Council authorizes expanded traffic control and public‑safety spending for Village of Lights after tense debate
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Summary
Council approved a professional-services contract for traffic control and a not-to-exceed $350,000 package to cover traffic control, sheriff overtime, state patrol and flaggers for the upcoming Village of Lights season; several members pressed for clearer justification, and staff agreed to seek more data and to brief the sheriff.
Leavenworth council voted to approve expanded traffic-control and public-safety coverage for the upcoming Village of Lights season after extended debate about cost, staffing and timing.
Contracts and authorizations: The council approved a $136,866 professional-services agreement with the local traffic-control operator (TBMM/EDMM LLC) to provide flagging and traffic-management services across multiple weekends. In addition, the sheriff requested supplemental deputy coverage and overtime shifts for festival Fridays and Saturdays; staff presented a combined not-to-exceed authorization of $350,000 to cover traffic control, sheriff overtime, state‑patrol support and flagging contingencies.
Council questions: Several councilmembers pressed staff and the sheriff’s office for a clearer breakdown of the sheriff’s $100,000-plus estimate and justification for up to 108 deputy shifts at an $85/hour bill rate. Members asked why the sheriff’s item came late in the meeting package and whether private security (Pacific Security) could be used more extensively; staff said multiagency data (traffic and pedestrian counts, WSDOT input, emergency-management recommendations) supported increased coverage and acknowledged they provided the figures late in the packet.
Voting and next steps: Council approved both the TBMM professional-services award and the not-to-exceed $350,000 authorization. Members asked staff to seek a sheriff’s office representative to explain the overtime request in more detail and to provide post-event accounting so the council can evaluate effectiveness for future seasons.
Why it matters: Leavenworth’s winter lights festival draws large crowds and creates traffic-management and public-safety needs that the city has historically paid for using lodging-tax revenue. Councilmembers balanced public-safety concerns against large short-term costs and asked for more transparent justification before making extra commitments in future years.
