By Anne Scheck
For the last few years, Independence resident Harry Bladow has been going to city council meetings to ask a fairly routine question: Why does the water-and-sewer bill cost so much? He and his neighbors usually pay at least $100 a month.
And now, with money for upgrades to the sewer-sanitation system just approved by the city council, he’s worried that even higher fees are on the horizon. So, this past month, Mr. Bladow appeared again, to literally ask a million-dollar question. Make that $10 million.
He wanted to know why the city increased a $6 million loan from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to $9.4 million. “I’d like to have information on that,” said Mr. Bladow. “What is it for? Who pays for it? And when?” (Photo caption: Harry Bladow, of Independence, stands in front of a farm field that will soon receive reclaimed wastewater from the city for irrigation purposes.)
Though Mayor John McArdle advised Mr. Bladow during the meeting that answers would be provided, there’s already a good explanation – the DEQ. In past years, the DEQ repeatedly contacted the city after wastewater from city lagoons was discharged into the Willamette River beyond the scope of state permits – a result of the lagoons reaching their storage capacity.
Now, new steps toward water-recycling will ease that strain, spraying the reclaimed water on a farm field north of town. The water, cleansed to a level that makes it virtually odor-free, is being transported by pipes to the farmer free of charge.
The DEQ has approved engineering plans for the recycled water project, affirmed Timothy McFetridge, P.E., senior environmental engineer at the DEQ's Salem office. To help meet the needs from continued city growth, city councilors approved another $150,000 to design a more-comprehensive plan for wastewater collection over the next 20 years.
Costs have crept up just to keep pace on current projects. In a recent example, city councilors approved $174,000 more for work at a pump station recently funded for $1.16 million. And extra costs to excavate the field-spraying pipeline – $109,000 – will be added to the original $726,750 price for that.
Why have the city’s costs for wastewater management been ticking up? Perhaps the biggest stressor on wastewater treatment and delivery is the “growth demand” on aging infrastructure amid increased regulations. That’s the view of several attendees at a recent conference of the Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU), which was held in Seaside.
However, “growth demand” that is properly managed – with appropriate collection of system-development charges from developers, up-to-date design plans and implementation of them in a timely manner – can actually be beneficial to a utility and system, said Jason Green, executive director of the OAWU.
In Independence “growth demand” is the reason yet another contract was approved – 0f $78,000 – for work near a new subdivision. “Operational records” showed that “during peak wet weather, sewer flows reach the capacity” of a lift station near the new development in the southeast part of the city, according to Kie Cottam, public works director for the city.
This may sound like a lot of money, but “I don’t want you to think that this is the entire project,” City Manager Tom Pessemier cautioned the city council at its last meeting. Mr. Pessemier, who has been on the job less than a year, was confronted with wastewater-system needs as soon as the ink dried on his contract.
“We’re at that point where we’re taking monies appropriated in the budget and actually putting them to the projects,” he said. As the new city manager tackles deferred maintenance and other aspects of city wastewater, new loans are being accessed. They are in the current budget he worked on.
Budget decisions – almost universally described as being made through an analytical process – are really a reflection of values, observed Ed Dover, PhD, professor emeritus of politics, policy and administration at Western Oregon University.
Asked to explain why budget items seem variable depending on the municipality and its officials, he observed that “you can't separate the act of determining a budget from making a choice of values." It’s really “a process of deciding whether to spend revenue or resources on Item A or Item B," Dr. Dover said.
The Independence wastewater system is entirely separate from water that comes from taps and faucets. The latter is monitored by Oregon Drinking Water Services of the Oregon Health Authority. Wastewater is overseen by the DEQ. However, both are seen as essential to public health – and both are expected to require more city investment to enhance capacity in the years ahead.
To OAWU’s executive director, Mr. Green, that represents part of another challenge: future staffing levels. He foresees a possible "void" of trained, certified personnel.
"Succession will be a challenge," he said. Water utilities already require mounting technological expertise. "And the majority of the utilities, for the most part, are older systems," he added.
For the last few years, Independence resident Harry Bladow has been going to city council meetings to ask a fairly routine question: Why does the water-and-sewer bill cost so much? He and his neighbors usually pay at least $100 a month.
And now, with money for upgrades to the sewer-sanitation system just approved by the city council, he’s worried that even higher fees are on the horizon. So, this past month, Mr. Bladow appeared again, to literally ask a million-dollar question. Make that $10 million.
He wanted to know why the city increased a $6 million loan from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to $9.4 million. “I’d like to have information on that,” said Mr. Bladow. “What is it for? Who pays for it? And when?” (Photo caption: Harry Bladow, of Independence, stands in front of a farm field that will soon receive reclaimed wastewater from the city for irrigation purposes.)
