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Facts show cost of new wastewater facility too much
Over the past several weeks I have read all of the articles, mailers and letters to the editor about the proposed discharge of treated water into the Molalla River.
After weighing all of the facts, it is clear to me that the opposition group wins the art of spin contest. As a resident living in the city limits of Molalla, I’m truly concerned over the costs the opposition group is levying on the city, which in turn is spread among city rate payers.
They (the outside special interest group) are not affected by the outcome of this fight. We are.
DEQ has issued the city all of the proper permits, the OK to discharge (only during high water levels in the winter months) and the certification the discharge meets all of the Federal Clean Waters Act guidelines.
If the opposition group is successful in its fight with the city, how do they propose to help the city rate payers with the following financial nightmare?
New and upgraded treatment facility = $30,000,000
DEQ violations = $5,700,000
Sewer Bonds = $4,190,000
Legal Council = $91,687.55 and will increase rapidly. Potential costs passed on to rate payers = $39,981.687.55 and growing.
Oh, by the way, did the opponents ever tell you that if they are successful they will be going after the city for their attorney costs?
Do what I did — get educated on the process.
Traci Cunningham
Molalla
(Editor’s note: There has been no confirmed number on what the costs would be for a facility or if a new one would need to be built, and there is no definite cost of what the DEQ violations will cost, if any thing. However, it will cost the city more in attorney fees)
Here is a wastewater alternative city wouldn’t hear
The city of La Grande had a problem similar to ours, though, on a much greater scale. Their population of 22,740 produces a maximum daily flow of 11.5 million gallons a day of sewage. That is four times the population and sewage of Molalla.
La Grande is also plagued with leaky sewage pipes that let good water infiltrate the system. But, instead of concentrating on leaky pipes and continuing to discharge into the Grande Ronde River, they concentrated on collaboration and built a wetland to handle their treated effluent.
It has been two years since La Grande pumped into the river and their pipes may still leak but their wetland is working as designed and treatment capacity will not be reached until 2020.
A large portion of the cost for the La Grande wetland was construction of a nearly 4-mile long, 36-inch pipe from its lagoons to the head of the wetland. We have already got the pipe.
Their wetland is 1,200 acres, so a wetland approximately 400 acres might satisfy our treatment needs until 2020, when it could be expanded. This would mean no treated wastewater to either Bear Creek or the Molalla River. This is a win-win situation.
Some benefits in La Grande for its innovation are regulatory compliance with its NPDES Permit, lower capital equipment, operational and maintenance costs, simple operation, increased capacity and reduced risk of wastewater overflow.
The community has a wetland with scenic tours, recreation, enhanced wildlife and Oregon Ducks Unlimited appreciates the increase of game from increased migratory water fowl. The area water table has risen and year round stream flows in local creeks has increased.
Now, I encourage 10 percent of the more than 800 folks who signed the petition to call Gene Green at City Hall and tell him to listen up so we can move forward.
Better yet, talk with our elected officials they need to hear from you.
Gary Tuyls
Molalla
(Editor’s note: This letter was edited for length and content)
It is city’s decision not to listen to citizens that is a waste of taxpayer money
Open Letter to Mayor Clarke and Molalla City Council:
As you push forward with your efforts to direct treated sewage into the Molalla River, please take the time to reflect on your course of action and its consequences.
Your legacy will be putting treated sewage into the Molalla River against the wishes of the residents of the city, many who care deeply about the health of the river.
The residents of this city are angry about your decision, especially proceeding with the pipeline before they have an opportunity to vote on this issue.
We didn’t have to twist arms or misrepresent issues in order to get this initiative on the ballot.
Without question the adverse effects of treated sewage in the Molalla River will cause irreparable harm.
To date you have incurred legal fees of more than $90,000 defending your poor decisions, and silencing public input from your constituents.
What a terrible waste of money.
You more than likely spent another $1,000 at the last council meeting having your new attorney Jeff Ring tell a number of us we no longer had the right to freedom of speech on the wastewater issue at public meetings.
Shame on you.
