Dallesport water plan nears finish
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
After more than three years of work, officials in Dallesport appear within weeks of completing the town’s first comprehensive water plan.
At a meeting last Thursday, water board members announced they will meet a Sept. 1, deadline to submit the draft to the state Department of Health.
The idea of the plan is to provide an outline for all future development and mandate what type of systems can operate in the area. Before, according to water officials, systems were set up in a “hodgepodge” of ways.
“Prior to this plan, people were really putting things in however they wanted,” said Chris Jones, president of the Dallesport Water Association. “Nobody was really governing it.”
The new draft, called the Dallesport Water System Plan, will outline policies, procedures, rate schedules, administrative functions, systems inventory, and operational protocols. It will also detail technical specifications like how many wells are allowed, how much water can be pumped, and what types of various piping requirements will be dictated.
So far, the planning stage has cost the association, funded by its 235 members, between $10,000 and $15,000. Board members said they cannot estimate what the total cost of the plan will be, but noted similar outlines have run $50,000 to $60,000.
Costs will mainly be funded by the group’s reserve account, which was inherited to a large extent by previous management. Coordinators said there are ample monies to fuel the project.
The Department of Health could take up to 90 days to approve the plan, at which point developers will be able to apply for new connections. However, it is unclear if those will be made available.
Jones stressed its approval does not necessarily mean more connections will be issued. On the contrary, he said he believes they may not.
The non-profit organization has been working with its five-member board on a water plan since 2005, but the issue became a hot button about a year and a half ago when new connections became scarce due to a regional housing rush.
In a short amount of time, the water board realized it was almost at capacity.
Jones noted, however, the board realized the dilemma in time and managed to avoid issuing invalid connections.
“We were able to screech right up to the finish line as soon as people found out we were at the limit,” said Jones. “We only had a handful of connections we could sell. People were standing in line to get the last ones. That’s where the real issue came in.”
The county then ordered what was effectively a moratorium – although by technical specifications it was not called that - on all new connections, including already developed lots.
For several months, no new connections were issued at all. Following that, they were opened only to developed lots.
“We wanted to make sure everyone was treated very fairly,” said Jones. “Preference was given to people who had already had lots developed – the only thing they were missing was the water meter.”
Unlike in nearby areas, Jones underlined that Dallesport has plenty of water and is in no danger of running out. It has simply been a matter of getting valid permits.
“We have ample water and our capacity to pump far exceeds our legal water rights,” said Jones. “We could pump five times the water.”
Under the new plan, the boundaries will be virtually the same, with the railroad tracks marking the southern border; Dallesport Road in the north; F Street near the orchards in the west; and the airport runways in the east.
The latter is the only boundary that will shift slightly, according to Jones.
The volunteer association currently charges a $2,500 connect fee, which goes into a reserve account. It then uses odd usage fees as well as the standard water rate - $23.50 per month as of January 2008 - to go into an operating fund.
The group has met opposition from a small number of residents who questioned a series of delays and bureaucratic hold-ups in the planning process. However, overall the project has been well-received by the community.
Ultimately, the association has said it wants to become its own water district. Members have consulted an organization that helps groups do that, but Jones said he cannot give a timeframe for how long that process might take.
If successful, it would operate much like the Klickitat PUD and be responsible for the self-governance of its water.
Jones said it is an elective process of sorts, although details are still unknown. He pointed out the scope of how much the association has grown since its inception a few years back. Moreover, water issues have become more pressing.
“When we first started, we thought we were going to fix five fire hydrants and now were becoming involved in huge planning issues,” said Jones. “It just keeps getting bigger and bigger…we’re just trying to figure out what the first step is and then the second.
“Can we do it all with a home kit?”
Candidates offer voters final words
Rachel Cavanaugh
News Editor
Local candidates gave Klickitat County voters a last-minute appeal for support in Goldendale Wednesday, just days before primary ballots were due.
At an evening called Meet The Candidates, eight hopefuls outlined their platforms and answered questions at the Grange Hall.
Key issues included job creation, healthcare, the economy, roads, water, and community services.
“In central Washington and the 15th District, we need to make sure we are able to upgrade their water treatment plant, because that’s going to become the flashpoint of growth over the next decade,” said Bruce Chandler, position one candidate for state representative.
The incumbent outlined his recent achievements in office, and went over issues currently on the floor.
Concerns about the faltering economy, specifically in the Goldendale area, surfaced several times throughout the evening.
“The solution – and I do believe there is a solution – is to bring in jobs,” said, John Gotts, another position two candidate. “And when I say jobs, I don’t just mean jobs, I mean living wage jobs.”
Tao Berman, position two candidate for state representative, talked about healthcare and the need to bolster economic opportunity. The White Salmon resident detailed his rural upbringing under a single mother, noting how his perspective on healthcare is influenced by her.
“Even though I’m younger than some of you, it doesn’t mean I’m not dealing with some of the same issues,” Berman noted.
County commissioner candidate Martin Taylor discussed his background in Klickitat County.
“My granddad was a farmer,” said Taylor. “Things have changed a lot since he came here…he’s my hero when it comes to self-sufficiency.”
County commissioner candidate Lea Rachford went over ways to get young people involved in farming and talked about the importance of citizen involvement.
Dan Newhouse, incumbent position two candidate for state representative, discussed accomplishments made in office and outlined strategies for cutting government spending.
County commissioner Ray Thayer also detailed achievements and screened questions about roads and business.
Bickleton resident Jerry Gaines, running for county commissioner, emphasized the importance of keeping partisanship out of certain issues.
“I vote my heart, my conscience – I don’t vote party lines. We’re all concerned about this country,” said Gaines.
He discussed the need for services like senior homes and parks for kids in outlying areas, as well as trails, playgrounds, and swimming pools.
Questions from voters focused on education, farming, and roads.
Representatives for governor Christine Gregoire and congressional candidate George Fearing also spoke.
Primary ballots were due Tuesday, August 19.
State to restore wet meadow
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to restore 50 acres of wet meadow that has been encroached upon by trees at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the plan, lodgepole pine trees will be removed by combination of bobcat with chipper and by hand. The work is expected to start by early September, while the area is dry and minimal disruption is made on nesting birds. The application states the area has become subject to the spread of lodgepole pine due to “changes in historical water and grazing regimes.”
The work, expected to be complete in under week, will be done on the Troh tract, south of Troh Road and east of the BZ Corners to Glenwood Highway. The hope is it will improve the wetlands for migrating birds, particularly Sandhill cranes. |
