OFFICIAL MINUTES
Facility
Plan Public Hearing
HAYDEN AREA REGIONAL SEWER BOARD
November 1, 2012
The Special Meeting
of the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board was held on November 1, 2012, in the
City of Hayden Council Chambers at 8930 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID.
Present:
Stefan Chatwin, Dan Green, Ron McIntire, Kenneth Sewell, David Weinstein
Absent:
Also Present:
Ken Windram, Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board-Administrator; Stephanie
Oliver, Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board-Secretary; Paul Klatt, J-U-B
Engineering; Larry Comer, Welch-Comer Engineering; Nancy Stricklin, Hayden Area
Regional Sewer Board-Attorney; Sean Hoisington, City of Hayden- Public Works
Director; Danielle Quade, Hawley Troxell; Angie Virnoche, FCS group; see
enclosed attendance sheet for a listing of all attendees.
A
total of 38 people attended the HARSB Facility Plan Public Hearing.
The meeting was called to
order by Ron McIntire, Chairman at 3:00 p.m.
There were no additions or
corrections to the posted agenda.
Public Hearing for Hayden Area Regional Sewer
Board Facility Plan Alternatives
Ron McIntire informed the
attendees that we need everyone to fill out a Public Hearing Comment Form and
turn it into the secretary prior to speaking.
Paul Klatt discussed the
Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Draft
Wastewater Facility Plan, see enclosed PowerPoint Presentation.
Paul Klatt started with explaining who and what the Hayden Area Regional
Sewer Board (HARSB) is and its current facilities, see page 1, slides 1 and 2.
He then continued with the reasons that the facility plan was developed:
regulations, growth and financial planning, see page 2, slides 3 and 4.
Paul then talked about the wastewater flow and how it currently moves
through our facility. He then
introduced the Facility Plan alternatives for consideration: Alternative 1- No
Action Alternative, Alternative 2- Upgrade river discharge and seasonal reuse to
build-out of existing site, Alternative 3- Upgrade seasonal river discharge with
seasonal reuse expanded to 2.4 mgd, Alternative 4- Upgrade river discharge and
sell reuse property infrastructure.
Paul Klatt informed everyone about the regulatory driver improvements, growth
drivers and finally the replacement and general upgrade needs, see pages 4-6.
He stressed the Boards sentiment that growth needs to pay for growth, and
that existing users do not pay for growth.
Paul then discussed the Environmental Criteria given to J-U-B Engineering
by Idaho Department of Environmental Quality with Option Cost (Total estimated
Capital and O& M) impacts; Alternative 2- 64 Million, Alternative 3- 74.9
Million, Alternative 4- 53.4 Million.
Discussion occurred regarding the engineering recommended alternative #2,
and reasons for the Board to consider it.
See pages 7-10 of the presentation for the budgets presented from the
engineering recommended alternative #2.
Paul Klatt then brought the presentation to a close with letting the
attendees know the next steps and the reasons we needed the facility plan, see
pages 10-11.
Ron McIntire reminded
everyone about the Public Hearing Comment Forms, and to bring them to the
secretary if you were interested in speaking.
Public Comment:
Keith Knight located at 9075
Finucane Drive, Hayden, Idaho. Mr.
Knight expressed his concern over being a frustrated tax payer, and that this is
being fueled by the Phosphorus levels on Long Lake, which is not a Lake it is a
Reservoir, and that we are being asked to reduce this when they are not cleaning
up their own act. He continued his
statement indicating that we are a good neighbor to Washington, but we are being
pushed into this because the Environmental Protection Agency and Washington
Department of Ecology say that this is a lake and not a reservoir.
He indicated that we need more political pushback pressure from Boise and
that even though it doesn’t look like it with the possible daily fees that
Alternative 1 would be his recommendation.
Nancy Henton located in
Hayden Lake, Idaho. Ms. Henton asked about the cost per homeowner.
Paul Klatt informed her that
the monthly fees would rise from $21.14 currently to about $60.00 per month.
Discussion occurred regarding the difference between the Facility Plan rates,
and the amount the residents are paying their respective entities.
The rates shown in this presentation only represent the HARSB Treatment
portion, and not the collection system that each of the entities operate.