Sincerely,
Tom Derry
Molalla
River is important to all
I was somewhat taken back by Mr. Price’s singling out “Jim Gilbert and his crew of mostly outsiders proposing suicide for the city of Molalla” in the June 7 Pioneer.
You imply Mr. Gilbert is responsible for this “uprising.” At this point in time your letter seems to have political overtones.
Just so Mr. Price and everyone else knows, as chair of the Community Planning Organization and an environmentally concerned person, Mr. Gilbert objects, along with many others to the city’s plan to pipe its poorly treated wastewater into the Molalla River. Using his capacity with the CPO, he did lead the way on the land-use aspect of the pipeline.
As for the “outsiders” they came into action by way of their own volition (by the way, the “outsiders” are part of the greater outlying Molalla community).
This was done after numerous people in close proximity of the proposed pipeline received last minute notice of the city’s intent from the county — the grapevine did the rest.
The initial goal of this coalition of groups was certainly not to effect a municipal suicide — that’s a rather astringent accusation.
And shame on you Citizens for a Clean Molalla! As a small group of developers, you have given yourselves a misnomer, as your name implies you yourselves should be concerned about the health of the river as well as the city
The literature offered in the Chamber of Commerce office promotes the river as part of the package used to draw tourists to visit and families to settle here, both in the city and outlying community.
Don’t dirty it up now. Do you want visitors and new residents to have their children or grandchildren wading and swimming at Wagon Wheel Park in the deposits left in the silt by poorly treated sewer effluent?
A clean healthy river is actually to your groups benefit. You need to rethink your approach to this issue.
Jennifer Cox
Molalla
(Editor’s note: This letter was edited for length)
Coffman is a good advocate who was treated wrong
In regards to June 14, 2006, Pioneer “point of view” by Mary Coffman and the Molalla River School District, it is pretty clear that Mr. (Wayne) Kostur (superintendent) does not know the records of his staff, or he would know that Mary Coffman is first and foremost for and about the good of children.
We have been close friends of Mary’s for 35 years, and I (Rose) worked with Mary for a number of years at Clarkes Elementary.
She always has been and always will be an advocate for children; all children. She is very conscientious and proud of her work with children. She enjoys them as much as they are delighted with her.
There is no doubt that if anyone is qualified, just by her exemplary record itself (personal time for involvement and classes taken as an employee of MRSD), this display of not accepting her credits is a shame for the children of Molalla River School District.
Mr. Kostur has explaining to do to those of us who have known of and seen Mary’s qualifications in action.
Sincerely,
Lynn and Rose Schell
Beavercreek
MES says thanks for BBQ
Molalla Elementary School honored its many community volunteers at a barbecue on May 31.
There is tremendous community support for MES — more than 150 people volunteered a total of 7,060 hours of their valuable time at MES during this school year. Our school community is both grateful for this volunteer support, and for the confidence in our school that volunteer support implies.
When people in the community work together for the benefit of children, great things happen.
Dr. Tony Valley
Principal
Molalla Elementary School
Help honor Noah Dutton
On Oct. 1, 2005 Mulino Elementary School and the Molalla community lost a beloved first-grader in a tragic accident.
Noah Dutton was “all boy” and he loved being outdoors working side by side with his grandfather in the woods. One thing he truly enjoyed was watching and learning about logging equipment.
We are honoring Noah’s memory by developing a new area of our playground to become “Noah’s Truck Yard.” This play yard will include four sand diggers (two being wheelchair accessible), a fleet of Tonka trucks, numerous tunnels and roadways to play on, as well as a climbing structure.
Noah is remembered by his teachers and classmates as a helping and generous boy with a winning smile.
Your generosity and help will continue his legacy and bring smiles to his classmates for years to come. Your tax deductible donation to the Noah Dutton Truck Yard Fund can be made at any branch of West Coast Bank or mailed to West Coast Bank at P.O. Box 359, Molalla, Ore. 97038.
Thank you for your help and support.
Family and friends of Noah Dutton
Chris Weigel
Mulino Elementary Parent Group
Mulino |
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