politics – Page 3 – All Things Lake Chelan

City Council gets an earful

by Richard Uhlhorn

On Tuesday evening, July 9, Chelan’s Council Chambers filled with unhappy residents over the Fourth of July parking and fireworks issues.

**The July 4 Fire on Chelan Butte was handled quickly by Chelan Fire & Rescue.**

Citizens Comments:
Many of these residents live on Chelan Butte or in the Lakeside community. Margie Lynch, a longtime Butte resident summed up the parking issue by telling the Council that the Butte Road had cars, not only parked on both sides of the road, but double parked. “It became increasingly difficult for emergency vehicles to access the area,” she said. She added that she visited both the Sheriff’s Department and Fire Station where she was told to call RiverCom with her issues. “There was just enough room for my car to drive between the parked cars all the way to the switchback.”

Another resident stated that Lakeside Park is full at 7 a.m. “How do we monitor the parks,” she asked. She also mentioned that vehicles were driving up the Butte Road to Daybreak to watch the fireworks. She, along with others, are concerned about fire.

Another resident told the Council the Sheriff’s Department deputies told her they didn’t have time to write tickets and who would show up in court over a $30 ticket anyway. Her bigger concern was fire risk and the homeowner insurance companies view of that fire risk which is raising insurance or cancelling it.

Another resident addressed the fireworks issue with not enough resources to deal with illegal fireworks. “When the Butte fire started, there were still fireworks going off. We are all losing fire insurance for our homes.”

Mayor McCardle replied to the Citizens that the city needs to work on tougher long-term solutions.

Linda Sydloski brought up safety concerns on the Union Valley Road. “It is so treacherous with the fire traffic and dump trucks. There are no curbs… no guardrails and the dump trucks speed down the road.” She thought it would be good to put speed bumps in to slow traffic.

Parks & Recreation Professional Day Proclamation:
This proclamation couldn’t have come on a better day,” said Mayor McCardle. “All of our parks were full this past week. Thank you very much Paul.” She then read the proclamation and entered it into the record.

Parks Proclamation:
WHEREAS, the City Council of Chelan recognizes that the citizens of Chelan desire to enjoy the benefits of modern, safe, and well-designed parks and facilities that enhance their quality of life, positively impact their health, foster community cohesion, drive economic activity, and protect our environment; and

WHEREAS, the City Council acknowledges that tourism is a primary economic sector for Chelan, that tourists visit to enjoy our lake, and that almost all the publicly accessible lakefront is stewarded by the Chelan Parks Department, with visitors’ impressions of the parks significantly influencing their opinions and memories of our community; and

WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that the operations of Chelan’s Parks Department receive no taxpayer funding and that the Parks Department contributes to downtown beautification, supports other City departments, and benefits our taxpayers at large; and

WHEREAS, the City Council commends Chelan’s park professionals for their dedication to serving the public, providing exemplary customer service, and enriching our community through their work in managing commercial enterprises, maintaining facilities, and developing a strategic plan for the continuous improvement of the parks system into the future; NOW, THEREFORE, IT BE RESOLVED, I, Erin McCardle, Mayor of Chelan, do hereby proclaim July 19, 2024, as “Park and Recreation Professionals Day” in Chelan Washington. Dated this 9th day of July 2024.

Assistant Parks Director:
City Council is considering the hiring of an Assistant Parks and Recreation Director who’s position will have an emphasis on Capital Planning and Management of the $24 million dollars of capital projects the Chelan Parks department has on its PROS plan schedule.

“This is to alert the Council to a position that has been discussed for a long time,” Parks Director Paul Horne told the Council at its Tuesday evening, July 9 meeting. “The positions focus will be on capital projects.”

The search for this position will be done in-house and by the new Human Resource Director Chad Coltman who stated that once the job description is finished and approved, the search for the new director would be handled internally through the National Parks Recreation Association. “This will be a full time, non-represented position,” said Coltman. “There are sufficient funds to pay for it,” he added. The position would also be added to the upcoming 2025 budget.

**Chad Coltman is the City’s new Human Resources and Communications Director. He will be heading up the search for the new Assistant Parks Director once the position is approved by Council.**

Horne asked that the position be put on the next Council meeting’s Consent Agenda.

Mark Ericks asked about the delta funding for this new position description. Coltman replied that it is around $20,000, which takes into account the expanded scope of the new position.

