City of Chelan wins $75,000 planning grant to pursue economic diversification

The board approved a $75,000 planning grant to the City of Chelan to create an economic diversification strategy aimed at increasing year‑round jobs and resilience.

"Today, 40% of the jobs that we have in the city of Chelan are in visitor or property economy," Mayor Eric McCardell told the board in a presentation that walked through recent wildfire impacts, declines in visitors and the city's planning needs. The proposed project would fund a blank‑slate study to identify realistic economic pillars, assess infrastructure and workforce readiness, and produce an implementation roadmap. The city pledged a $40,000 match toward a total project cost of $115,000 and staff recommended approval.

Board members asked how the study would connect to county comprehensive plans and housing/workforce strategies. The mayor and city staff said the study would be coordinated with Chelan County's work and would examine housing, TIF usage, and a large water project intended to enable future development. The board voted to approve staff's recommendation.