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Leavenworth council approves public‑works contracts, advances downtown parking design
Summary
At its April 28 meeting the Leavenworth City Council unanimously authorized construction contracts for emergency generators and a lift station, approved a supplemental architect agreement to advance a downtown parking‑garage design, and authorized a water connection outside the UGA; council also adopted an updated financial policy.
Leavenworth’s City Council on April 28 voted unanimously to award multiple public‑works contracts and to move a downtown parking‑garage project into the design phase.
Staff told the council that Farmers Electric was the lowest responsive bidder on the backup emergency‑generator project for the well field, water treatment plant and booster station; staff recommended accepting the bid and authorizing the mayor to execute a construction contract. The packet shows a construction bid line of $589,064.80 on the bid tab for the construction portion, and staff said the city will use a $300,000 county grant plus water‑fund reserves to cover part of the work. The motion to accept the construction bid and authorize the contract passed by voice vote.
Councilors pressed staff on the large gap between the engineer’s estimate and the low bid. One council member asked, “If the engineer’s estimate was this and it is so far below that ... how is it responsible?” (Council member). A staff presenter responded that the city reviewed the bidder’s tabulation, spoke with the engineer and learned the contractor has been bidding very competitively across the region to keep crews employed. “We looked through their bid tabs,” the staff member said, adding the county grant and budgeted funds would cover installation and outfitting.
The council also approved a construction contract for improvements at the KOA/gateway lift station after staff explained the existing generator failed (cylinders melted shortly after warranty expired) and the project includes replacing the generator and updating controls. Motion language appearing in the packet cited an amount of $2,272,287.35 for the lift‑station work; the council approved the contract by voice vote.
On a separate but related capital track, the council authorized supplemental agreement No. 2 with ARC (ERC) Architects to advance schematic design, design development and construction documents for a downtown parking garage and the associated permitting and bidding process. During the discussion staff cited different figures in the packet while explaining scope and typical design percentages; the motion text included a total of $2,689,303.20 for the supplemental agreement and the council moved and seconded the authorization. Staff said the design fee compares favorably to state guidance and that the expense is budgeted against parking reserves and related funds.
Councilors also discussed a conceptual proposal referenced in an email from a councilor about Cascade Medical possibly acquiring a nearby lodge site; staff and a councilor noted prior feasibility work that indicated that particular site would likely be a poor location for a public parking garage and observed hospitals more commonly provide employee/patient parking rather than turn it into public parking.
In other business, the council approved a water‑availability connection for 7754 East Glenmore Grove, a lot served by a main extension installed in the 1990s and outside the UGA. Staff cited Leavenworth Municipal Code 14.14.100 in explaining why this matter required council action rather than an administrative approval; the council approved the connection unanimously and corrected a clerical address error in the packet (the packet listed 7554 but the motion used 7754).
Earlier in the meeting the council adopted Resolution 08/2026, updating the city’s financial policy. Several council and staff reports followed, covering parking‑pilot validation (QR/app validation for short‑term stalls and one‑hour Farmers Market validations), a civic academy schedule, transit board action, and parks and recreation audit follow‑ups.
Votes at a glance: the consent agenda passed unanimously; Resolution 08/2026 (financial policy) was adopted; the council accepted construction bids and authorized contracts for the backup emergency‑generator project and the KOA lift‑station improvements; the council authorized supplemental Agreement No. 2 with ARC/ ERC Architects to advance parking‑garage design; and the council approved the water connection for 7754 East Glenmore Grove. Each motion recorded in the transcript passed by voice vote and was announced as passing unanimously.
The council’s next public engagement event noted in the meeting packet is a community night at the festival on May 5; staff said members of the public will have further opportunities to review parking‑garage conceptual designs during the schematic‑design phase.
