Port 1 seeks adjustments on town bills

Officials of Port District No. 1 would like a break in their bills from the Town of Cathlamet for sewer and water service.

On Monday, Port Attorney Tim Hanigan asked the town council to reconsider how it defines multi-user residences, and he also told the town officials that a port business tenant, not the port, was responsible for the tenants' sewer and water bill.

Town officials discussed the requests, voted to approve one appeal, and decided to look into matters further before acting on other requests.

Also on Monday, Jarnail Mann asked for a reduction in the fee to connect his business building to a town sewer line in Rosedale.

The town had billed the port $4,275 for connections to the port's five park model cabins at the Elochoman Slough Marina.

In a letter to the council, Port Manager Jackie Lea said the town's billing clerk had informed port staff that the cabins' accounts weren't transferred when the town switched from its previous computer billing program to the present program, so charges went back to September, 2007. Also, town staff said the connection charges would be based on multi-family residence rates.

Hanigan argued that the cabins aren't permanent residences; they are temporary, overnight accommodations that are occupied about 23 percent of the nights during the year. The units should be charged under the Class 3 rate which includes hotels, he said.

Town attorney Tom Doumit countered that the town's ordinance on utility rates doesn't include a definition that could classify the cabins as a motel. They don't meet the definition of a hotel in the ordinance, but they do meet the definition of a single-family residence which could be occupied permanently, he said.

A motion to deny the appeal failed in a 1-4 vote. A second motion to approve the appeal on the cabins passed 4-1.

Council Member Bob Rendler was the lone vote each time. He later said Attorney Doumit had furnished a written opinion stating that the town was properly assessing and billing the cabins.

"The council violated its own ordinance," he said.

After discussion, council members suggested the town examine the ordinance and consider modifying the definitions.

Council Member Ruth Doumit commented that her family's building on Main Street has three tenants, and she is charged one fee for all, and she covers the fee through rent from the tenants.

Hanigan also argued that the port isn't responsible for a bill for sewer and water service to a tenant, Bottoms Up Espresso.

The port's lease with the owners of Bottoms Up makes the tenant responsible for utility charges, not the port district, he said.

The council agreed to put the bill on hold one month to determine exactly how the business is connected to town sewer and water lines.

In a third request, Jarnail Mann, owner of the Cathlamet Food Mart building in Rosedale, asked for reduction in the fee to connect to the town's new sewer line in Rosedale.

Mann's building, and that of the attached Moore Auto Parts, are connected to the same system that feeds into a failing septic system, officials said.

The new line was constructed several years ago as a joint city-county project, and the fees are $5,000 for the standard town connection and $3,000 in a surcharge for repaying the county loan. With four businesses in the building, the connection fee would be $40,000, and Mann said he can't afford that.

Wehrfritz called the fee outrageous, saying it deters private enterprise.

In discussion, officials pointed out that other new buildings connecting to the town paid one connection fee and then each tenant is billed separately for sewer and water service.

The council took no action on Mann's request but asked Public Works Superintendent David Vik to make a recommendation by the council's January 18 meeting.