Shores sewer hearing draws hundreds
By JEFF BURLINGAME - Aberdeen Daily World WRITER, 6/27/98
OCEAN SHORES - The city of Ocean Shores wants to charge citizens to finance a $38 million sewer-improvement project city officials consider essential. But many of the 350 property owners crammed into the Ocean Shores Convention Center for a public hearing Thursday evening don't
To pay for the project, the city wants to form a local improvement district (LID), which would charge the property owners who would be affected by the sewer project. The owners would pay an average of $4,000, financed over a 10 to 20 year period, according to Ocean Shores Finance Director Gordon Hey
Which side wins could be determined at a special City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, when the council is set to vote on the issue.
But Thursday night, it was the public's turn to try to sway elected officials. About 50 property owners spoke during the hearing
"We want sewers, but the way this has been (done) is not fair at all," said 35-year Ocean Shores resident Bill Marks
A major concern of Marks' - and of many others who gave testimony - is the increase in property assessments, thus property taxes, that will accompany the installation of the sewer lines.
Homeowner Robert Jones agreed with Marks.
"I'm all for the sewers," Jones said. "Without the sewers, we won't have Ocean Shores. I'll pay my share, but I'm asking that the appraiser go out and look at some of the property."
The city considers the new sewer system essential in order to stop contamination of canals and lakes because current septic systems have almost reached the saturation point. The seepage could also threaten city aquifers, officials say.
"This is a very large project that is important to public health, safety and economic growth," said Lee Voorhees, the city's bond counsel.
City Manager Jack McKenzie said the current sewer treatment plant is experiencing extreme stress and is slowly degrading.
"The effluent output is not as high a quality as it was two years ago," McKenzie said this morning, "but still within allowable limits. We just have more wastewater to treat."
And the system is almost at capacity, McKenzie said
"The Department of Ecology warned us that it can't be allowed to continue like this," McKenzie said at the hearing. "Grays Harbor County informed the city that they would suspend permitting septic tanks by 2000."
This morning, McKenzie said that if the city is "moving toward solving the problem, (the county) will continue to permit where it's possible."
The city manager said the sewer system will improve the city's surface water and allow "every lot in Ocean Shores to be available for immediate development."
A $40 million line of credit was extended Thursday by Seafirst Bank for the project, according to the finance director.
This LID is most likely the largest in state history, according to representatives from Seafirst.
The city is hoping to sell LID bonds to repay the loan after the project is completed. The bonds would be redeemed by the collection of special assessments on the property within the LID over a period of time, Hey says.
If approved by the council, construction on the sewer project will begin next summer.
About two-thirds of Ocean Shores, 8,000 to 9,000 lots chiefly on the south end of the peninsula, stand to be affected by the plan that would include the installation of a vacuum sewer system, necessary sewer mains, pump stations and vacuum pit service lines and valves
The sewer service would be provided up to the property line, with the owner responsible for completing the line to the house.
An LID was completed in 1995 for the rest of the city. The reduction of the debt for that LID has been going remarkably well, the finance director said this morning.Arthur Foxford, who lives in the southern end of town, said he was concerned about rumors of the possibility of future erosion breaching the dunes and flooding that part of the city.
"We hear about all of the flooding problems," Foxford said. "It may be a little too quick to put the sewer in and then have the plant go down the drain."
Foxford's wife, Lu, was concerned in general about the added strain that would be placed on the city by the installation of the sewer system
"You get sewers, you get more people, more cars," she said "Do you really think this will clean up our city?"
Former City Council member Jim Jordan had some thoughts on the dispute.
"I'm in favor of the immediate installation of sewers, but I'm also opposed to the LID," Jordan said. "This proposed formation does not accomplish (what it is intended to do). We're tired of spending millions and not getting anything."
Jordan encouraged each person in the crowd to file a written petition with the city clerk, stating they are opposed to the formation of the LID.
If enough people file written complaints, the project can be halted by the protests, according to Voorhees, the bond counsel.
It can also be voted down by the City Council on Monday.
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