City council discusses train station issues

The Leavenworth City Council discussed possible solutions for the train station and shuttle service Tuesday, Feb. 9 at their monthly study session.

B.T. Parton, owner of Leavenworth Shuttle and Taxi, joined the council in the morning for the discussion, providing a report and suggestions for how to improve the train station service for visitors and guests.

"I have gotten at least four e-mails from people who have visited and sent glowing compliments about B.T., Leavenworth Shuttle and Taxi, and the service he provides," said Mayor Rob Eaton. "Council, I've shared with you, we've had a phenomenal success at the train station. In December, we were at 82 percent of our projected goal for the year that Amtrak gave us, a projection of 4,000. That was in a 12 month period starting Oct. 1. In the first quarter of that, we had 3,300 or 3,400 riders. The January numbers won't come in for another week. But Amtrak is very pleased about that and the success of our station."

Parton believes the goal of 4,000 riders has already been surpassed, based on the number of people he picked up.

"During the busiest times, it's standing room only on the bus and we have a pick-up behind us with all of the luggage," Parton said. "That's the biggest issue. Luggage, a lot of luggage."

A restroom is something Parton identified as an important entity at the train station as soon as possible. Eaton arranged for portable toilets at station site.

"The only negative comments you get as a driver are those sorts of things, about the bathroom. Everyone else is great and greatly pleased to be able to travel to Leavenworth," Parton said. "Being on the train, they're on vacation from the time they leave Seattle, or Portland, we get a lot of Portland travelers, and they love it. You get those comments, 'Where is the station?' but we just say it's on the way. We have a stop now. The on-timeness of the train would be the only other negative comment. But anyone who travels on a train knows that if it's within three hours, it's on time."

Eaton added that in 2009, the train was on time an estimated 84 percent of the time, better than the airways in 2009.

"These are the type of travelers that we really, really want," Parton said. "A lot of them come with two bags, one is empty and they are both full when they leave. Or they come with one bag and leave with two. These are people who, a lot of them, that have the additional money to spend. They, at least what I found, are people who are familiar with world travel. They talk about the train here and they know all about the trains in Europe. These are the travelers we want."

An insurance policy that Amtrak requires the city to have during construction expires March 12. Councilman Tibor Lak suggested at the Feb. 9 evening meeting to utilize that before its expiration date to build another structure as soon as possible. The structure, not the phase II train station, but one similar to the shelter at the train stop now, would cost an estimated $45,000. The insurance policy would cost $30,000 if it needs to be renewed.

"We have an insurance certificate that's going to expire if we don't take advantage of it," Lak said. "And it's going to cost us another $30,000 to do this work so we might as well do this now. The shelter needs to be done as part of the plan. The insurance is to cover work that's done on the platform from Amtrak. Amtrak wants us to cover it. So the coverage is for KRCI to do this work, it was already in the original plan to have two shelters done. We've done the one, we need to have a second one, especially after the update we got from B.T. Parton today on the usage of the train station being so high, we've got people standing out in the weather. They're in the rain, they're in the snow."

The council approved for the city to enter into an agreement with KRCI, a Wenatchee construction company, to take the next steps in construction. Lak said they are saving two-thirds of the cost of the shelter itself by constructing now. Eaton says the foundation for the shelter is already in place.

Parton had a few other suggestions for the council and for Leavenworth as a city to consider to better suit the train travelers.

"For the travelers coming from the East, when the train is on time, they arrive at 6:08 in the morning and no one is open except Starbucks and McDonald's," he said. "And the reality is that when someone travels here from Chicago or from that side, they've been on the train a few days. The first thing they want to do is take a shower. And if they are coming in on the weekend especially, their rooms are not yet available. Chances of their room being available aren't real high. The hotels who figure that out are going to be the ones who are going to handle their train guests. Having some sort of pool room or something with a shower and some accommodations."

Councilman Michael Molohon said the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort has a library with a shower facility that train guests have been using.

Other city news

•The Leavenworth City Council approved the purchase of new garbage cans and commercial dumpster containers for the residents of Leavenworth. This purchase coincides with the purchase of a new garbage truck. The first can is free to residents. Residents will be charged for additional cans in the event the first can is destroyed or needs to be replaced, the Mayor said. The commercial dumpster containers are rented in the same way the current dumpsters are rented to their users.

•The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Planning Association of Washington presented Mayor Rob Eaton and Director of Community Development Connie Krueger with the first place award for the City of Leavenworth Downtown Master Plan and honorable mention for the Upper Valley Regional Trails Plan.

-The city council approved an industrial discharge contract between the city and Icicle Brewery. The contract will protect the city's Waste Water Treatment Plant. Public Works Director Dave Schettler said he felt the agreement was a pretty good one that will regulate the industrial discharge coming from the brewery's drains. The brewery will have a waste water tank, he said, that would dilute the waste and control the pH balance in the system.

Chelsea Gorrow can be reached at 548-5286 or reporter@leavenworthecho.com