Institute’s ongoing research efforts.**

He reiterated the importance of doing research work and shared data put together by Galipeau on phosphorous loading, chlorophyl and dissolved oxygen. Long provided an overview of water clarity data taken from three different sites on the lake from 1990 to 2020. Water visibility ranges from 12 meters to 18 meters depending on the year and time taken with a Secchi disk.

The Institute uses a multi-parameter probe to instantaneously take measurements at different depths in the water column. Long told the Unit that the Institute will be making this data available to anyone who wants to see it.

AIS report:
Steve Lasky, Chelan County resource specialist, reported on the 2024 mobile voluntary watercraft inspection program on the lake. These inspections are conducted on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the various boat launch sites around the lake from May through October.

**AIS Resource Specialist with Chelan County Natural Resources.**

This year, 2,830 inspections were conducted with inspections at Old Mill Bay reaching 638 vessels in July and another 143 in August. The inspectors inspected 204 vessels at Riverwalk Park Launch and another 382 at Lakeside Marina in August.

“This year the highest impact was at Old Mill Bay,” said Lasky.

Long suggested putting cameras at the launch sites to count how many vessels are entering the lake versus the number of vessels being inspected. This year 3,753 boats were recorded launching or coming out of the lake.

In other business:
Four hundred acres of Milfoil is growing in Lake Chelan. Asked if diver assisted test to remove milfoil was checked for regrowth, Long replied that there was regrowth. The diver assisted program is extremely expensive and is probably not the solution to removal of milfoil

Stormwater update: Travis Denham, Public Works engineer, reported that the city is preparing a stormwater management plan that includes outfalls, storage basins in the city. The study should be completed in May or June, 2025.

**City Engineer Travis Denham (left) gave a report on the city’s stormwater management plan that is being developed.**

Fishery Forum was not ready to report, but Mike Kaputa asked that they report on the forum at the next meeting in March. The draft report on bull trout re-introduction to the Lake Chelan tributaries

Lake Chelan Research Institute funding:
Funding comes through a variety of sources, but the Institute also encourages private donations to help further its research and hopefully keeping Lake Chelan clean.

For more information on funding, go to Lake Chelan Research Institute – Clear into the future