Cashmere Council addresses pool incident, rising law enforcement costs, and infrastructure projects

CASHMERE — City officials and residents heard updates on public safety, infrastructure, and rising service costs during the Cashmere City Council’s July 14 meeting, with discussion focused on a chemical release incident at the community pool and anticipated budget impacts from law enforcement contracts and street improvements.

Mayor Jim Fletcher reported that on June 27, a malfunction in the pool’s sensor and control system caused excess chlorine and muriatic acid to be released, resulting in two individuals being hospitalized for respiratory issues.

Fletcher said the pool’s filter system dates back to the 1950s and described maintenance as a labor-intensive, three-hour process in an enclosed space that now occurs at 2 a.m. to reduce risk. He outlined several corrective actions:

• Replacement of the entire chemical control system
  
  
• Installation of manual shut-off valves on chemical supply tubes
  
  
• Addition of override switches on chemical pumps
  
  
• A policy to close the pool anytime recirculating pumps are off or valves are closed
  
  

Additional upgrades may be pursued this fall, including a switch to safer dry chemicals and modern filtration systems that could also reduce labor costs.

Councilmember Chris Carlson pointed to the incident as an example of rising costs tied to maintaining public services. “The Council is always trying to balance costs, expenses, and services,” he said.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison addressed the Council regarding Cashmere’s law enforcement contract, which expires at the end of 2025. A new agreement covering 2026 through 2029 is being developed and will include increased costs.

Morrison said rising wages and benefits, combined with inflation in fuel, vehicle maintenance, and overtime, are straining the department’s budget. “There is a $4.4 million dollar shortfall, and I’ve been asked to run the department using 2023 rates,” he said.

He added that the Sheriff’s Office has begun informing its partners—including Entiat, Chelan, Leavenworth and the U.S. Forest Service—that they may see reduced hours of service.

Mayor Fletcher asked about Cashmere’s current law enforcement allocation. Morrison said the city is staffed at 2.5 full-time equivalent deputies and that timecards and activity logs detail their use of hours within the city.

Carlson asked who bore the cost of the multi-agency search for fugitive Travis Decker. Morrison said that “each of the federal, state, and local agencies that have been involved in the operation have all said that they would not be charging Chelan County for any of their expenses.” He noted that such cooperation is often reciprocal.

The Council voted 3–2 to approve the use of revenue from a 0.1% sales tax to fund projects included in the city’s 6-Year Transportation Plan. The projects are overseen by the Cashmere Transportation Benefit District. Councilmembers Jayne Stephenson and Sheila Pistoresi voted against the resolution.

In other unanimous business, the Council approved:

• A $231,231 bid from Rudnick & Sons, LLC of Okanogan for a pavement preservation project. Director of Operations Steve Croci said the selected streets were rated very low by engineering assessments.
  
  
• A professional services agreement with Andrew Kottkamp as Hearing Examiner and Jay Eyestone as Pro Tem.
  
  
• An amended agreement with Chettos Concrete, LLC, adding $11,437 in work to replace additional sidewalk and ADA ramps on Tigner Road. The total project cost is $45,874.70, with the Cashmere School District contributing $10,000.
  
  
• An amended agreement with Moe Asphalt Patching and Seal Coating, Inc., adding $1,750 to seal coat the community pump track. The total project cost is $10,828.14 and is fully covered by an $11,550 grant from the Complete the Loop Coalition.