Mayor McCardle added that the position has been in discussion for several months which included whether the position should be union or administrative. “We should have been hiring for this position much earlier,” said Mayor McCardle.

While the primary function of the job will be to assist on capital planning and management, the new employee will also assist in overall Parks operations and, when necessary, stand in for the director when he is unavailable or out of office.

In other City business:
City Council unanimously approved a $110,105 bid by Rudnick and Sons, LLC for the Bradley Street and Johnson Avenue Intersection improvements. This work will be accomplished before the school year begins and will allow teachers and school kids to cross from the Community Gym to MOE safely. The project is 90 percent grant funded.

Council also approved a General Services Agreement for on-call survey work with Erlandsen, Inc.

Council approved a Task Order No. 1 – 2024 for Right of Way Dedication Utility Easement No. 1, and Utility Easement No. 2 for the Anderson Road Project. “We have a memorandum agreement with Chelan Fruit for a utility easement through their property,” said Jake Youngren, public works director.

Mayor/Council Comments:
Terry Sanders said he appreciated the public comment regarding fires, fireworks and parking issues.

Bob Goedde said Chelan had a totally different crowd over the Fourth of July. “Traffic was terrible and there was fireworks going off all night long… I guess you can’t fix stupid,” said a disgusted Goedde.

Brad Chitty echoed Goedde’s comments. “I remember when we had police here from Seattle to help.”

Jon Higgins thanked the firefighters for all of their work to keep the community safe. He also agrees that parking has become a major issue in the downtown area.

Mark Ericks brought up the fireworks issue and said, “I don’t get it. We had a fire up on the Butte. We need to come up with a game plan.”

Tim Hollingsworth said people need to take personal responsibility for their actions. Regarding parking, Hollingsworth said there has been considerable discussion in the past. “We don’t have the capacity. The parks are abused and overcrowded,” said Hollingsworth.

Mayor McCardle echoed all the comments regarding the issues during the Fourth of July week. “A lot of things happened this weekend. We had incidents on the water. We are sitting here on Tuesday discussing parking issues, but there are so many other issues to consider.”

She added that the City has to get on top of the parking and fireworks issues.

City Council meets every second and fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The Public is encouraged to attend.

Pioneer fire, home insurance issues, City ARPA funds, Watershed meeting

by Richard Uhlhorn

IN THE NEWS – JUNE 13, 2024

Pioneer Fire update -June 12
The Pioneer Fire 31 miles up-lake from Chelan grew to 1,172 acres after a cold front moved in and contributed to its rapid growth.

Four aircraft and 164 personnel are now assigned to the blaze in steep, rugged land that has dry, dead and downed logs from old fires. According to the incident team, this fire may burn for a long time into the future. NOTE: In July 2001, the Rex Creek Fire burned 60,000 acres.

The incident team is working with private and federal stakeholders to protect assets. Handlines are being cut along the Lakeshore Trail which is closed from Prince Creek to Moore Point. Backpackers can access the trail at Moore Point for the hike into Stehekin.

Home Insurance cancellations:
David Forte, a senior policy advisor with Legislative Affairs Division of the Washington State Insurance Commision, told a large group attending a meeting held at both District 6 and District 5 Fire Stations and on ZOOM, that insurers look a fire load and the structural content of the outside of each building. “They are looking at how likely the home is to ignite,” Forte told the crowd assembled at District 6. “They are looking at both the load and structure fire risks to determine if they want to cover the property or not,” he added.

**A number of concerned citizens attended a meeting at Chelan Fire District to hear from a representative of the**
**Washington State Insurance Commission.**

Brandt Cappell, a candidate for Tiffany Gearing’s County Commission seat, told the audience that the insurance issue is a statewide issue.

One homeowner said, “Can you imagine trying to sell your house and can’t because insurers won’t insure it. This issue is so important to all of us.”

At this juncture, it looks like any relief from insurers will have to go through the Washington State Legislative path.

Chelan City Council discusses use of remaining ARPA funds:
City Administrator Wade Farris opened a second discussion concerning the use of the remaining $233,000 of ARPA funds for the Boys and Girls Club at the Lake Chelan Community Center.

