Pateros City Council approves $1.5M bid, seeks $650K grant, and greenlights new music festival

PATEROS – The city council selected a $1.5 million contract bid, applied for a near-$650,000 RCO grant, and approved a new fall music event at its regular monthly meeting on July 15.

Buskarama

Buskarama is a new two-day Pateros event for musicians (buskers) and artists scheduled for Sept. 20-21 at the Sweet River Bakery and Riverview Pavilion. A busker is described as anyone who goes out in public and exchanges his /her talent for a tip.

The event kicks off with a Busker Dinner Showcase at Sweet River from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, and continues with the Busker Festival at the Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21.

Sponsors include the Veterans of the Arts, the City of Pateros, Sick Donkey Records, and the Apple Pie Jamboree.

RCO Grant

City Administrator Jord Wilson applied for $642,809 in grant funding through the state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to repair and/or replace the tennis courts at Riverside Drive.

Bid award

Hurst Construction of East Wenatchee was the lowest of three bidders for the city’s Commercial Avenue and Pedestrian Improvement Project. The winning bid of $1.529,948 was over the allotted grant amount from the Transportation Improvement Board, so the city will need to contribute up to $125,000 to keep the project moving forward.

According to the city website pateros.org, the city’s "main street" is exclusively a pedestrian mall—the front door to businesses, the post office, and the library. Commercial Avenue is the delivery door to businesses and customer parking and provides primary pedestrian access points to the mall. It is the primary collector off US 97, and the street lacks clear wayfinding for vehicles and pedestrians to access the mall.

Commercial Avenue needs to support delivery vans and trucks, recreation vehicles (trailers, boats, RVs, campers, motorcycles), pedestrians, and bicyclists. The street has a transit stop for two lines and newly installed electric vehicle and bicycle charging stations. It needs visual improvements from US 97, landscaping, tenant signs, and wayfinding features directing visitors to the businesses on the mall. 

Mike Maltais: 360-333-8483 or michael@ward.media