Chelan eyes bridge enforcement amid safety concerns

CHELAN — Chelan officials say they are working with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office on possible weekend enforcement at the city's historic bridge as concerns mount over people jumping into the river, climbing bridge structures and ignoring safety rules during the busy summer season.

The discussion came during council comments at the end of the July 28 city council meeting, where several councilmembers described increasingly risky behavior around the bridge and along the Lakeside Trail.

Mayor Erin McCardle said the city is exploring several options, including assigning sheriff's deputies to the bridge during the busiest weekends or on days when the most dangerous activity tends to occur.

"We're working on that right now and talking with Chelan County Sheriff's Office about putting a deputy on the bridge," McCardle said, adding that the city is also looking at ways to prevent people from climbing nearby light poles. She acknowledged that additional enforcement comes with a cost but said officials believe "there needs to be some enforcement done because the behavior is across the line."

Councilmember Tim Hollingsworth said he has heard repeated concerns from residents about what he described as a growing "degree of lawlessness" during the summer months.

"It's jumping off a bridge. It's standing on the pedestals. It's kids on — well, not just kids — but people on scooters and bikes and motorcycles on the trail and on the sidewalks," Hollingsworth said. "It's a great town to live in, but it just seems like there's a little bit more lawlessness in some of these things than I've witnessed in the past."

Councilmember Shane Collins said the city needs to determine how existing prohibitions can be enforced before someone is seriously injured.

"I'm not a grumpy old man. I'm a grumpy middle-aged man," Collins joked. "But the rules are the rules. ... I just don't know why they're not being enforced."

McCardle said the city recognizes that hiring another full-time law enforcement officer would be expensive, but officials are trying to identify the periods when enforcement would have the greatest impact.

"We all agree that there needs to be some enforcement done," she said. "The behavior has crossed the line, crossed the line a while ago, and we're just trying to figure out how we can be effective and see if we can make a difference."

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media