City Council Meeting: Parking Kiosk Upgrades, Interlocal Road Plan

LEAVENWORTH – City Council approved to upgrade downtown parking kiosks in addition to funding a design plan for an unpaved road that will connect Leavenworth to other Chelan County cities at the City Council Meeting Nov. 28.

In response to growing frustration with parking meters, the city is putting its efforts towards kiosks. City Administrator Matthew Selby cited confusing card application in the payment process as well as condensation on the displays as some of the problems meters presented at Tuesday night’s meeting. 

“[Businesses] have people coming to them and complaining,” said Selby. 

In comparison to meters, the kiosks are said to have lower maintenance costs, are more user friendly, and have overwhelming support from Leavenworth’s business owners. The city has a total of ten kiosks. Four are currently in use, with six in inventory. All 10 will be replaced with new monitors and programming, totalling $26,100 in costs. The new programming will include six language options. The city plans to deploy the six inventoried kiosks to replace meters along downtown streets such as Front Street and Ninth Street.

The city also approved an interlocal agreement with the Chelan Douglas Transportation Council (CDTC) to assist in planning an off-road pathway connecting the Upper Valley to Wenatchee, Chelan, and Manson. The initial planning will cost an estimated $1.2 million. CDTC secured a majority of the funding through a federal grant, with the rest of the cost to be covered by local matching. CDTC, Chelan County, cities, Link Transit, and WSDOT have all gotten involved in the project, according to Mayor Florea. Leavenworth will contribute $50,000 from lodging tax each January for the next two years, totalling $100,000. 

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media