Though Mayor John McArdle advised Mr. Bladow during the meeting that answers would be provided, there’s already a good explanation – the DEQ. In past years, the DEQ repeatedly contacted the city after wastewater from city lagoons was discharged into the Willamette River beyond the scope of state permits – a result of the lagoons reaching their storage capacity.
Now, new steps toward water-recycling will ease that strain, spraying the reclaimed water on a farm field north of town. The water, cleansed to a level that makes it virtually odor-free, is being transported by pipes to the farmer free of charge.
The DEQ has approved engineering plans for the recycled water project, affirmed Timothy McFetridge, P.E., senior environmental engineer at the DEQ's Salem office. To help meet the needs from continued city growth, city councilors approved another $150,000 to design a more-comprehensive plan for wastewater collection over the next 20 years.
Costs have crept up just to keep pace on current projects. In a recent example, city councilors approved $174,000 more for work at a pump station recently funded for $1.16 million. And extra costs to excavate the field-spraying pipeline – $109,000 – will be added to the original $726,750 price for that.
Why have the city’s costs for wastewater management been ticking up? Perhaps the biggest stressor on wastewater treatment and delivery is the “growth demand” on aging infrastructure amid increased regulations. That’s the view of several attendees at a recent conference of the Oregon Association of Water Utilities (OAWU), which was held in Seaside.
However, “growth demand” that is properly managed – with appropriate collection of system-development charges from developers, up-to-date design plans and implementation of them in a timely manner – can actually be beneficial to a utility and system, said Jason Green, executive director of the OAWU.
In Independence “growth demand” is the reason yet another contract was approved – 0f $78,000 – for work near a new subdivision. “Operational records” showed that “during peak wet weather, sewer flows reach the capacity” of a lift station near the new development in the southeast part of the city, according to Kie Cottam, public works director for the city.
This may sound like a lot of money, but “I don’t want you to think that this is the entire project,” City Manager Tom Pessemier cautioned the city council at its last meeting. Mr. Pessemier, who has been on the job less than a year, was confronted with wastewater-system needs as soon as the ink dried on his contract.
“We’re at that point where we’re taking monies appropriated in the budget and actually putting them to the projects,” he said. As the new city manager tackles deferred maintenance and other aspects of city wastewater, new loans are being accessed. They are in the current budget he worked on.
Budget decisions – almost universally described as being made through an analytical process – are really a reflection of values, observed Ed Dover, PhD, professor emeritus of politics, policy and administration at Western Oregon University.
Asked to explain why budget items seem variable depending on the municipality and its officials, he observed that “you can't separate the act of determining a budget from making a choice of values." It’s really “a process of deciding whether to spend revenue or resources on Item A or Item B," Dr. Dover said.
The Independence wastewater system is entirely separate from water that comes from taps and faucets. The latter is monitored by Oregon Drinking Water Services of the Oregon Health Authority. Wastewater is overseen by the DEQ. However, both are seen as essential to public health – and both are expected to require more city investment to enhance capacity in the years ahead.
To OAWU’s executive director, Mr. Green, that represents part of another challenge: future staffing levels. He foresees a possible "void" of trained, certified personnel.
"Succession will be a challenge," he said. Water utilities already require mounting technological expertise. "And the majority of the utilities, for the most part, are older systems," he added.
PUMP STATION Wastewater pumping stations like this one, off Hoffman
Road in Independence, require mechanical and electrical systems to convey sewage or sewer-water from one place to another. In cities that can move the liquid by means of gravity, such systems aren't needed. However, the landscape of the city is relatively flat with areas of curvature, requiring the technology.
Road in Independence, require mechanical and electrical systems to convey sewage or sewer-water from one place to another. In cities that can move the liquid by means of gravity, such systems aren't needed. However, the landscape of the city is relatively flat with areas of curvature, requiring the technology.
FOLLOW-UP
City Financial Reporting Revisited
A new protocol for accounting practices by the City of Independence should prevent the kind of error that was found during an audit this year of the city’s books. This past spring, city councilors approved an addition to the usual financial reporting methods – adding a step that means a consultant will be hired to provide oversight review and draft fiscal statements.
The plan was formulated after the city’s outside auditor, Merina & Company, detected an error called a “material deficiency.” That requires a “plan of action” to be filed with the office of the Oregon Secretary of State. Contracting with an independent consultant was identified as the solution in the plan.
The error was an unrecorded year-end entry of bond refinancing for nearly $11 million. Even an easily correctable mis-statement like that one, which didn’t affect the city’s budget, requires a revised approach to help prevent a similar situation in the future, according to Oregon law.
“The 2019 audit report will be an indicator as to whether or not this deficiency is resolved,” according to a statement by the Oregon office of the Secretary of State.
