East Wenatchee to rebuild gazebo lost in fire

June 06-- Jun. 6--EAST WENATCHEE -- The city is rebuilding the Ballard Park gazebo after it was destroyed in an Oct. 20 fire.

City Council this week authorized signing a $35,900 contract with Wenatchee-based Ridgeline Custom Builders to rebuild the gazebo, which was located on Valley Mall Parkway near the Douglas County PUD.

East Wenatchee's insurance will cover the rebuild, though the city is responsible for the $1,000 deductible.

Jennifer Lee Johnson, 46, was arrested after the fire. Johnson pleaded guilty in December to second-degree arson. She was sentenced to three months in jail, followed by a year of probation, and was ordered to pay $19,962.90 in restitution to the city.

Court documents described Johnson as indigent. East Wenatchee's attorney, Devin Poulson, said Wednesday that the city had not received any restitution.

City Project Development Manager Tom Wachholder said there's a reason for the difference between the restitution and contract amounts.

"The initial charge was based on an estimate in the amount of $19,962.90 that we received from a contractor last fall; however, we were unable to execute a contract in a timely manner," he said in an email. "Ultimately, we selected the second lowest estimate, submitted by Ridgeline Custom Builders, LLC, in the amount of $35,900.76."

According to the contract, the new gazebo will match the previous structure. It'll be about 10 feet by 14 feet, made of wood and painted white.

___

(c)2019 The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.)

Visit The Wenatchee World (Wenatchee, Wash.) at www.wenatcheeworld.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.