**City Administrator explained the need to allocate the remaining ARPA funds before the end of the year. Once allocated to a project, the City has up to two years to implement.**

Finance Director Jackie Tupling said that $225,000 to the Boys and Girls Club, if approved by Council at its next Council meeting, could only be used for tangible items. “None of those funds ar obligated,” she said. However, she added that the rest of the ARPA funds need to be obligated by the end of 2024.

The Boys and Girls Club have become the Community Center’s anchor client and will pay $8,000 per month ($96,000 per year) on their lease of 10,000 sq. ft. at the Center.

Councilman Brad Chitty, who has worked with the Boys & Girls Club in the past, stated that he feels the funds should come out of the General Fund and initially only be for $100,000 to get them started and that they should look for corporate sponsors. Any funds approved by the Council will be on a reimbursement basis. Chitty said, “I am 100 percent behind the Boys & Girls Club,” said Chitty. “It is a great thing for the community.”

Farris replied to Chitty’s remarks saying that the ARPA funds are available on a reimbursement basis and that this is a great way “for us to support the Community Center.”

Farris added that this funding would help serve a large portion of the community by giving parents a place to take their children before and after school while they were still at work.

Mayor McCardle added it was a way for the City to help the Community Center organization get started. She mentioned ARPA funds that have been used by the Food Bank.

Councilman Mark Ericks asked what the redirection of those funds would mean to the Anderson Road Project. Farris replied that the $200,000 ARPA funding attached to the Anderson Road project was there just in case the project ran over the dedicated $700,000.

Councilman Bob Goedde stated he was all for helping the underprivileged children in the Valley and this would better serve them.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth said, “I don’t want the City on the hook for $96,000 a year. The more we know about it the better. It is a lot of money.”

Adam Rynd spoke to Hollingsworth’s concerns. “I sit on the board at the Community Center and we have already secured private donations.” Rynd stated the Center will continue to seek more funding through private donations and grants.

Ericks stated that he is a big supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs but is concerned about on-going expenses. “Somebody has to talk about on-going expenses,” said Ericks. “How are they going to sustain it.”

Watershed meeting:
Water rights for Lake Chelan are still being processed. Nine more water right applications have been released. It is apparently taking a month to process each water right.

Mike Kaputa stated that when Chelan’s, the Reclamation’s and County’s applications come up for review they will all be fighting for the scraps. As soon as Ecology is finished in the Chelan basin, Kaputa hopes they will jump on to the Entiat watershed. “I would like to see them focus on Entiat. It is the third largest watershed in the County,” said Kaputa.

The Lake Chelan Research Institute under Phil Long continues to perform water monitoring, particularly on the near shore. The LCRI has been funded by the PUD for three years for these monitoring efforts.

Residents living on the lake continually ask Long how they get rid of the algae growing on their docks and bulkheads. Long suggested power washing and scrapping. A test site has apparently been scrapped and will be monitored to see if the algae re-grows.

The Eurasian Milfoil invasion has grown from a measly 12 acres several years ago to 400 acres now. Methods to remove it include DASH (diver assisted airlift process) which has been estimated at up to $9 million dollars to remove the milfoil and Curly Pond Weed.

Long explained to the group that the PUD only lowered the water level to 1089 feet above sea level this year which didn’t expose the invasive milfoil and curly pond weed to freezing. “We need a management plan to get funding,” said Long.

Lake Chelan’s DDT Levels are the highest in the nation and more work on this issue is needed. The DDT levels in Lake Trout have that species listed at risk for consumption.

Boat inspections continue to be conducted at Lake Chelan’s five boat launch areas; Mill Bay, Chelan, PUD Launch, State Park and 25-Mile Creek. Steven Lasky is managing that program and Kaputa told him he appreciated the way he is handling the job. The program has six inspectors working.

Bull Trout: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service are apparently working on their final draft regarding the re-introduction of Bull Trout to Lake Chelan tributaries.

Kaputa is following up on this major issue. Bull Trout are an endangered species and if re-introduced to the tributaries, it will forever change the sport fishery on Lake Chelan. Some local fishing guides say it would kill sport fishing in the Valley.

Townhall meeting will take place in Manson on Tuesday, June 18 at the Grange Hall in Manson. This meeting will bring together Manson Community Council, Manson Chamber of Commerce, Manson Park’s District and District 5 Fire District to get input from the community on how they can all work together to get Manson issues resolved.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. with Council member Chris Willoughby modertating.

