Cashmere works to modernize city services and communication

CASHMERE — Cashmere residents may soon find it easier to interact with city hall online as city staff work to modernize some of the city’s day-to-day systems and public communication tools.

During the May 11 Cashmere City Council meeting, administrative assistant Ethan Maffey gave council members a brief update on several projects aimed at making city services more accessible and reducing some of the office’s manual paperwork processes.

Maffey, who recently began assisting at city hall, said he has been working to move several common city requests online, including utility service applications, meter requests and pool rental forms.

“So I was working on a way for people to request meters or new utility service, not just by printing out a form online if they could find it, but by actually just submitting that request to us online,” Maffey told the council.

Maffey said he has also been using Microsoft Power Automate tools to streamline internal office processes and reduce some of the repetitive work currently handled by staff.

“I’m kind of a Microsoft platform guy,” Maffey said, which could bode well for everyday folks using the city’s website. A familiar-looking system for Cashmere residents is as valuable to them as it is to the employee behind the scenes.

In addition to the online forms, Maffey said he recently launched the city’s Facebook page, updated portions of the city website, fixed broken links and began reorganizing information to improve communication with residents.

“Starting to get more communication out, even using the website, but then of course through the Facebook page,” he said.

The update drew positive feedback from council members, particularly as the city continues balancing growing administrative demands with limited staffing and resources.

Councilmember Jeff Johnson praised the effort as a practical way to improve city services without significantly expanding costs.

City Clerk Elizabeth Martinez later told the council she has also been working on broader internal improvements, including the development of a quarterly financial reporting system intended to make city finances easier for both council members and residents to understand.

“I’m a very visual person,” Martinez said. “The better I can see a trend, the easier it makes it.”

Martinez said the city is gathering historical financial data and examples from other municipalities as it builds reporting tools that can better explain labor costs, department spending and other long-term financial trends.

“So there’s a lot,” Martinez said with a laugh. “I’m feeling overwhelmed.”

Still, city officials said the modernization efforts are intended to make city hall more accessible and transparent for residents while helping staff operate more efficiently behind the scenes.

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