WATER/WASTEWATER TASK FORCE MEETING

MINUTES

April 8, 1999

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Salem Public Library - Anderson Auditorium

1) CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order by Councilor Paul Wulf.

2) INTRODUCTIONS

Introductions were made. Members, staff, and citizens were in attendance. See attached sign-in sheet for member and citizen sign-in.

Absent members were Polk County Commissioner Mike Propes, Keizer City Councilor Garry Whalen, Tom Zepp, and Ross Peterson. We have no representative from Marion County Commissioners or from commercial business at this time.

Citizens in attendance included Victor Dang (Oregon Cherry Growers), Mark Fields (Suburban East Salem Water District), Keeta Lauderdale (Concerned Business), Lynn Halladey (Agri Pac), Carolyn West, Bill Ridgeway, Pat Ridgeway, David Higgins, Mike Kerr, John Weeks, (Weeks Berry Nursery) Sheila McStrath.

Staff present included Frank Mauldin (Public Works Director), Tim Gerling (Acting Assistant Public Works Director), Paul Eckley (Chief Utilities Engineer), Pat Dodge (Management Analyst II), Diane Dennis (Acting Assistant Public Works Director), and Jack Merritt (Assistant Finance Director).

3) CITIZEN INPUT

None at this time.

4) MINUTES

Minutes from October 10, 1998, and February 24, 1999, meetings were approved unanimously with one correction to the minutes of February 24: correct citizen attendance to show Keeta Lauderdale as representing Concerned Business instead of SNI.

5) NATURAL TREATMENT

Diane Dennis, Wastewater Services Manager, presented information contained in the Memorandum handed out at the meeting "Willow Lake Natural Treatment System Project Update and Schedule" (copy attached for the file). Her presentation included: Section 1, Willow Lake Natural Treatment System Project Background; Section II, Willow Lake Natural Treatment System Project Update; and Section III, Project Implementation Issues.
Discussion took place during the presentation including the following issues: Bureau of Reclamation Title 16 Program participation and completion of the required Feasibility Study; continued Federal Legislative support in Washington, D.C.; full-scale Natural Treatment System project siting location; design and construction of the Natural Treatment System Phase I, demonstration system; and wastewater treatment facilities expansion.

Detailed discussion focused on the feasibility study, including the benefits of 220 acres for public benefit (walking paths, informative, nature). There are all sorts of concerns at this point, so the demonstration project will show all aspects. Frank Mauldin stated that a large acreage has to be found (a 300- to 400-acre farm) to do the full-scale Natural Treatment System.

David Higgins, citizen, stressed strongly at this point that he feels very negative about proceeding with this and also reminded the Task Force that they have received several letters opposing this, from Perrydale Water Association and others. He would like to see the CH2M-Hill report.

Bill Ridgeway of Pioneer Park Water Co-op spoke at this time regarding concern about the wells. About 99 percent of the people in the co-op are against it. Concerned about surrounding area property values - have been told they go up. He also would like to see the report from CH2M-Hill.

Chairperson Wulf, requested that if there were letters of opposition that they be forwarded on to members of the Task Force.

Mike Kerr, Capital Farms, stated that there is a lot of resistance in the farming community to conversion of farm land for urban utility purposes. It is currently a legislative priority for Oregon Farm Bureaus to oppose all urban utility siting.

Action was requested from the Task Force by staff to forward the staff recommendation to Council. Councilor Gavin Sample so moved and the motion was seconded.

At this point, there was discussion of the staff recommendation _ that the implementation tasks as listed below be forwarded to City Council for approval at this time:

1) Continue the Phased Implementation Approach for the construction of the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Facilities.

2) Eliminate the Willow Lake Site lower bench area directly bordering the Willamette River from further consideration on the full-scale siting of the project. Continue to assess potential siting locations in the North Marion County and Polk County area.

3) Design and construct a Natural Treatment System Demonstration Project on land currently owned by the City adjacent to the Willow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant.
4) Design and construct a Wet Weather Treatment Technology Demonstration Project in conjunction with the Natural Treatment System Demonstration Project.

Discussion focused on review of the report by CH2M-Hill to which Frank Mauldin stated that this particular analysis has not been totally completed yet. The Task Force is interested in more information on the North Marion County and Polk County siting.

Steven Anderson suggested that it also would be good to see in the study what it is going to be in terms of the study design - in terms of kinetics (breakdown of sewage, temperature flows, and organism degradation as it passes through the different root systems) to see what they are looking at.