Horst Bruehl, located at
1994 E. Lookout Drive, Hayden, Idaho.
Mr. Bruehl would like to know how the rates are broken down between
households.
Discussion occurred
regarding the monthly fees, and the portion that goes to the treatment facility
and the entity collection systems.
Larry Comer, Hayden Lake
Recreational Water and Sewer District’s (HLRWSD) Engineer informed the people
attending about the upcoming Local Improvement District hearing that will be
held November 14, 2012 at 6 p.m. Hayden Meadows Elementary School, this hearing
will give more information regarding monthly rates to the HLRWSD audience in
attendance.
Dan Green, Kootenai County
Commissioner, asked Ken Windram to discuss what has been done in the way of
pushback against the proposed regulation.
Ken Windram discussed
regulatory efforts over the last several years, and talked about the Supreme
Court ruling that allows downstream states to dictate to upstream states on
water quality standards.
Ken Windram also discussed
that everyone has a base of 1 ER, and that if an industry has more flow they are
evaluated and pay more ER’s based upon their flow.
Fran Davis, located at 1430
W. Hayden Avenue, Hayden, Idaho. Ms.
Davis is wondering why everyone has not been forced to hook up to the sewer.
Discussion occurred
regarding the availability of the sewer in certain areas and that as lots are
sold and septic tanks fail they are required to hook onto the sewer if it is
available.
Keith Knight, located at
9075 Finucane Drive, Hayden, Idaho.
Mr. Knight asked about the political action that has occurred, and that the
downstream users are not being held to the same standards as the upstream users.
Art Brown, located in Hayden
Lake, Idaho. Mr. Brown asked about
the NPDES permits, and if we were meeting current standards.
He also asked if we will be issued the permit once the construction is
done.
Ken Windram discussed that
we are meeting current standards, and that the Facility Plan is to meet the
upcoming standards on the new NPDES permit.
He discussed that the new permit will be issued with a compliance
schedule that we will have to meet.
Discussion occurred about
what happens when additional new regulations come in the future, and do we
anticipate meeting them in this facility plan.
We do not know what new additional regulations levels to anticipate so
they are not planned for at this time.
Mr. Brown asked about an
accelerated schedule that would allow for growth, and if it would be too costly
for growth to occur.
Paul Klatt discussed that
the model would allow for growth and that the maximum capitalization fee cost
would rise is up to a maximum amount of $8800.00 for the treatment portion.
Mr. Brown asked about the
percentage of maintenance cost versus new standards over the 20 year period.
Paul Klatt discussed the
funding needed to meet the replacement requirements, as well as the new growth
requirements, see PowerPoint financial slide.
Steve Matheson, located at
3391 E. Hayden View Drive, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Mr. Matheson
asked about the Supreme
Court decision, and if it was based on a state taking another state to court
regarding water quality standards.
Nancy Stricklin talked about
the Supreme Court Case of Oklahoma vs. Arkansas, and that EPA is requiring us to
comply with the standards due to the Supreme Court case.
Discussion then occurred on the process that we went through regarding
litigation, and the availability of future litigation.
Discussion also occurred regarding Idaho being considered an upstream
state, and that Tribal Standards also are taken into account regarding these
negotiations, standard settings, etc.
Discussion occurred
regarding the fact that all three Idaho area facilities (Coeur d’Alene, Post
Falls and HARSB) are upgrading to meet the upcoming permit standards, and that
we have a smaller base to pay for these treatment upgrades.
Economy of scale for smaller entities makes it more expensive, than some
of the upgrades occurring in the larger cities.
It was moved by Stefan
Chatwin, and seconded by Kenneth Sewell, that the Board adopt alternative #2.
Roll call vote taken:
City of Hayden – Stefan Chatwin- Yes
Hayden Lake Recreational Water and Sewer District- Kenneth Sewell-Yes
Kootenai County– Dan Green-Yes
Motion carried.
Ron McIntire talked about
the enormous amount of money we are discussing and the demands that are being
placed upon us, and the challenges that we are facing with the systems in the
area.
He reminded everyone to vote
on November 6th, and to attend the Veterans Day program on Monday
November 12th.
Moved to adjourn meeting by
Kenneth Sewell, and seconded by Dan Green, at 4:25 p.m... Motion carried.
Ron McIntire Chairman
Stephanie Oliver, Secretary