8
in other words
may8
2012
Creature Comforts ~ Spring “Cleaning” for Pets
By Michal Smith
Let’s begin with an update from
last month’s article. The “pet memory
board” is now hanging up inside the
store and ready for photos and stories
of your furry, feathered or finned loved
ones to be posted. There are already a
few sweet tributes which will be hanging
up and featured through Memorial Day
so keep bringing them in. It’s been fun
to read of each pet’s special talent, funny
habit and place in their human’s lives.
It’s a fact--spring and cleaning
go hand in hand and we don’t want to
forget the Pet Section” on our cleaning
lists. Be sure to include items like up-
date all vaccinations as our dogs and
cats are outside and exposed to other
pets and nasty bugs that live in the
ground just waiting to attack our pet.
291
A
Street
Microchip or put tags on your pets so if
they are lost while outdoors they can be
easily returned to you when found. Clip
pet bird wings now that we start open-
ing windows and doors to our homes for
the warm fresh air to come in, we don’t
want our pet birds taking flight out of
them. Inspect tie out cables, chains,
leashes, collars and pens from last
year to ensure they are in good condi-
tion and strong enough to hold or con-
tain your pet this season. Restock pet
first aid supplies if needed to make sure
you’re ready for those minor illnesses
and injuries that occur more often in the
warm seasons and in the out of doors.
Restock water troughs or ponds with
feeder fish and/or pond snails that will
help control algae and larvae making it a
cleaner drink of water for your animals.
And what dog doesn’t want to
start out the spring season without their
own personal spring clipping and flea
bath? Well, probably all of them but
owner knows best. Creatures Pet Store
offers full service grooming as well as
the opportunity for you to use the facili-
ties and do it yourself for a full bonding
experience with your dog. Either way
will expose the condition of the skin af-
ter the long cool winter and allow you
to feel any lumps or bumps you weren’t
aware of before. Owners have often
been surprised to know that once we got
their dog in the bath tub or shaved the
hair, we’ve uncovered flea beds, ticks,
sore and hot spots that the animal had
been biting at; injuries, and in one case
a fresh BB gun shot wound was exposed
on the dog’s shoulder. You’d be sur-
prised at what the fur can cover up.
Well these are just a few of the major
items to consider adding to your spring
list of chores.
Creatures Pet Store stocks many
of your supply needs and is always hap-
py to special order items that will save
you a trip out of town. Grooming and
U-Wash can be scheduled all during the
week (Mon-Fri 10-6; Sat 10-5) simply
call 503-429-PETS (7387) to book your
appointment. We’ll also be able to dis-
cuss and address any specific needs your
pet may have at that time. AND if you’re
looking to add a family pet to your home
this spring, check the store for kittens,
puppies, birds and fish-it’s the season!
In 2011, the City selected Tetra
Tech to take the hyporheic discharge
infiltration alternative model framework
through the DEQ process with a
goal of meeting two remaining DEQ
requirements: (1) complete a DEQ
standard predesign report; and (2) secure
concurrence on the design from FEMA
and ACOE for flood plain compliance.
We anticipate securing final plans in
December 2012.
The CDBG Grant No 06021 is being
used to fund the Tetra Tech project that
will yield final design and a construction
bid package. We have sufficient funds
in the CDBG budget to fully fund the
engineering and bid documents. Thus
this will not be a burden to the utility rate
payers.
What will be involved in the
final design phase of the project?
The City awaits the DEQ acceptance
of the hyporheic discharge infiltration
alternative. When DEQ accepts we
share the document with the State
Infrastructure Finance Authority, both
for their concurrence as the CDBG
funder but also in their potential role of
providing financing, if needed, for the
construction of the project. The City
Engineer will then work with Tetra
Tech to cost out the design, assist in the
development of bid documents, design
a bid process for selection of a general
contractor, and set a date to publish the
bid. This is all completed using the grant
funds currently secured, and does not
require debt creation or raising rates to
repay the state for these funds.
What can we predict about the
final costs and the impact on sewer loan
repayment fee? In a nutshell, to be in
compliance with DEQ and EPA standards
the City will need to spend additional
money to complete the accepted DEQ
design. The City is pursuing the approval
of a hyporheic discharge infiltration
alternative as we stated above. A primary
reason for this model is that it costs less
to build than other options and costs less
to operate. How much less is not known,
but likely less than 50% of the next lower
cost option identified in the Brown and
Caldwell alternative analysis.
Of the original $8,600,000 DEQ
loan, the City spent $4,300,000. The
undisbursed funds of $4,300,000 remain
available to the City to cover additional
project costs. To fully repay the current
outstanding balance over the next 20
years, monthly sewer fees will increase
by approximately $19.00 per month. For
each additional $1 million the City draws
down on the remaining balance monthly
sewer fees will increase by an additional
$7.00 +/- per month. Using $7.00 as
the factor per $1,000,000 of additional
indebtedness the following describes the
path we will be on:
• To repay the current outstanding
balance of $4.3 million, the required
sewer fee is about $31.00/month for
twenty years.
• If we spend $1.0 million more the fee
is adjusted to $37.00/month for twenty
years;
• If we spend $2.0 million more the fee
is adjusted to $44.00/month for twenty
years; and
• If we fully need to spend out the
balance of the $4.3 million available
the fee is adjusted to $57.00/month for
twenty years.
By December of this year the
City will have a firm cost estimate for the
balance of the work needed to construct
the final wastewater facility design; and
at that time this picture of the true cost of
this improvement will be known.
What is next? The City
Council will adopt a budget in June 2012
for FY 2012-2013 that will identify the
sewer loan repayment strategy that staff
will be directed to establish with DEQ.
Also in June 2012, the City Council
will adopt by resolution a modification
in the current sewer loan repayment fee
schedule. This is the path that we are
on to achieve compliance with State and
Federal regulators, and to increase the
capacity of our wastewater facility for the
long-term future of our community.
Sewer Loan Repayment Fee to
Increase continued from page 5
START RIGHT. START HERE. SM
call Kim
Time to get your MOWERS tuned up
Lovable service at
a reasonable price
• Bathing
• Haircuts
• Nail Clipping
• Nail Polishing
• Specialty
Shampoos
We’ll take your dead mower
Drop off your push or rider here
Also wanted: used auto batteries
Family owned & operated for over 40 years
834 Bridge St., Vernonia (503) 429-6364