City to request a .03% increase in sales tax to form a TBD

by Richard Uhlhorn

Transportation Benefit District

Mayor Erin McCardle opened up the Transportation Benefit District (TBD) discussion at Tuesday,’s, May 14, City Council meeting telling the members that they had three options to consider, all of which are sales tax increases of One-tenth of One Percent; Two-tenths of One Percent; or Three-tenths of One Percent.

“Growth and tax revenue has not kept up with inflation,” McCardle said. The TBD funds collected can only be used for transportation projects within the district. The District would only cover the City limits of Chelan.

Chelan Public Works currently has $24 million in identified projects on its Six Year Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). Property tax revenue falls way short of even providing required matching funds for transportation grants.

Cities are constantly looking at new funding sources and the TBDs have been adopted by a number of Washington Cities according to Jake Youngren, public works director.

Sales taxes raised through a TBD in Chelan would be split between residents and visitors to the City with visitors paying over 65 percent. Depending on what level the sales tax rate goes up will determine the amount of funding that could be raised.

In 2023 a TBD would have generated the following amounts per year:

1% 8.4% to 8.5% would have raised $ 405,597
2% 8.4% to 8.6% would have raised $ 811,195
3% 8.4 to 8.7% would have raised $1,216,792

Other funding sources for Street Capital Project Funding are raising the cost of CAR TABS which would have a huge impact on locals. Permit fee increases would be low.

An example of how the additional funding would be used would be preserving Chelan’s 42 miles of roadway. Replacing them would cost 10-times as much. “The cost would far exceed our capacity,” said Youngren.

McCardle stated that Chelan is in the bottom half of the State Sales Taxes collected.

Councilman Tim Hollingsworth asked if the City could justify the higher rate. Youngren replied that they go after transportation grants hard. Hollingsworth then said, “I think the higher amount is justified .”

Councilman Terry Sanders added that because people are tax adverse it’s up to the City to let them know what the options are. Bob Goedde added that he felt the people will understand the need and used the LINK Transit successful tax increase as an example.

Finance Director Jackie Tupling stated that it is important to drive home the 65%+ that visitors would be contributing to the fund.

Goedde feels that the City can do a great job of informing the public.

The City Council unanimously approved a motion to seek a .03% sales tax increase to form a Transportation Benefit District.

Hawkins files for Chelan County Commissioner

The following is a paid advertisement.

May 6, 2024

On the opening day of candidate filing week, State Senator Brad Hawkins of Wenatchee officially declared for the open position of Chelan County Commission – District 3.

Hawkins said, “I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement that my family has received recently related to my decision to run. I’m very excited to focus my public service to Chelan County and my family is super excited about me being here year-round.”

The current 12^th District State Senator said, “I hope the people of Chelan County – the county where I was raised – will support my commitment to keep serving them. If given the opportunity, I know I could do a great job in the commissioner’s role and serve well into the future.”

Hawkins is known for good communication and effective leadership

The two-term senator is known for his good communication and putting public service before politics. He has served in the State Senate since 2017 and is a former State Representative and school board member.

Hawkins has a Master’s Degree from George Washington University’s School of Public Policy and Administration in Washington, DC and a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from Central Washington University. He received his K-12 education in the Wenatchee School District. Brad and his wife Shawna have been married since 2002 and have two teenage boys.

Continuing a “family legacy”

Hawkins’ family has a proud history of service, which includes his father Buell who served two terms as Chelan County Commissioner for District 3 years ago, retiring early to care for his ailing wife.

Thinking of the possibility, Hawkins said, “The more I thought about it and reflected on the opportunity, the more I realized what a good fit it could be, not only because of my current representation of Chelan County, but also because of my family’s history with this position.”

Hawkins said, “I pride myself in being a good communicator, sharing facts, working effectively, and getting results. I have gained valuable experience throughout my career working with Chelan County elected officials, business leaders, and community groups. I hope to put all of that experience to the best use for the people of Chelan County.”

Hawkins’ County Priorities

· Growing our county economy

· Mitigating growing property taxes

· Maintaining a balanced budget

· Promoting local tourism

· Reducing our wildfire risks

· Ensuring public safety

· Supporting our agricultural base

· Delivering housing solutions

· Encouraging our tech sector

· Partnering with city governments

· Identifying transportation solutions

· Enhancing outdoor recreation