Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A public meeting in Garfield about a sewer rate increase drew some controversy Wednesday, Dec. 14. The $16.14 per month increase to $119 was approved by the town council in November.
The meeting, to inform residents of the reasons, drew about 10 residents.
“It's because we've been struggling for three years at the sewer plant,” said Mayor Ray McCown, citing warnings from the state Department of Ecology. “We had to raise it to meet expenses.”
Part of that is an increase in pay for the new Level II operator at the plant at a salary of $62,000 per year, compared to the last operator's $46,000.
Former town councilman Tim Southern questioned at the meeting whether the 14 percent increase was necessary, saying the city's purchase of a $29,000 backhoe last week was not essential.
McCown believes the backhoe was needed and the funds for the sewer plant as well.
“The plant was just not designed properly in the first place,” said the mayor. “We've got one pump doing three different things.”
McCown named needed items for the sewer facility as in-line meters, better testing equipment and a building at the end of the pond to house equipment that tests chlorine levels.
“It's mostly because we never took tests on the weekend,” McCown said. “That's what this machine's going to do.”
The new chlorine-tester is not yet in place.
“I think it's already ordered,” McCown said.
Is the mayor confident that all of this is necessary?
“Oh yes, yes,” he said. “The plant hasn't operated properly for 15 years.”
The town has spent $26,000 so far this year in extraordinary expenses for sewer.
The increase, to take effect Jan. 1, will amount to an added $51,000 per year to the sewer budget.
Garfield raises sewer rates every two years by four percent for inflation. The last such increase was $5.14 in 2014.
Another four percent increase is expected to go before the town council resolution in January.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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