INSIDE

District works to open taps

By Pat Grubb

The water district and commissioners appear to be making sure progress on the water shortage front – their only problem appears to be in communicating that fact. Open rumbling and complaints erupted at their regular meeting August 10 from audience members who complained variously of obscurantism, mumbling and lack of two-way communication. The audience appeared less than satisfied with commissioner Reneé Coe’s response, “We can’t do re-runs. We can’t bring everyone up to speed who only attends meetings infrequently.”

Special Meetings
The board has held two special and one regular meeting that have dealt mainly with the water supply issue, one on July 25, another on August 4 and the last, their regular meeting on August 10.

The first meeting discussed, among other things, the capital improvement plan process and water storage proposals. The second involved a conference call between the district commissioners, district attorney John Milne and Jay Regenstreif, PE, of the Sammamish Plateau Water & Sewer District. The regular meeting conducted regular business as well as further discussion of the comprehensive plan.

Water Supply & Storage
While not taking formal action, the board appears to have achieved consensus that increasing the storage capacity of the district by three million gallons is the way to go. Hammond Collier Wade, the district’s engineers, presented commissioners with estimates for one and a three million gallon reservoirs. If built out of pre-stressed concrete, as recommended by the engineers, the costs are estimated at $1,704,000 and $2,964,000 respectively. The current storage capacity of the district is 2.5 million gallons, resulting in a final capacity of 5.5 million gallons. According to district manager Dan Bourks, that capacity would allow maximum build out without sewers in Point Roberts under current zoning rules. “I’m concerned,” he said, “about the impact from all of the cement trucks coming into the Point and especially the impact of the Olympics on the availability and price of cement.”

Comprehensive Plan
Before any decision can be made on increasing storage, the district must first finish its comprehensive plan, a process that is well underway. The engineers are scheduled to submit the plan to the state on September 12. Approval is required by the water district, the department of health and the department of environment.

“You’re within two months of having a solid comp plan,” said attorney John Milne. He suggested that the district should act as its own state environmental protection agency (SEPA) compliance officer in order to speed the process.

The district can adopt the comp plan once the SEPA review is complete. Following that, there needs to be a financial review of an updated general facilities charge (GFC). Once that is determined, a public hearing can be held finally freeing the district to begin allocation of water connections. Calling it “a big picture” look at the process, Milne said, “It’s hard to predict how long that process will take. I’d think three to five months.”

Proposed capital improvements need to be included in the comp plan. It’s not just the reservoir that requires being included in the plan. The district also figures it will need to replace 33 miles of water mains in the next 10-20 years at an estimated cost of $25 million. Bourks said they also want to move to computerized water meters.

All of these costs need to be nailed down before the updated GFC can be determined. “We need to get it right,” said Bourks in an interview August 22. “We don’t want to have to keep on re-visiting the GFC.”

Who Pays?
“Growth pays for growth,” said attorney John Milne in the August 4 conference call. How that happens isn’t so clear, however. There are various options open to the district in paying for the new storage. Two developers have offered to “provide the land for and construct the seasonal tank . . . in exchange for the district granting availability of 40 water connections” in a June 22 letter from Randy Forsyth of Stanton Properties to the water district. A meeting between the district attorney, engineers and manager and Stanton Properties was scheduled for August 23 (press time for the All Point Bulletin) in Seattle to explore a possible developer contribution.

Also available are state and federal grants as well as low interest loans. According to Bourks, a rate consultant hired by the district has prepared three scenarios whereby future improvements are paid for. One scenario would load all costs of growth onto the GFCs while the others would place at least part of the burden onto water sales, meaning current users would have to share some of the pain. The difficulty is, says Bourks, in convincing the state that you are able to pay back loans even in those periods where new connections have slowed down.

When Do The Taps Get Turned On?
The district currently has 177 water permits available once the moratorium is released, currently slated to last until January 2007. These will be released under a lottery, the details of which are still under discussion. Asked about the impact on local builders and residents, Bourks said the lottery could possibly take place sooner. “We might leave 20-27 aside in the first lottery,” he said. Asked what the best-case scenario for building the additional storage would be, Bourks understandably hesitated at first. “Maybe three years if we build it,” he said. And if the developers build it under district guidance and rules? “Maybe a year and a half or two,” Bourks said.

For more information, readers may go to the water district’s website at www.pointrobertswater.com. As well, notice of special meetings of the water board and other local boards is provided at the newspaper’s website, allpointbulletin.com.