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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 2018)
NEWS BlueMountainEagle.com Wednesday, December 12, 2018 A5 Sewer treatment plant options presented Green: No plan to seek bond for project By RICHARD HANNERS Blue Mountain Eagle With an estimated $12.5 million construction cost and $616,864 in annual operation and maintenance costs, a new sewer treatment plant for John Day and Can- yon City poses tremendous liabilities for a community with declining population and a sagging economy. But John Day City Man- ager Nick Green wants to turn those liabilities into an asset by producing 80 mil- lion gallons of reclaimed water that can be used by the city or sold to customers to help pay for the new plant. It’s been 70 years since the sewer treatment plant for John Day and Canyon City was constructed at the con- fl uence of Canyon Creek and the John Day River, Green explained at a special meeting at Grant County Regional Airport on Dec. 4. The facility saw major additions in 1970 and 1978 to keep up with population growth. Today the plant’s aging concrete and plumb- ing handles wastewater from about 2,440 people in 1,036 households. The treatment plant has been operating with an expired permit since 2007, and the state Department of Environmental Quality wants the plant brought into compliance, Green said. A wastewater facilities plan completed by the con- sulting engineering fi rm Anderson Perry in 2010 found that sewer rates were too low and city reserves were insuffi cient to meet the major fi nancial commitment. Shortly after he was hired in 2016, Green proposed the idea of reclaiming the wastewater. A feasibility study was conducted using $70,000 in state grant fund- ing, and a treatment plant design from Sustainable Water was approved by the city council in June. The city purchased the former Oregon Pine mill site in 2017 with plans to build the new plant on land outside the fl oodplain on the north side of the river. The exist- ing mechanical treatment plant, drying ponds and per- colation lagoons would be eliminated and replaced by a more compact facility using hydroponic agriculture to treat the wastewater. An income survey found that 57 percent of John Day and Canyon City house- holds were classifi ed as low The Eagle/Richard Hanners About two dozen people attended the John Day City Council’s special joint meeting at the Grant County Regional Airport on Dec. 4. to moderate income, which meant the project was eligi- ble for up to $2.5 million in federal Community Devel- opment Block Grant fund- ing. The Dec. 4 public hear- ing was a requirement for the federal funding. An updated facility plan was submitted to the DEQ in August. If all goes accord- ing to plan, construction of the new plant could begin in winter 2019, and the facility could be operating by spring 2021, Green said. A survey found uses for about 139 million gallons of reclaimed water, far more than the 80 million gal- lons the plant will produce. A problem is that virtually none of the potential uses exist in winter, leaving the city with a wintertime dis- posal problem. Injecting the water under- ground for storage would require special approval by the DEQ, which could take time, Green said. The latest proposal is to bury perfo- rated pipe between the frost line and the water table to disperse the reclaimed water underground at the Oregon Pine site, he said. Green said the city’s goal is to fund the $12.5 million plant with 60 percent grants and 40 percent loans, but a 50/50 ratio is more typi- cal. Since the plant will sell reclaimed water, alternative funding sources are possi- ble, he said. The sewer fund has man- ageable debt, Green said — a $500,000 loan to be paid off in four years and a $29,217 per year payment on a 30-year loan for the Oregon Pine property. Operations and mainte- nance costs are expected to climb by 6 percent a year, but according to Busi- ness Oregon’s affordabil- ity index, a minimum sewer rate for the new treatment plant would be $34.66 per month. The current rate is $46 per month. Green said he doesn’t expect a bond will be pre- sented to the voters to pay for the project — what isn’t paid for with grants should be absorbed by the treatment plant’s ratepayers. In other city news: • The council approved a $110,000 contract with ECONorthwest and subcon- tractor Bell and Funk for help developing a compre- hensive economic develop- ment strategy for the John Day area. Most of the fund- ing will come from federal and state grants. The contract calls for assessing potential growth in the hydroponic industry, digital marketing and brand- ing, hosting meetings on tourism and recreation, sup- porting the city’s efforts to improve broadband access, assessing the local housing situation and offering sug- gestions, drafting a fi ve-year action plan, and supporting the city when it hosts the Regional Economic Devel- opment Summit in John Day next spring. • The city awarded a $74,924 contract to Alpine Abatement Assoc. of Bend for removing asbestos and lead from the city-owned Weaver Building on Main Street. Most of the funding will come from a $65,300 DEQ brownfi eld grant. The 30-day renovation project was scheduled to start Dec. 10. The ground fl oor retail tenants can remain in the building during the renova- tion, Green said. • The council also approved a series of budget changes that included fund- ing for the Grant County Emergency Communication Agency. The city will pro- vide $150,000 to the new intergovernmental agency to pay 911 dispatchers through the end of the current fi s- cal year. The city will also pay dispatchers $60,000 in accrued leave as they transi- tion to the new agency. • Coming up, the Grant County Digital Network Coalition will hold a town hall meeting on Dec. 18, and an open house for the Inno- vation Gateway project