By Brian Mittge, The Chronicle, 4/11/2001
The Centralia City Council voted to accept $27 million from the state Tuesday, but it didn't seem too happy about it.
The zero-interest loan is earmarked for construction of the city's new wastewater treatment plant, and must be repaid over 20 years beginning in January of 2005.
Repaying the state's revolving fund means major wastewater rate hikes, which the council also approved on second and final reading.
Sewer rates will increase 10 percent a year for the next three years. This extra money will be kept in a separate account devoted to building the new wastewater treatment plant required by a consent decree with the state's Department of Ecology.
The current base rate of $27.83 per month for a single family dwelling will increase to $30.61 May 1, eventually rising to $40.74 in 2004.
Senior citizens and low-income or disabled ratepayers will have a slight discount of $2 to $4.
Councilor Bill Moeller again said a single, large one-time increase in rates would save ratepayers
money over the long run, but the other councilors agreed that with an electricity rate hike expected this fall, now is not the time for fee increases that are any larger than immediately necessary.
"To get hit with a huge increase right off the bat, then this fall another increase - we don't even know what it will be. It would be a mistake," said Councilor George McCarty.
The new plant is expected to cost about $35 million, including around $8 million to carry the wastewater from the current wastewater plant on Mellen Street to the location of the new plant on Fords Prairie.
The city's current wastewater treatment plant is at capacity, and the consent decree places several restrictions on the location and treatment standards of the new plant.
All water expelled must be below the Skookumchuck River's mouth, with strong limits on biological oxygen demand and temperature of the outflow.
Councilors expressed frustration at what they perceive as a changing series of regulations that make it difficult to know the standards to which the plant must be built.
Temperature of effluent is a moving target, said Utilities Director Dick Southworth. The initial standard of 21 degrees Celsius changed to 18 degrees, and is now 12 degrees, he said.
The state's Department of Ecology did not act as the city's advocate in discussions with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Southworth said, with frustration evident in his voice.
Several councilors, as well as Southworth, expressed the belief that once the plant is built, it will be effectively immune from further changes in water quality standards for the river.
The moral: get it built, and sooner rather than later.
"We want to move quickly," Southworth said. "Our position is they can't change once we start building."
In response to what Southworth called "creeping regulations," Mayor Tim Browning said the city should be in contact with all legislators representing the Centralia area.
"We signed a consent decree (with the Department of Ecology). If this continues, I'd look at revisiting it. There's some logic in there that says they're not the enemy," Browning said, vexed.
After a cascading torrent of frustration at changing state and federal regulations gushed from nearly all the councilors present, the group voted unanimously to accept the state's $27 million loan.
In other business, councilors: 0 Postponed a decision to vacate part of South King Street.
The city is considering vacating a 1 1/2 block portion between Centralia College's Technology Center and the new classroom building being constructed.
The Centralia Fire Department object to vacating a half block portion of King Street north of Walnut Street.
Although the college pledged to work with the fire department to maintain access to that area, the council decided to "sit on" the proposal until the fire department and college can come to an agreement.
Appointed Phil Evans to the city's Planning Commission. Evans, a recent retiree from the Hewlett-Packard Co., moved to Centralia from Corvallis, Ore., last year.
Rejected all bids for a 2001 4-wheel-drive service truck for use in the wastewater department. All four bids were between $80,000 and $90,000 for the one vehicle.
Brian Mittge covers municipal government for The Chronicle. He may be reached by e-mail at bmittge@chronline.com, or by telephoning 807-8237.
This page created and maintained by Chehalis River Council
Send comments or questions to the: Chehalis River Council