Leavenworth council swears in members, approves projects

LEAVENWORTH — The Leavenworth City Council swore in recently elected officials, appointed a Mayor Pro Tempore, and approved a handful of city projects during its first meeting of the year on Jan. 13.

To start, four city council members who secured seats in the Nov. 4 election were sworn in by City Clerk Andrea Fischer: Rob Eaton, Clint Strand, Mike Bedard, and Shane Thayer.

Eaton is the newest member to join the council, running unopposed for the open No. 7 seat. Bedard is starting his first full term as a publicly elected official; the council previously appointed Bedard to serve the rest of a term left vacant by the resignation of a former councilmember. Thayer, who ran unopposed, first joined in January 2024 and is entering his second term. Strand, who was first elected in 2018, is going on his ninth year in office.

Council member Anne Hessburg was re-appointed Mayor Pro Tempore, which means she will serve as acting mayor when the mayor is absent.

During the meeting, the city council approved updates proposed by Public Works to construction standards, which included revising water specifications around service connections, valve assembly, fire hydrant assembly and residential driveways, as well as added several traffic control details.

Leavenworth City Council also accepted the dedication of utility easements and improvements from Shera, LLC and Willkommen, LLC on two properties behind Safeway. Additionally, the council approved a bid award for asbestos abatement on the Osborn building. Safe removal and disposal of asbestos is required before the city can move forward with any demolition or rehabilitation efforts.

Lastly, Leavenworth City Council agreed to extend a services agreement with Winton MFG Compost Works for the transportation of the City’s yard waste and brush from the City of Leavenworth Recycling Center to Winton MFG’s composting facility.

The Leavenworth City Council meets in the Council Chambers at City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. for study sessions and 7 p.m. for regular meetings, with an option to attend remotely via Zoom.

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