Five men apply to fill PUD vacancy

Two more applicants appeared at Wahkiakum Public Utility District’s board meeting Tuesday.

Former Cathlamet Mayor Richard Swart and Mike Lewis attended along with applicants Loren Jennings, Lee Tischer and Gene Healy. The board hopes to conduct interviews and appoint a successor to former Commissioner Larry Reese on April 19. Commissioners earn $1300 per month including full medical benefits for themselves and family.

Commissioners Dennis Reid and Bob Jungers planned to begin interviewing yesterday (Wednesday) in public meetings, which will continue next week.

Reid asked that applicants attend only their own interview out of courtesy.

Manager Dave Tramblie reported that Bonneville Power Administration is completing a switch that would have avoided 22 out of 25 outages that have occurred in the past two years caused by damage on the Oregon side of the line. The work should be completed by next winter.

The board voted to support the Residential Exchange Settlement that will set the amounts paid to Investor Owned Utilities over the next 17 years. The settlement is intended to stop litigation over BPA’s rate adjustments to private utilities.

Tramblie said the projected rate increase if the settlement was accepted would be 8.1 percent, and the rate increase without the settlement would be about 8.4 percent.

Tramblie reported that a broken water line resulted in a boil water notice for Puget Island on March 17. Tramblie said test results indicated no contamination.

He said he was pleased with the emergency notification system and the assistance he received from the State Department of Health.

Island resident Clarence Neely told The Eagle he did not receive the notice until 1 p.m. Friday, which concerned him since he has three small children.

Neely had recently gotten a new phone. Wahkiakum County Chief Civil Deputy Bjorge said there may be delays for new phone numbers to enter the 911 system. Tramblie said five workers spent all day posting notices on Island residences.

The board signed an inter-local agreement with West Side Water Works in Skamokawa for emergency mutual aid.

The board met in executive session for 20 minutes on potential litigation, then recessed until 3 p.m. Wednesday, when the first set of interviews was scheduled to begin.