WATER/WASTEWATER TASK FORCE MEETING

MINUTES

November 18, 1999

11:30 a.m. - 1:05 p.m.

Salem Public Library - Anderson Auditorium

1) CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by Councilor Paul Wulf.

2) INTRODUCTIONS

Introductions were made. Members, staff, and citizens were in attendance as noted below.

Frank Mauldin - I think the recommendation was made at the last meeting - we are getting the report ready for Council.

Chairperson Paul Wulf - So whether it is stormwater or COSA is next for January or February. There will be no meeting in December.

8) OTHER

JB Summers brought up an article from the November 11 Statesman Journal regarding about a 6.8% water/sewer boost likely in a report from a public hearing that was before Council. In reading the article there was no mention of the recommendation the Sewer and Water Task Force had voted on the previous week. Did discuss this with several people and found it was casually mentioned in the meeting that, yes, they did indicate that the Salem Sewer and Water Task Force made a different recommendation. Thought there was agreement about the way the Task Force worked with recommendations. The Task Force should be notified if staff is going to make a different recommendation so a member of the Task Force can represent the recommendation of the Task Force.

Charley Waters - Watched the meeting and as he recalls, it was mentioned in the meeting that there was an alternate recommendation by the Task Force. Frank Mauldin agrees - thinks this is a good point. Staff should inform the Task Force if there is a change in the recommendation going to Council.

JB Summers - We have worked to agreement and I believe there is a positive influence in this group that brings credibility to the strategy of staff. Was kind of surprised to see the 6.8% because I remember in the meeting asking if there was any real difference between 1, 2, and 3 and the answer was no, no, no, so I did not have any reason to think that it wouldn't go with the way the vote went.

Steve Travis - I thought it was decided and if staff has an idea to recommend something else, it should come out at the meeting.

Don Scott - If it was in the staff report, it was well buried. I was not aware until late that there was a difference between staff's recommendation and the Task Force recommendation. I think it should have been given equal billing. The other thing is that it seems staff should notify, at a minimum, the maker of the motion so they can come in and present the differing view. 1) the staff report should be clear, and 2) there should be representation from the Task Force when there is a differing recommendation.

Frank Mauldin - We will get the information out prior to the Council meeting.

Eleanor Miller- Another task force I am on prepares a paper to Council on the task force recommendation.

Bob House - Since this is my last meeting as a member - want to remind everyone that the additional expense of treating I&I is going to double the cost. We've decided rather than wait until we get there and double the sewer rates, we are going to ramp up and we are going to increase it 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 percent a year so that when we get there the money will be held in reserve and will be available and there won't be this shock of sudden doubling the sewer rate. When you get up there rates are going to be different. What I mean by that is that food processors share in the new structure is twice as expensive - it going to be less in its share of today's structure because of the fact that we have said 25 percent of the I&I costs are going to be allocated to the flow and 75 percent to customers. So when you get out here, the food processors should be paying more. If you just take the current rates and increase 6, 7, 8 percent difference every year or 6 and 10 or 10 and 6, or whatever, if everybody is on the same slope when we get out here, we are going to be way out of shape because the food processors should not be paying this much when we get out there. This has got to be looked at.

Jack Merritt - We are talking now about the rate for one year only. For this one year only, we are recommending that it continue on the same spread that it is now. Part of the COSA coming to the task force next year will be making the distributions. The total slope is what we are talking about. The distribution of the 6.8 percent is what will change. That will be part of the process during the next three months.

Paul Wulf - We will save this part of the discussion and invite Bob back when that part of the COSA comes up.

Frank Mauldin- I just want to recognize Bob House - have known him for twenty years now and there is only one person in the City of Salem that understands all this rate and COSA stuff as well as staff and that is Bob. He has been the conscience of this Wastewater Task Force in really understanding and asking the right questions.

Ross Peterson - Want to compliment staff on the drinking water paper. It is very nice looking, but also there is a tremendous amount of work by a lot of people. Very nice job.

Paul Wulf - Replacement from Keizer? Hope to have one by the January meeting now that Keizer has a full Council. Frank Mauldin and Diane Dennis stated that there has been no response to the letter that was written to the Mayor and Council.

Frank Mauldin announced that Diane Dennis is going to the City of Albany to work with Floyd Collins. Diane has been a huge, huge influence on crafting this whole wastewater concern.

9) ADJOURN

Meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

These minutes are transcribed from notes and the tape recording of the Task Force meeting on November 18, 1999, as an overview of the meeting. They are not verbatim. The tape recorded meeting is available for review in the Office of the Public Works Director. The attachments are to the file copy only. Copies of the attachments were distributed at the meeting and by mail to those unable to attend the meeting.



Linda Nelson, Staff Assistant II
December 15, 1999

Attachments:
Attendance Sheet (file copy only)
Presentation Materials (file copy only)