Explanation of policies and ordinances offered

To the Eagle:

This is in response to a letter which appeared in last week’s Eagle. The writer of that letter wasn’t aware of all of the facts, and I would like to explain. The mayor and Cathlamet council members are not the heartless, uncaring people he describes.

Background: A resident and his family on Elochoman Valley Road suddenly found themselves without water because of a ruptured pipeline. Their house is on one side of the road; their meter is on the other side, and their water pipe runs under the asphalt street. It’s not just town policy (as your correspondent contends), but a town ordinance which stipulates that the town is responsible for the pipe to the meter, and the resident is responsible from the meter to his house.

The mayor and council members were sympathetic to the resident and his family but unable to help for two reasons. First, for the town to pay for the repair work would be a gift of public funds, an action specifically forbidden by statute. And second, it was unknown how many other homes in that area are in the same situation and, therefore, how large a Pandora’s Box might be opened.

It’s true that a benevolent private citizen made the arrangements and paid $800 to get the problem fixed, but what your correspondent doesn’t know is that out of his own funds, Mayor Jacobson reimbursed that private citizen in full for the $800 that he spent on repairs, and that one of the council members repaid the mayor for part of his reimbursement. In other words, we are a small community, and we do look out for each other’s well being!

Also, I should point out that the situation was not created by the town’s current administration. The water main and meters were placed along Elochoman Valley Road years ago, while it was still an unpaved, gravel road. Later, the county paved the road, to the gratitude of everyone living there, but no thought was given at that time to the potential problems that pavement might create.

And finally, the town wants to assure all of the residents along Elochoman Road that steps are being taken to relocate that water main and to move all of the meters to the proper side of the road.

Hannah Booth-Watts

Cathlamet Town Council member