City Financial Reporting Revisited
A new protocol for accounting practices by the City of Independence should prevent the kind of error that was found during an audit this year of the city’s books. This past spring, city councilors approved an addition to the usual financial reporting methods – adding a step that means a consultant will be hired to provide oversight review and draft fiscal statements.
The plan was formulated after the city’s outside auditor, Merina & Company, detected an error called a “material deficiency.” That requires a “plan of action” to be filed with the office of the Oregon Secretary of State. Contracting with an independent consultant was identified as the solution in the plan.
The error was an unrecorded year-end entry of bond refinancing for nearly $11 million. Even an easily correctable mis-statement like that one, which didn’t affect the city’s budget, requires a revised approach to help prevent a similar situation in the future, according to Oregon law.
“The 2019 audit report will be an indicator as to whether or not this deficiency is resolved,” according to a statement by the Oregon office of the Secretary of State.
The CIVICS LESSON: Preventing DUII Drivers from Being Skyborne
When a low-flying plane this summer caused power lines to break by Riverview Park, the first question asked was “How could this happen?” When the out-of-town pilot reportedly was charged in another county with driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), the next question was “How could that happen?” With both an airport and airpark in Independence, it seems a good time to take a look at how it can – DUII is on the rise. A motorist who's also an active pilot is required to notify the FAA within 60 days after receiving a suspension or revocation of a driver's license or a conviction related to a DUII. And, when law enforcement officers issue a DUII citation and discover that the driver also has a pilot's license, they are encouraged to contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to report it, according to Scott Reygers, an investigator with the FAA in Oklahoma City. A "wallet inventory" conducted during such stops can turn up information showing the driver engages in private or professional flying, he noted. Local police are one way to keep DUII out of the skies. "We are trying to get that message out," Mr. Reygers said. -- AS
When a low-flying plane this summer caused power lines to break by Riverview Park, the first question asked was “How could this happen?” When the out-of-town pilot reportedly was charged in another county with driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), the next question was “How could that happen?” With both an airport and airpark in Independence, it seems a good time to take a look at how it can – DUII is on the rise. A motorist who's also an active pilot is required to notify the FAA within 60 days after receiving a suspension or revocation of a driver's license or a conviction related to a DUII. And, when law enforcement officers issue a DUII citation and discover that the driver also has a pilot's license, they are encouraged to contact the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to report it, according to Scott Reygers, an investigator with the FAA in Oklahoma City. A "wallet inventory" conducted during such stops can turn up information showing the driver engages in private or professional flying, he noted. Local police are one way to keep DUII out of the skies. "We are trying to get that message out," Mr. Reygers said. -- AS
The INDY HOP: All Talk, All the Time, Everywhere in Downtown
“Hello, lamp post, what ya knowin’ ?” is a line right out of the hit song “Feelin’ Groovy” by Simon & Garfunkel. And if the duo ever come to Independence, they’ll find their lyrical question answered in the city’s downtown – by a lamp post, of course, and through text messaging. “Good afternoon” is the common greeting at Lamp Post #4, who frequently inquires “What lights up your life?” Among the structures downtown capable of holding a nice conversation are a trash can, a tree, a mural and the city fountain. Hundreds of people have engaged in the two-way talks, with 4,000 questions & responses, said Shawn Irvine, economic development director for the city. -- AS
“Hello, lamp post, what ya knowin’ ?” is a line right out of the hit song “Feelin’ Groovy” by Simon & Garfunkel. And if the duo ever come to Independence, they’ll find their lyrical question answered in the city’s downtown – by a lamp post, of course, and through text messaging. “Good afternoon” is the common greeting at Lamp Post #4, who frequently inquires “What lights up your life?” Among the structures downtown capable of holding a nice conversation are a trash can, a tree, a mural and the city fountain. Hundreds of people have engaged in the two-way talks, with 4,000 questions & responses, said Shawn Irvine, economic development director for the city. -- AS
POLICE BOX
JAIL CAPACITY OVER STRETCHED
As the Polk County jail passes its 20th anniversary, the state’s youngest sheriff has begun confronting the same problem he once saw as a teenage cadet. The jail’s getting too crowded.
When Sheriff Mark Garton joined the department more than two decades ago, the 195-bed jail wasn’t even built. Then, in 1999, the state-of-the-art structure opened to accommodate the county’s growing incarceration needs. Now, periodically, it’s an under-sized facility again.
The county grew significantly over the past few years and, with more people, there’s been an uptick in crime – and a higher jail population. But it isn’t just that.
“We have more folks who have mental health-related issues in jail, who can't be housed with other inmates – because of behavioral issues,” Sheriff Garton explained. So one inmate could be filling a two-person cell, making the other bunk “useless.”
“We really get full when we reach around 170 inmates,” Sheriff Garton said. “We obviously house males and females separately, so if our female numbers are down, we can't fill them with men,” he said.
