Board Excludes Restoration

Seeley Lake Sewer District

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District (SLSD) board passed a resolution clarifying the responsibilities of the district and landowners if the proposed system is built. The board also discussed the funding package and next fiscal year’s budget at its June 16 meeting.

The resolution states that the district will continue to include the cost of hooking up customers who connect as the collection system is initially constructed. However, restoration of improvements will be the responsibility of the landowner.

The sewer district will bear the costs including piping from the sewer main to the house, dewatering and filling existing septic tanks with gravel and the compacting and grading of disturbed land. The district will not be responsible for abandoning septic systems that don’t have a conventional tank.

The property owner will be responsible for all costs relating to surface restoration including but not limited to sidewalks, driveways, gravel, grass, landscaping and irrigation repairs.

Property owners will also be required to move any vehicles, structures and any other impediments such as patios or porches at the property owner’s expense.

Landowners who do not hook up as the system is constructed will be responsible for the full cost if they are ever forced to connect at a later date. This can happen due to a failing system or changing regulations.

The district had previously proposed including the cost of restoration of private property however it is attempting to cut costs to make the system more affordable. Restoration of private property is estimated at $486,000 for Phase I of the collection system.

District Manager Greg Robertson said the savings would go toward reducing the operating costs.

“I think what we’re going to do is bank on that and hold that for initial startup because there’s going to be a significant operating costs that the district is going to have to absorb,” said Robertson. “Those moneys we can use to lower the O&M [operating and maintenance] cost for the first phase.”

Robertson explained that the district has other reserves that it has been building up that will also help subsidize the operation cost.

At prior meetings, Robertson indicated that he felt the operation estimate of $88 per month per user could be cut. After reviewing the estimates, he feels $88 is a reasonable figure and is exploring other ways to reduce the cost.

Robertson said the district is still negotiating with the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (RD) on the funding package.

The funding package consists of $5.7 million in grants and $4.4 million in loans for the construction of the proposed wastewater treatment plant and Phase I of the collection system.

The issue is how the district pays for the system. RD’s offer required the first two phases to pay for the treatment facility by themselves. Under RD’s terms, landowners would pay $79 per month in Phase I on top of the estimated $88 per month operating expense.

Robertson said he has proposed spreading the construction costs out across the full district based on the benefit each phase would receive but has not gotten the go-ahead from RD.

Phase I of the collection system includes all commercial property on the east side of Highway 83, between Cedar Lane and Redwood Lane. Also included are all properties between Tamarack Drive and Highway 83 that are north of Redwood Lane and south of Larch Lane, including all properties fronting Larch Lane and Pine Drive, north to Cedar Lane.

Phase II of the collection system covers the land between Highway 83 and the lake, north of Lindey’s to the Heritage building. Also included is the residential land south of Cedar Lane and west of Tamarack Drive, north of School Lane and East of Pine Drive.

The district’s budget for next year was presented to the board. The proposed budget and its assessment method is the same as previous years. A public hearing will be scheduled later this summer to adopt the budget and assessment method. The budget includes $29,000 in reserve.

The budget also includes funds for performing water tests that were supposed to be taken over by the Missoula County Health Department more than a year ago. The district has continued to pay for the tests because it still needs the data.

The next regular SLSD board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. July 21 at the Missoula County Satellite Office.

 

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