City Council March Roundup

The Leavenworth City Council has been meeting in regular session. Although beginning with the March 24 meeting, council has met through a telephone conference call link. The following summary covers the significant issues of note that transpired at the March meetings.

Affordable Housing

This has been a campaign focus of Mayor Carl Florea. He has since modified that slightly to say he is concerned about workforce housing. This means he wants the city to focus on making sure people who work here can afford to live here.

At the March 10 meeting the council approved a measure to take advantage of a provision in state sales tax law to dedicate .0073 percent of existing sales tax collections for affordable housing in accordance with HB1406. The law requires the funds be used to acquire, build, rehabilitate affordable housing or providing rental assistance to qualified tenants. Qualified recipient are persons whose income is at or below 60 percent of the median income for the city.

Approval of this measure began with Mayor Farivar last September and is supported by Upper Valley MEND.

Expansion of the Mosquito Control District

The area to be annexed into the district is known as the Greater Zelt Strasse area. It includes the area around Safeway, River Bend Drive and KOA. The motion was approved unanimously.

Funding Requests

Council approved funding for Autumn Leaf Festival Association $30,300, Greater Leavenworth Museum $14,000 from lodging tax for 2020. They also created some new rules for organizations like Autumn Leaf and the Museum to seek funding support through a Contractual Partnership Agreements going forward. 

Bike & Juice Festival was approved for $1220.90 for insurance. Upper Valley Connections did not specify an amount but requested funding for 2020. These programs are funded through the General fund for youth programs which will have a remaining available balance after the Bike & Juice award of $2,779. 

Whitman Street Paving Project

Council approved a motion to accept the grant from the Transportation Improvement Board for $285,000 for a pilot project to pave the unimproved pavement on Whitman street from Woodward Street to Evans Street. Funding and management of the project will be completely provided by the TIB. The city will be required to add $15,000 to the project in the future for their 5 percent match.

Updates to the Festhalle Facility Policy

 Council passed a resolution to update the Festhalle usage policy previously approved in 2013. The updated policy is intended to address issues of discrimination, janitorial services, and equipment rental and linen rates. A separate policy on rules of conduct for use of city facilities is still under consideration.

New equipment purchases authorized 

Council approved the purchase of a new lawn mower to replace two aging mowers at a cost of $7,719. They also approved the purchase of a new John Deere Gator for $13,399. 

Adventure Park Easement Amendment 

Council approved a motion to clarify the location of a Mutual Easement previously granted on the Langston Property. The original Easement granted a 40 foot wide right of way for construction of a roadway for ingress and egress and the installation of underground utilities. The exact location of the original Easement was never specifically established. The new owners of the property have surveyed the property and asked that their specific location of the Easement be affirmed by the city. After reviewing legal advice from the city attorney council approved the motion to affirm the exact location of the Easement.

Councilwoman Sharon Waters voted against the measure on the basis that she wanted to recognize many people in the community were opposed to the Adventure Park.

Ratification of Mayor’s Proclamation of Emergency

The March 24 City Council session was held through a telephone conference because of Corona virus prohibitions against large public gatherings. The City Council meeting room was open to the public for anyone who might want to participate. The Emergency Proclamation approved by the council prohibits participation in council meetings except through written submissions e-mailed to the City Clerk or submitted in written form by mail or delivered to the drop box at City Hall. These comments will be read into the public record during the future meetings.

The resolution provides additional sick leave for employees. It also provides relief to residents by postponing any late fees on utility bills, freezing shut off orders for delinquent accounts and extending senior discount reauthorizations. For businesses the city is working to readjust billing charges for hotels/motels and restaurants and other tourism businesses whose services are not needed as a result of the closures.

The council is also working with the Chamber of Commerce to adjust advertising activity once the crisis has passed in order to insure that the public is aware the city is back open for business.

Parking meter contract amendments

The Parking Advisory Committee recommended some changes to the CivicSmart contract to install their system in Leavenworth. 

The committee requested that 43 private parking spaces for Cascade Hospital be added to the paid parking plan. They are concerned that leaving these as the only free parking spaces in the downtown area will make it difficult to for the hospital to enforce and retain those spaces for employee use.

The Parking Committee also requested that sensors be added to the City Hall parking lot and the Pool Lot. This will make it easier for the city to enforce time limits on those spaces.

Finally, the committee asked that the decorative sleeves and bases be added to the contract for the meters. They believe this is keeping with the enhanced design of other downtown features like the street lamps.

The Council approved the motion after being assured the total adjusted contract costs would not exceed the previously approved “not to exceed” contract of cost of $600,000.

Memorandum of Understand on Fish Screens

Council approved a motion to authorize the Mayor to sign an agreement with Trout Unlimited regarding replacement of 1500 feet of water intake line and replacement of the fish screens on that line. The new line will replace the existing line on Icicle Creek to provide fish passage through the Boulder Field area. It will also replace the fish screens on the facility. Council had previously approved $240,000 in funding for the project. This memorandum protects the city from any unforeseen cost overruns or change orders not related to specific city requests.