Council passes ordinance to not renew Island water contract

The Cathlamet Town Council on Monday acted on a variety of ordinances, including finalizing one that says the town won't supply water to the Puget Island Water System after 2037.

The council is required to hold three readings of ordinances before they are passed. Ordinances included:

--Ordinance 570-13, which increases the rate for water consumed above the minimum provided in the ordinance; passed for first reading;

--Ordinance 569-13, restoring water and sewer connection fees to previous levels, effective January 1, 2015. Two years ago, the town lowered connection fees to $100 in an effort to attract new connections from existing and new buildings, but that hasn't occurred. Fees will go back to previous levels, $3,000 inside the city limits and $5,000 outside the city limits; passed for first reading;

--Ordinance 568-13, adjusting limits for industrial wastes disposed in the sewer system. The ordinance is a response to the construction of a micro brewery and concern that its wastes might damage the waste water treatment process; passed for first reading;

--Ordinance 566-13, adopting the town's 2014 budget; passed for the second reading;

--Ordinance 567-13, increasing the town's property tax 1 percent. This will generate an estimated $5,000 and raised the town's property tax collection to $75,000.

--Ordinance 565-13, which provides that the town will honor the contract with Wahkiakum PUD to supply water for the Puget Island Water System through 2037, when the contract ends.

The town and PUD have been negotiating an update of the contract for 20 months without reaching an agreement.

Town officials have asked that the contract be amended to include compensation for capital projects and water lost in the town's system.

PUD officials have said the town hasn't provided adequate data to substantiate the need for the requested changes.

Town officials say they are under pressure from the state Department of Health to find a secondary water source, and that will be a big expense in which the Island system wouldn't share, under the current contract. By stating they won't continue the contract, they hope to end the pressure to find the secondary source, and the PUD would have to find another source for the Island.

Mayor George Wehrfritz said the negotiations may be stalled.

Council Member Wally Wright suggested postponing the vote on the third and final reading until December, but other council members were ready to vote.

"This merely states the intent of the council to let it expire," said Council Member Dick Swart. "The town and PUD can talk after the ordinance is passed. We're sending a message--this has consequences, but none are locked in."

Council Member Hannah Booth-Watts commented that the ordinance would encourage people to have more dialogue with elected officials about the issues. "I don't see this as a dead end," she said.

Andrew Lea and David Goodroe, who were elected to council seats and will take office in January, said they supported the ordinance and realized that there is still time to find common ground.

The ordinance passed on a 5-0 vote.

On Tuesday, Wahkiakum PUD Commissioner Gene Healy commented that he and PUD staff are willing to discuss and negotiate issues.

Healy said he wants to see documentation of costs of production to substantiate the town's position.

"What we have heard so far is a list of demands," Healy said. "If the amendments they propose are necessary, that will be self evident from the production figures."