Minutes - 01/17/1995 Workshop
COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES
January 17, 1995
:rAPE
READING
0001
DATE. COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, CITY OF WOODBURN, COUNTY
OF MARION, STATE OF OREGON, JANUARY 17, 1995.
.9_003
CONVENED. At 7:00 p.m., the workshop convened for the purpose
of meeting with the Wastewater Advisory Committee to discuss
user rates.
ROLL CALL.
Mayor
councilor
Councilor
Councilor
councilor
councilor
councilor
Kirksey
Chadwick
Figley
Hagenauer
Jennings
Pugh
sifuentez
Present
Present
Present
Absent
Present
Absent
Present
staff Present:
City Administrator Childs, Public Works Director Tiwari,
Wastewater supt. sinclair, Asst. city Engineer Morrison,
Public Works Manager Rohman, Public Works secretary Gerstner
The workshop minutes prepared by Public Works Secretary Lynn
Gerstner for the Wastewater Advisory Committee are attached as
a summary of the discussion held during the workshop.
The workshop concluded at 10:20 p.m..
ATTEST
;rl~ I~~
Mary'Te ant, Recorder
city of Woodburn, Oregon
APPROVED2;.~}7~
CY A./KIRK E , MAYO
Page 1 - Council Workshop Meeting Minutes, January 17
, 1995
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WASTEWATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
WORKSHOP wI CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF JANUARY 17, 1995
Woodburn City Council Chambers
Members Present:
Scott Burlingham, Chairman
Preston Tack
Gil Flaugher
Rich Barstad
Walt Lawson
Forrest Mills
JoAnn Bjelland
G.S. (Frank) Tiwari
Council Members
Present:
Kathy Figley
Elida Sifuentez
Mary Chadwick
Dick Jennings
Mayor Nancy Kirksey
Consultants: Daria Wightman, CH2M Hill
Bob Tomlinson, CH2M Hill
Public Information:
Frank Sinclair
Dean Morrison
Randy Rohman
Chris Childs
Barbara Lucas
Staff :
Members Absent:
Marv Shelby
Chairman Scott Burlingham opened the Wastewater Advisory Committee workshop at 7:00
p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall.
Public Works Director Tiwari gave a brief description of the wastewater committee: prior
discussions and decisions made since August, 1993, including the approved planning target
year of 2020, population growth rate of 3.4 percent, phasing of the project and selected
alternative of treatment process.
Gil Flaugherl Preston Tack motionedl seconded approval of minutes of November 15, 1994.
Motion passed unanimously.
CH2M Hill economist, Bob Tomlinson, presented information on how the city can pay for the
first phase ($38 million) of the wastewater treatment system. Sixty percent of the cost would
be charged to future users. Developers would be charged $2,977 for each residence, which
is an increase of $145 over the present system development charge.
Forty percent of the cost would be charged to present users. Based on a sewage discharge
of 600 cu ft per month, the bill of a single family user would increase from $14.20 a month
to $22.82. Commercial users, discharging 10,000 cu ft per month, would see an increase
from $221.65 to $499.33. Industrial rates, for 100,000 cu ft, would increase from $1,143.20
to $4,398.10. These industrial charges are only an approximation because actual charges will
depend on the tested pollutant loadings and measured flow.
Staff indicated that the average winter use by a single family home in Woodburn is
approximately 700 cu ft of water. The consensus of the group was that the sewer user rate
be flow-based, with a minimum charge for 500 cu ft. The flow-based, minimum charge
philosophy was also the preference of those in the audience. A flow-based rate would be
based on the average of water use during the three months of December. January and
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February. With no lawn sprinkling to consider, the flow base represents a fairly accurate water
use average because most of the water that comes into a house is discharged into the sewer.
The workshop group also felt that the flow-based with minimum charge was the fairest rate
option. The minimum will cover some of the cost of the plant and the volume will cover use
over 500 cu ft. Because of anticipated public criticism of annual increases, the group also
favored an increased rate for a full five-year period. No decision was made as to whether the
increase would go into effect in July of this year or next January.
In discussing the need to be fair, reference was made to a system based on a portion of every
month. Bob Tomlinson explained that return to sewer ratio needs to be determined and in Los
Angeles it was 55% of water use actually returned to the sewer. The sewer bill is then based
on 55% of the varying volume. The City of Silverton had that system until two years ago, but
over time it proved difficult for customers to understand, i.e. how did you arrive at my bill when
my neighbor's is this? The higher rates went, the less people believed in the system thus
affecting public relations as well. It was felt that Woodburn will have to resolve, with
administrative action, the historical record problems for those who go south in the winter or
those who sell their homes and other unusual cases.
Ouestions were raised by commercial and industrial users about their rates tripling; however,
city staff asserted that increased sampling and testing show that commercial and industrial
wastewater have a greater impact on the sewage system than has been shown in the past.
A laundromat business owner said that his charges will increase more than his fair share,
however, residential users in the audience favored the proposal.
It was suggested that the city plant poplars right away so that income would be received
sooner. Staff told the group they will be meeting with DEO and CH2M Hill engineers to hear
the city's proposal. The ECOL TREE company wants to establish an experimental poplar
planting on a ten-acre site adjacent to the city's treatment plant. This would happen in the
next twelve to eighteen months. Both city and DEO would like to review results of this
experiment before establishing the permanent poplar plantation, which means it will prObably
be 1998 or 1999 before the main poplar plantation is established.
Citizens in attendance asked whether a town of Woodburn's size could really afford a plant this
size. It was explained that several years ago, EPA set 1-1/2% of annual income as the limit
for an affordable annual sewer user bill. This 1-1/2% limit would work out to $333 a year for
a householder with an annual income of $22,200. A monthly rate of $22.82 is what the city
anticipates for a single family discharging 600 cu ft of sewage a month. This would be
approximately $274 a year, which is well below the EPA guidelines.
Jaime Isaza commented briefly that DEO will be monitoring the city's financing plan and rates
because there is the possibility that state funds may be available at a reasonable rate to help
Woodburn finance the new sewage treatment system.
At the next meeting on February 28, 1995 the committee will review the draft chapters of the
Facility Plan and the final option.
Preston Tack/ Frank Tiwari moved to adjourn. Meeting adjourned at 10:20 p.m.
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