Costs for the Blank Check to the Sewer District if Sewer Passes

Would you buy a car without knowing the cost? Of course not, but hat’s what the sewer board wants us to do with its proposal. It has come up with a project that will cost between $12 and $20 million and will cost each household between $50 and $165 a month.

Here’s a summary of some of the costs we face if we give the board a blank check and approve this project.

• Construction Costs: There are two basic components, the treatment plant and the plumbing necessary to get the effluent to it.

Because we’ll be pumping every gallon uphill, the project will be expensive. Tentative cost for the plant and the first “sub-district” of plumbing is $12 million. That leaves the next three “sub-districts” unaccounted for. We have no idea what they’ll cost.

Also, the board has decided to re-route the main service line to the plant so that will entail additional engineering and right-of-way costs.

The board has also said it will hook residents up for free but in reality we will pay that cost too.

• Cost Overruns: Show me a project of this magnitude that has ever come in under budget. Overruns are inevitable.

• Maintenance Costs: Because of the pumping, the system will require lots of maintenance. We’ve no idea what those costs will be.

• Administrative Costs: Someone will have to set rates, determine usage, send out the bills and pay the monthly expenses.

• Regulatory Costs: This project will bring a new level of government regulation from the state and the feds. The board will have to set up testing and reporting mechanisms and if treated effluent doesn’t meet the state and federal guidelines, WE are on the hook for any upgrades necessary to come into compliance.

• Utility Costs: Pumps and lights cost money. Each of the two or three lift stations will have duplicate 25-100 hp electric pumps so one can be taken out of service any time for repair or maintenance…Spendy.

• Social Costs: The costs fall most heavily on the low, middle and fixed income users. It will raise the cost of housing and may in fact hurt Pyramid Mountain Lumber. If new workers cannot find affordable housing they will not stay in Seeley Lake.

Our property taxes just went up 13 percent as a result of county-wide park and school bond issues. And a $30 million library bond issue just passed so our taxes will go up again next year. Add to that our already-high water bills and the burden on our residents approaches intolerable. When locals are pressed to stretch their meager incomes to cover expenses they are more likely to shop in Missoula where goods and services are cheaper.

This “Pay to Poop” plan should be defeated with a “NO” vote Nov. 23.