A community that cares

CHELAN — Chelan City Councilmember Terry Sanders closed out his time on the council Aug. 25, reflecting on work ranging from the Boys & Girls Club to affordable housing and thanking residents for consistently showing up to participate in city government.

Sanders, who recently moved outside city limits to Manson, used his final council comments to look back on his service and offer a warning about increasingly difficult choices facing the city as costs rise.

“As tonight’s my final council meeting since moving to the ‘metropolis’ of Manson, just a few remarks I’d like to make,” Sanders said. “Just really grateful for the opportunity to serve our incredible community in the past few years. Very, very proud of the work that we were able to accomplish together.”

Among those accomplishments, Sanders highlighted the effort to bring the Boys & Girls Club to Chelan, which he called “a fantastic thing for a lot of kids and families.” He also pointed to city support for the Chelan Valley Housing Trust and other community organizations through the Community Benefit Grant program and the city’s housing funds.

Sanders said he was also proud of the city’s efforts to work with residents on difficult issues, including its collaboration with Friends of Lakeside.

He thanked city staff for providing council members with information and context, and his fellow council members for the time they spent working through complex decisions.

“Thank you for the many, many hours we’ve spent together trying to make the best decisions for the most amount of people,” Sanders said. “It’s not always easy and lots of complex things come our way.”

Sanders also thanked former council members he served alongside, local journalists for keeping residents informed and his wife for supporting the time commitment required by public service.

But he reserved particular appreciation for the residents who attended council meetings and engaged with city government.

“Not a single time in my term have I looked out at an empty council chambers, which is really, really important,” Sanders said. “It means that our citizens show up and take an interest in what’s going on and communicate to us when they have ideas or concerns, and our job is to listen and learn and take appropriate action.”

That participation was on display during Sanders’ final meeting, when local business owners and representatives filled the council chambers to discuss declining sales and ask the city to consider greater investment in tourism marketing.

Sanders said the concerns illustrated some of the financial pressures the city will have to navigate in the coming years.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty ahead with rising costs,” Sanders said. “I think it’s important that we remember that we can do anything, but we can’t do everything. So we may have to say no or not yet to things that we historically said yes to, and that’s not easy, but that’s our charge.”

Council members each thanked Sanders for his service during their closing comments.

Mayor Erin McCardle recalled meeting with Sanders when she was trying to convince him to run for council. After their initial conversation, she said, Sanders went away to consider it and returned with 15 “very strategic, very hard-hitting” questions.

McCardle said the approach foreshadowed how Sanders would serve on the council.

“I would say that that commitment to thoughtful analysis of the decisions that you’re making and the comments has continued as your time on council,” McCardle said. “I just want to thank you for the commitment that you put into your time on council and for always challenging and pushing us to think of things in different ways.”

McCardle also acknowledged the commitment Sanders’ service required from his family.

“I really appreciate the time commitment from your wife and you that you put, giving your brainpower to the city of Chelan,” McCardle said. “We’re all better for it.”

Sanders said he plans to remain involved from his new home across the lake.

“Looking forward to the great work that we’ll continue to do in the city and looking forward to helping in any way I can for my role across town,” Sanders said.

He closed simply.

“Thank you. It’s been an honor, and I appreciate it.”

Then Sanders made one final motion as a Chelan City Council member: to adjourn the meeting.

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