05/15/2026
We are disappointed in the City of Wenatchee and the City Council’s lack luster “round table”. There was no real discussion about the importance of banners and merely statements made about how the LGBTQIA2s+ community should “get over it” and that the Council plans to move to “city sponsored events” like East Wenatchee.
At the meeting a representative for Out NCW spoke and let the City Council know about our own experience with the banner applications and how the City went above and beyond to make the experience confusing, while expediting a favored applicant.
This is what happened:
On April 30th, Shayla Winter (Secretary/Treasurer) emailed Tammy McCord with the Wenatchee Clerk’s office asking when the earliest time they could submit an application for a banner was.
Tammy responded at 8:13am May 1st “banner applications can be submitted no more than 180 days in advance of the start date.”
At 10:02am May 1st, less than 2 hours later, the clerk’s office accepted and stamped "received" the Wenatchee Downtown Association’s banner application for November 1st - 30th.
That is 184 days before and in direct contradiction to what Out NCW was told by the Clerk’s office less than 2 hours prior.
At midnight May 5th, Out NCW submitted an application for November 1st via email and a representative stood outside the Clerk’s office at 7:45am in anticipation of the office opening at 8am. When the office opened, they were the first and only person to turn in a completed application on behalf of Out NCW, including artwork, with payment, at start of business 180 days before November 1st.
At that time the city employee who took the application did not stamp it, and told our representative it would likely be denied because the Veteran’s banners had already taken the spot.
At 9:44am May 5th, that same day, Tammy McCord emailed Shayla and told them the application was denied and payment would be returned.
Soon after the President of Out NCW called to speak with the Wenatchee Downtown Association to ask about their experience applying. They let us know that the clerk’s office told them that she could submit her application early. Something in direct contradiction to what Out NCW was told.
And to be clear: Out NCW appreciates the time and work of the WDA and the Veteran banner program, and those who work tirelessly for this community. The Veteran’s banners are very important and should continue to hang.
May 5th the City changed the dates on behalf of WDA to start on October 28th, which means it *now* matches the required 180 days on the application they submitted on May 1st. This shows that the clerk’s office can make autonomous changes based on intent and approve specific applications of their choosing. The city then completely suspended the banner program to all further applicants on May 5th to any applicants not already approved.
Effectively blocking Out NCW, and anyone else, from applying again for a different month going forward.
When NCW Equity Alliance previously applied for banners they were denied due to procedural issues about artwork, which was already on file from the previous year, and told that nothing could be done because the process is absolute.
Out NCW was told they could not apply more than 180 days in advance while a favored applicant was told they could apply early.
This lead to one banner being “approved” over another based solely on the City’s discretion, and then the City suspending permanently all banner applications that had not already been approved.
NCW Equity Alliance was denied based on procedure. Out NCW was denied because a favored applicant was allowed to apply early.
The contradictions show clear and distinct favoritism being applied by our city's government. And it can not be ignored that in both cases, the denied parties are those championing marginalized voices in our community.
We stand with our community. We see you. We love you. We are not done fighting.
It is not lost on us, that our organization turning in an application has been deemed divisive simply because we attempted to participate in a “fair” permit system.