Fights prevent some individuals from being housed together – there are some inmates who “just can't get along with others,” he observed. Additionally, co-conspirators in criminal cases can't be placed together. Some in jail have medical issues that warrant separation, he noted.
Sheriff Garton has taken the issue to the Polk County Board of Commissioners during the past few weeks – obtaining a sympathetic response but no solution is in sight so far.
“Essentially, it’s a huge chess game every day and my staff does their best to keep the number of available beds as high as we can, and maximize our space, but it all depends on who is in custody,” he said.
JAIL CAPACITY OVER STRETCHED
As the Polk County jail passes its 20th anniversary, the state’s youngest sheriff has begun confronting the same problem he once saw as a teenage cadet. The jail’s getting too crowded.
When Sheriff Mark Garton joined the department more than two decades ago, the 195-bed jail wasn’t even built. Then, in 1999, the state-of-the-art structure opened to accommodate the county’s growing incarceration needs. Now, periodically, it’s an under-sized facility again.
The county grew significantly over the past few years and, with more people, there’s been an uptick in crime – and a higher jail population. But it isn’t just that.
“We have more folks who have mental health-related issues in jail, who can't be housed with other inmates – because of behavioral issues,” Sheriff Garton explained. So one inmate could be filling a two-person cell, making the other bunk “useless.”
“We really get full when we reach around 170 inmates,” Sheriff Garton said. “We obviously house males and females separately, so if our female numbers are down, we can't fill them with men,” he said.
Fights prevent some individuals from being housed together – there are some inmates who “just can't get along with others,” he observed. Additionally, co-conspirators in criminal cases can't be placed together. Some in jail have medical issues that warrant separation, he noted.
Sheriff Garton has taken the issue to the Polk County Board of Commissioners during the past few weeks – obtaining a sympathetic response but no solution is in sight so far.
“Essentially, it’s a huge chess game every day and my staff does their best to keep the number of available beds as high as we can, and maximize our space, but it all depends on who is in custody,” he said.
Where Vets Get Star Treatment
Just being there, listening and caring. A national study shows that’s key in reducing stress for veterans. And, tucked into an office next to a convenience store in Dallas, somebody’s there,listening and caring. The result: The kind of success that can lead to a near-doubling of workload.
“You provide good service to one veteran and they tell another," explained Eric Enderle, the Veteran Services Officer for the county. Mr. Enderle, a US Army veteran, has been tracking numbers since his arrival there more than a year ago. The Polk County Office now is logging 35-70 walk-ins monthly with nearly 300 calls made or received per month.
“He’s amazing,” Craig Pope, chair of the Polk County Board of Commissioners. “What he does over there is hard to believe.”
Veterans have someone helping them fill out forms that can seem cumbersome, even overwhelming. The office has a reputation for timely processing of claims to the Veterans Administration (VA). But when they come to the office to file claims, often "I hear their stories, and I am able to respond to some of those issues, too," he said. How?
“The collaborative effort here is phenomenal," he said.
He cited the "Give an Hour" program, in which licensed, clinical psychologists donate time for veterans in need of counseling. "But it isn't just that. Maybe someone needs a nice set of clothes for a job interview," he said. He can pick up the phone and get a business suit .
Just being there, listening and caring. A national study shows that’s key in reducing stress for veterans. And, tucked into an office next to a convenience store in Dallas, somebody’s there,listening and caring. The result: The kind of success that can lead to a near-doubling of workload.
“You provide good service to one veteran and they tell another," explained Eric Enderle, the Veteran Services Officer for the county. Mr. Enderle, a US Army veteran, has been tracking numbers since his arrival there more than a year ago. The Polk County Office now is logging 35-70 walk-ins monthly with nearly 300 calls made or received per month.
“He’s amazing,” Craig Pope, chair of the Polk County Board of Commissioners. “What he does over there is hard to believe.”
Veterans have someone helping them fill out forms that can seem cumbersome, even overwhelming. The office has a reputation for timely processing of claims to the Veterans Administration (VA). But when they come to the office to file claims, often "I hear their stories, and I am able to respond to some of those issues, too," he said. How?
“The collaborative effort here is phenomenal," he said.
He cited the "Give an Hour" program, in which licensed, clinical psychologists donate time for veterans in need of counseling. "But it isn't just that. Maybe someone needs a nice set of clothes for a job interview," he said. He can pick up the phone and get a business suit .
A crisis-intervention team can be called to help address mental-health needs. And recently, county commissioners approved an upgrade in position for Nikki Rak, who’s provided clerical support. Now she’s receiving special training. When she and Mr. Enderle were asked who’d take over some of her prior duties, they both seemed to draw a blank. “I guess we’ll figure that one out as we go,” Mr. Enderle said. -- AS
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