Vale sewage issue still lingers
Residents, city strive to solve lift-station dilemma
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:41 AM PDT
Vale — The Vale City Council, Hawley Loop resident, and Oregon Trail Mushroom sewage saga may be close to a resolution.
The homeowner wastewater dilemma originated last month when city officials asserted property owners Hugh Humphrey, Clarice Hawley and her son Matt Hawley, who live on Hawley Loop, were utilizing the Oregon Trail Mushroom (OTM) sewage lift site and did not pay sewage bills to Vale for 10 years.
“Back in 1999, 2000 and 2001, residents were making sewer payments,” Vale City Manager Brent Barton said at a City Council session in March. “How this all started I don’t know. None of the present council members were seated or even involved in the council at that time.”
The issue was a key topic of discussion at the Vale Public Works Committee last week where Barton led the discussion by presenting documents showing the chain of events regarding non-payment by Hawley Loop homeowners for city sewer use.
Barton said he met last week with Clarice Hawley and Humphrey to discuss the sewer lines connected from residences to the Oregon Trail Mushroom lift site.
The city manager said one of the most pressing questions was whether a new line would have to be constructed in order to allow sewage to flow from the houses to the lift station. Barton said he met with Hawley and Humphrey to discuss this issue shortly before the public works committee meeting.
“These folks are wishing to sever ties with OTM since they don’t know the long-term,” he said.
Approval granted
Two weeks ago Barton said he learned the sewer line/lift station issue was approved through documents showing the city gave the OK for the lack of payment from Hawley Loop residents. However, those documents did not specify when payment was to resume.
Barton said he supposed the reason for this change may have been because the city would be getting paid twice for the same residential refuse, once from OTM and another time from residents.
“It seems like one of those things where they were like ‘you pay ours, and we won’t have issues with you for the smell,’” Barton said.
Vale City Councilman Brian Zanotelli expressed his thoughts on the past issue at the meeting.
“It sounds like a good system,” he said. “It all worked well and good until OTM stopped paying their bill. The city went from worrying about getting too much money to no money.”
In a November 1998 council meeting, then-Vale City Coordinator Dick Kline requested the city give him permission to charge four residents in the Hawley Loop area for administrative and lagoon treatment charges because they were connected to city services. However, at the time, the use of the lift site was considered to be temporary. The council held a discussion and made a motion but it died for lack of response.
However in December, 1998, the city reached an agreement for residents to pay a monthly charge for the use of the OTM lift site, Barton said.
“In 2001, it came before council,” Barton said. “It doesn’t say that they can’t use the line, just says they will no longer be charged.”
As Barton read further into the documents, he came upon a new twist in the line issue.
“There is a document dated 3/28/’01 that says that there is a second line that’s not being utilized but has been put in,” Barton said.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Health inspection report said the second line was evaluated and was determined to be safe for residential use.
“There is a letter to Mr. Humphrey talking about the second line,” he said.
Barton said the city now plans to allow the residents to use the second line, which will be connected to city sewage, with the stipulation residents take care of maintenance issues with the new line.
As for what happens now, Zanotelli said he felt that those who are tapped into OTM’s sewage line should begin paying for the use.
However, Vale Public Works Committee member Humphrey felt that was unfair because if Oregon Trail Mushroom were to begin operating again, the city would be receiving two payments for the same sewage, one from residents and another from OTM.
Zanotelli said he felt OTM’s payment would not be forthcoming at any point.
“It’s foolish to hope that sometime, someday, it might be paid,” he said. “The liens are just piling up over here.”
He then said he felt residents who are tapped into the lift site should help to pay the collection fee.
However, Humphrey continued to assert the city recouping money twice for the same refuse was an issue.
“If you get paid twice, we should get paid back,” he said.
The amount of money for fees, when the new lift station is up and running, was also a point of contention, with the 50 percent out-of-city-limits surcharge mentioned by Humphrey for consideration in the final price.
Vale Public Works Committee member Michael Presley agreed with Humphrey.
“No reason they should have to pay more than other people pay,” he said. “I can’t see any reason for screwing them.”
The issue was slated to be discussed further at the Vale City Council meeting April 8, but since Councilman Brad Williams could not attend and communicated with the council by phone, members opted for an abbreviated meeting.
At the City Council session, Vale Mayor Bill Lawrence said the council would only handle the issues that could not be postponed for the next meeting.
Council members Zanotelli, Williams and Kim Speelman voted to pay the bills and approve a liquor license for Cabelitas Taqueria, which is situated at 148 A St. W., and is owned by Pablo Palafox.
The license issue has been in talks since the council’s March 13 meeting, but was tabled at the last meeting after council member Michael Bannon voted no on the issue, which prevented the issue from passing. Bannon chose not to comment on his reasoning.
However, the remaining issues, including the old fire hall, are slated to be discussed later.
“The issues remaining on the agenda will be moved to the next council meeting,” Barton said. The next Vale City Council meeting will be held April 22.
