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Wenatchee council adopts email and AI policies, signs off on water loan closeout and fixes tax-exemption paperwork
Summary
At its Sept. 11 meeting the Wenatchee City Council approved an email management policy and an artificial intelligence policy, authorized final loan closeout paperwork for a water-main replacement funded in part by the Washington State Department of Health, and approved a minor amendment to a multifamily tax-exemption agreement.
The Wenatchee City Council on Sept. 11 approved a package of administrative policies and closed out a water infrastructure loan while correcting a drafting error in a tax-exemption agreement.
The council unanimously passed Resolution No. 2025-32, adopting an updated email management policy intended to balance long-term records retention with more sustainable mailbox management. Elizabeth Rosser, the city’s information-technology director, told the council the city currently holds more than 12 million active emails and recommended tools such as folder-based expiration and defined post-separation retention snapshots to reduce volume while preserving records subject to public disclosure.
The council also approved Resolution No. 2025-33, adopting an initial policy for use of artificial intelligence. Rosser said the policy is deliberately concise and aims to caution staff against inputting confidential or personally identifiable information into third-party AI tools, to require verification of AI-generated content, and to provide staff training as the technology evolves.
In a separate action, the council authorized final loan closeout documents and delegated signature authority to the mayor for a Department of Health loan used to replace asbestos-cement water mains on a series of downtown streets. Senior engineer Mike Hoover told the council the project went out to bid, was constructed by HCON, and was completed in July; the Department of Health reimbursed about $908,000 of roughly $1,056,000 in eligible costs, with the remainder covered from the city’s water fund. Staff reported all contractor affidavits and closeout paperwork were recently received.
Council members also approved an amendment to a previously executed multifamily housing limited property tax-exemption agreement for Grandview’s Riverfront Village (now Grandview’s Riverfront Village 1 LLC). Glenn DeVries, community development director, said the amendment corrects parcel numbers, an address, and legal descriptions after a boundary-line adjustment for financing; he said the change does not alter the original eight-year term or the substantive terms of the agreement.
Votes at a glance
- Resolution No. 2025-32 (Email management policy): Motion by Council Member Hornby; second by Council Member Navarro Gomez. Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 2025-33 (Artificial intelligence policy): Motion by Council Member Harold; second by Council Member Cuevas. Outcome: approved. - Loan closeout and contract de-obligation with Washington State Department of Health (AC water main replacement): Motion by Council Member Hornby; second by Council Member Harold. Outcome: approved. - Resolution No. 2025-31 (Amendment to multifamily housing limited property tax-exemption agreement with Grandview’s Riverfront Village 1 LLC): Motion by Council Member Rosian; second by Council Member Navarro Gomez. Outcome: approved.
The council also handled routine consent business and excused Council Member Atkinson from the meeting. No follow-up actions requiring additional council votes were announced at the meeting’s end.
