Leavenworth City Council ratifies emergency declaration, updates policies

LEAVENWORTH — The Leavenworth City Council authorized emergency measures, updated internal policies and approved the Chelan County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan during its Feb. 10 meeting.

City Council approved the countywide emergency management plan, which outlines roles and coordination during emergencies. According to Emergency Management Sergeant Jason Reinfeld, Emergency Management Specialist Stan Smoke updates the plan yearly, but the updates are submitted to the state at the end of the five-year cycle, which was last December. The updated plan was recently presented to and signed by the Chelan County Board of Commissioners, and is now making its way to the cities for approval.

“It’s kind of an umbrella type thing. It involves the [National Incident Management System and Incident Command System] and just defines everybody's roles in certain emergencies,” said Sergeant Reinfeld. “It’s an overseeing document that you can use during any type of emergency.”

City Council also ratified the emergency proclamation issued by Mayor Carl Florea on Dec. 15 due to the atmospheric river that “brought record amounts of rainfall and high winds” on Dec. 11 and 12.The proclamation allows the city to bypass normal bidding and contracting requirements so emergency response and recovery work can continue without delay; the ratification by the council validates the city’s proclamation and actions, a key step for legal compliance and potential state or federal reimbursement.

Additionally, the council adopted changes to its own policies and procedures following the suggestion of Councilmember Rob Eaton, who proposed a three-read rule before voting. City staff advised that the three-read rule for every action item would be unnecessarily time consuming, suggesting an alternative, which was ultimately adopted: 

"Councilmembers and the public should have sufficient time to thoroughly study an issue and ask any questions. In determining whether to proceed to final action, the Councilmembers should consider whether the matter is urgent, routine or in need of significant public process. Many routine matters may be completed in one meeting; more complicated issues may require more time to completely understand before deciding,” the adopted text reads.

The Purchasing and Procurement Policy was also updated following a comprehensive review prompted by recommendations from the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The revisions are also now aligned with current Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) guidelines.

Lastly, the city council surplused items in the car wash building, two trailers and a 2015 John Deere tractor with a snow blower. City Council also approved the replacement of five city vehicles through Enterprise Fleet Management, including pickups for Parks and Street/Utilities crews and a City Hall vehicle, as part of a planned five-year fleet rotation. The replacements are estimated to cost $211,500 and would be funded through the city’s equipment replacement fund and resale of older vehicles, with staff projecting an overall surplus once the sales are completed.

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