JB Summers stated that this demo project is a very significant positive move that both the defers our capital spending out toward the end of this time frame and gives an opportunity to look at this system. Chairperson Wulf agrees _ until we have the demonstration project where we can actually see the results and what comes out of it, - from the demonstration project you will be able to see if the concerns are validated and it is dead at that point, or based upon the concerns that are raised, if you do the demonstration project and they aren't validated, or what is going on. Until we actually have an opportunity to see what is going on, if it is not throw-away dollars, it is something that we have the ability to be able to use, even if it ends up being wetlands and we are able to use it to offset the wetlands that we destroy in our open ditches that are running through the City. That has value in its own right.

Frank Mauldin stated that the schedule requires the demonstration project move ahead quickly. There is not a lot of room to move around in the schedule.

JB Summers stated that AgriPac is now in its 6th year of growing poplar trees --about 300 acres, adding about 50 acres a year. It is working well for them as a way to use process waste.

Councilor Don Scott - I support the motion.

Councilor Wes Bennett _ Will there be information available for Council to review before this meeting? The letters of opposition? (Frank stated that staff would get as much as possible) On that basis, I will support this.

Chairperson Wulf called for a show of hands in favor of the recommendation. The motion to forward staff's recommendation to Council passed unanimously.

6) WATER MASTER PLAN INFORMATION

Paul Eckley, Chief Utilities Engineer was introduced to present an update on the status of the Water Master Plan, based on handout material (file copy attached). This information focused primarily on the Salem water supply alternatives.

1) Geren Island
Have built one new slow sand filter, built intake structure, in process of designing acquired right-of-way for the 75 mgd transmission line.

2) Mission Bottom Wellfield near Keizer
A study was done in early 90's by Golder and Associates that looked at that area of Keizer as the water source of Salem. That has been brought up to date in 1999 dollars.

3) Willamette River
Have a good comparison study that was recently done by a group in Wilsonville/Tualatin called Willamette Water Supply Agency. They are looking at developing additional water sources for them and hired a consultant to develop the study.

The costs are being developed in terms of dollars of capital costs per gallon of capacity.

Paul Eckley covered Geren Island as water source including advantages (proven treatment system, high quality water, water rights, and well-designed connection to distribution system), capital costs, and O&M costs as shown in the handout.

He presented information on Mission Bottom Wellfield costs (capital costs and O&M) as well as disadvantages as water source including: junior water rights, limited water right application, emergency use only, unfamiliar process (to Salem) for removal of iron and manganese, and undesigned connection to distribution system.

At this point, Paul Eckley presented a Willamette River Water Treatment Plant (south of Illahe). He covered capital costs, O&M costs, and disadvantages including: junior water rights, location of water rights, unfamiliar conventional/advanced water treatment process for Salem, poor public perception of Willamette River quality; undesigned distribution system connection point.

A comparison of water quality of the water sources was given in table format in the handout material.

In summary, this information reaches the conclusion to rely on the North Santiam River as its primary source of water supply.

Mike Gotterba asked about expanding the capability of taking water from City of Keizer and go to more of a regional water supply system that will supply both Salem and Keizer and being able to build up that capacity

Frank Mauldin stated that there is a real opportunity to do that with Mission Bottom Wellfield. There is a possibility that the City can create some kind of cooperative agreement with Keizer that they can utilize the Mission Bottom wells and we could use their wells in an emergency to increase our emergency supply.

The new pipe is 75 mgd capacity. The old pipe is kept and the total possible capacity will be 125 million gallons per day. There will be no surprise pipelines in the future.

7) FUTURE MEETINGS

May 13 - Outline of stormwater plan with the options and all the advantages and disadvantages and the sewer lateral policy will be brought back on the 13th of May. Sewer laterals policy is coming back because there has been a change in Council and there is a desire to review the policy.
8) OTHER

Frank Mauldin stated that a comprehensive presentation on sewer laterals, covering all the issues including Orangeberg pipe. There will be several options on the optional financing plan.

Jack Merritt stated that work is just beginning on the feasibility study on the COSA. Staff would like to complete the feasibility study before coming back to the Task Force. When the COSA was started, the existing data was going to be used, but almost two years has gone by since then, so the feasibility study is being updated before specific information is brought back to the Task Force.

9) ADJOURN

Meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.

These minutes are transcribed from notes and the tape recording of the Task Force meeting on April 8, 1999, as an overview of the meeting. They are not verbatim. The tape recorded meeting is available for review in the Office of the Public Works Director. The attachments are to the file copy only. Copies of the attachments were distributed at the meeting and by mail to those unable to attend the meeting

Linda Nelson, Staff Assistant II
May 19, 1999

Attachments:
Attendance Sheet
Overhead Materials