Pateros council holds public hearings on fireworks, firefighter compensation

PATEROS – Public hearings about firefighter compensation, a budget amendment, and fireworks shared the agenda with public comments, Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley, committee reports, an award ceremony, and more at last week’s regular city council meeting on July 19.
Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody presented Pateros Mayor Carlene Anders with a Certificate of Municipal Leadership from the Association of Washington Cities (AWC).
Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley delivered an overview of a dozen new law enforcement measures, many of which took effect on July 25, that are changing the way his office can respond to call outs once the new mandates take effect. Hawley suggested council members become acquainted with the legislative bills and add their voices to those lobbying for revisions of the measures.
One example Hawley used involved heroin use in the city park. He explained that under the new laws his deputies can witness an individual using the narcotic in the Pateros Park, but can no longer arrest that person. Law enforcement must now refer that individual to drug treatment.
“What used to be a Class C felony for possession of meth and heroin is now a misdemeanor after we catch you the third time,” said Hawley. “The first two times we refer you to drug therapy.”
Council member Megan Sherrard who serves on the Planning Committee reported on two proposed projects that qualify for COVID Emergency Relief funds. They include replacement of the existing breezeway and upgrading the large reader board sign.
Council member George Brady recommended revisiting the Pop-up Market concept to improve attendance at the one-weekend-a-month event. Brady said the Saturday half of the market was disappointing for its low attendance.
“I participated in the Pop-up Market as a vendor,” said Brady, “but Saturday was an unmitigated disaster because nobody showed up. We sat there for four or five hours and sold $25 worth of popcorn.”
Brady added that he spoke with several other vendors who told him they will not return.
Brady said Friday produced great traffic for popcorn sales with the family night movie and Sherrard concurred estimating the turnout of about 140 people. Anders reminded council that there is stiff competition for Saturday market traffic with both the well-established Chelan and Twisp markets as draws.
City Administrator Jord Wilson reported that copper phone lines in city hall have been replaced by fiber.
Wilson said the bids for the TIB Warren Street sidewalk project came in too high so the city will try again next spring. Wilson said the TIB has seen bids rise about 30 percent over the past several years.
The manganese level is rising at Pump No. 4 and Wilson said he is working with city engineers to stabilize the issue. In response to a question from Anders about the cause of the elevated manganese Wilson said that while it is all related to the river engineers do not yet know the exact cause.
The city has installed new pedestrian crosswalk signs on Lakeshore Drive.
Wilson reviewed the rough design for the Welcome Center concept for the mall to make the area more visible and attractive to visitors. Potential improvements include replacing the waterline from Lakeshore Drive to Dawson Street and addressing drainage issues on the bakery parking lot. Other changes call for replacing the current covered awning with a pergola-style open structure complete with recreation and mall information.
Council held a public hearing on firefighter compensation to give the city the flexibility to compensate volunteer fighters during times of emergency such as was the case in the 2014 Carlton Complex wildfire. The hearing did not set actual amounts of compensation but gives the city room to adjust volunteer pay. Council approved the ordinance
The budget amendment hearing was held to approve two unanticipated budget items, a $30,000 Rural Development Block Grant and $99,766 in Coronavirus Relief funds. Council approved the amendment.
Several residents commented during the fireworks public hearing with remarks that ranged from last year’s fireworks-caused fire along Highway 97, to the importance of fireworks as part of city celebrations like Apple Pie Jamboree, New Year’s, and high school graduation. Anders distributed the results of a fireworks questionnaire she sent to residents last year and noted that despite the fire danger, a clear majority of respondents supported controlled annual fireworks displays.