will be held Jan. 8. • Grant County Sher- iff’s Offi ce Dec. 5: Advised of a bur- glary on Highway 26 in Mt. Vernon. Dec. 6: Received a theft report from Front Street and Main Street in Prairie City. Dec. 8: Advised of a fraud case in Seneca. Dec. 8: Received a report of a domestic dispute on South McCallum Street in Prairie City. Dec. 9: Advised of crim- inal mischief on Ingle Street in Mt. Vernon. Dec. 9: Received a report of a dispute on Harpers Creek Road in Mt. Vernon. • John Day ambulance Dec. 3: Responded to a ranch east of John Day for a man in his 70s. Dec. 3: Dispatched to North Scenic Drive in Can- yon City for a 74-year-old man who had fallen. Dec. 3: Responded to a senior home in Prairie City for a 50-year-old woman with abdominal pain and diffi culty breathing. Dec. 4: Dispatched to East Fifth Street in John Day for a 79-year-old woman who had fallen. Dec. 5: Responded to a senior home in John Day for a 75-year-old woman. Dec. 5: Dispatched to Northeast Seventh Street in John Day for an 85-year-old woman. Dec. 6: Dispatched to C Avenue in Seneca. Dec. 6: Responded to Northeast Seventh Street in John Day for an 85-year-old woman. Dec. 6: Dispatched with Seneca ambulance to Park Avenue in Seneca for a 6-year-old boy. Dec. 6: Received a 911 call from North Humbolt Street in Canyon City. Dec. 7: Responded to a mobile home park on West Main Street in John Day for a 58-year-old woman. Dec. 7: Dispatched to South Canyon Boulevard. Dec. 7: Received a 911 call from Courtrock Road in Monument. • John Day fi re Dec. 3: Responded to a request about heaters on Northwest Third Street in John Day. • Prairie City fi re Dec. 4: Responded to West Sixth Street in Prai- rie City for a possible fl ue fi re. COPS AND COURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agen- cies. Every effort is made to report the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court One case fi led against Gildardo T. Aguiire was dismissed and an arrest warrant was recalled Nov. 25 in the best interests of justice following the district attorney’s motion. He was charged with a secret indict- ment on Aug. 12, 2009. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sher- iff’s Offi ce reported the fol- lowing for the week of Dec. 5: Concealed handgun licenses: 8 Average inmates: 16 Bookings: 5 Releases: 9 Arrests: 2 Citations: 1 Fingerprints: 2 Civil papers: 12 Warrants processed: 2 Asst./welfare check: 1 Search and rescue: 1 Dec. 3: Matthew May- fi eld, 37, Boise, Idaho, was cited for violation of the basic rule, 65/55 zone. Oregon State Police Dec. 5: Responded to a pond near Highway 26 west of John Day for a horse that had fallen through the ice. Only the head was above water. With assistance from John Day police, pass- ing motorists and the land- owner, a rope was placed around the horse’s neck to keep it from totally sub- merging. A backhoe broke up the ice, and the horse was brought to the shore. It was treated for hypothermia. Dec. 8: Following a traf- fi c stop on Highway 26 near Clyde Holliday State Park, a 17-year-old from Parma, Idaho, allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana ear- lier. He was arrested and charged with driving under the infl uence of intoxicants and being a minor in pos- session of marijuana. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 165 calls during the week of Dec. 3-9, including: • John Day Police Department Dec. 3: Received a call about a possible theft on Southwest Brent Drive in John Day. Dec. 3: Investigated a report of suspicious circum- stances at a health depart- ment offi ce on Main Street in John Day. Dec. 3: Following a traf- fi c stop on Main Street in west John Day, Charles C. Briet of Vantage, Washing- ton, was cited for driving uninsured. Dec. 4: Responded to a restaurant on Main Street in John Day for a report of suspicious activity. Dec. 5: Received a report of sexual abuse at Grant Union High School. Dec. 5: Advised of fraud on Northeast Elm Street in John Day. Dec. 5: Responded to a mobile home park on West Main Street in John Day for a report of unwanted persons. Dec. 6: Following a traf- fi c stop on West Main Street in John Day, Tylor Gifford, 24, John Day, was cited for driving with a suspended license, no insurance and switched license plates. Dec. 6: Advised of a suspicious person on East Third Avenue in John Day. Dec. 6: Attempted to stop a vehicle on West Main Street in John Day but ter- minated the resulting pur- suit for safety reasons. Dec. 6: Following a traffi c stop on South Can- yon Boulevard, Nathan M. Elledge, 27, Bend, was arrested and charged with eluding and reckless driving. Dec. 7: Responded to a grocery store in John Day for a shoplifting report. Dec. 8: Dispatched to West Bench Road in John Day for a report of credit card fraud. Dec. 8: Responded to a report of shots fi red above the police department in John Day. • Oregon State Police Dec. 3: Responded to a noninjury crash on High- way 7 near Austin Junction. Dec. 4: Dispatched to Highway 26 near Indian Creek Road for a report of horses on the highway. Dec. 5: State police and sheriff’s deputies were advised of suspicious activ- ity on Highway 26 east of Dayville. Mission Statement: 22 CENTRAL OREGON MOBILE VET CENTER WHEN/WHERE To welcome home and honor those who served, those still serving, and their families by reaching out to them, engaging their communities, and providing them with quali- ty readjustment counsel- ing and timely referral. READJUSTMENT COUNSELING Civilians...they just don’t get it! Come down and let’s talk...Veteran to Veteran. John Day-Elks Lodge- December 19th BENEFITS Find out about what is available that you may have earned. WHO ARE WE? CENTRAL OREGON VET CENTER 1645 NE FORBES RD, SUITE 105 BEND, OR 97702 541-749-2112 WWW.VETCENTER.VA.GOV For more information contact Grant County Veterans 541 620-8057 91116 61008 94762
