HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 08/16/1999 4036
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
Port Angeles, Washington
August 16, 1999
CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Braun called the special meeting of the Port Angeles City Council to order at
SPECIAL MEETING: 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss City water issues and timber
issues and roads in national forests with Senator Slade Gorton.
ROLL CALL: Members Present: Mayor Braun, Councilmembers Campbell, McKeown,
Wiggins, and Williams.
Members Absent: Councilmembers Doyle and Hulett.
Staff Present: Manager Quinn, Attorney Knutson, Clerk Upton, G. Cutler,
B. Titus, G. Brooks, S. Sperr, and T. Smith.
Public Present: Those who signed the roster were present for Senator
Gorton's Town Meeting.
Mayor Braun opened the meeting by welcoming Senator Gorton to Port Angeles. He
summarized the discussions scheduled to be held this afternoon, noting that the
Senator's Town Meeting would commence at approximately 3:15 p.m.
City Water Issues City Water Issues: Public Works & Utilities Director Cutler, with the use of the power
point equipment, reviewed for the Senator the issues related to the City's industrial and
domestic water supply. He reviewed the maps setting forth the location of the area's
various water sources, facilities, and possibilities for new pipelines and facilities.
Director Cutler provided a system overview which included a summary of the City's
Ranney collector system currently in use.
Director Cutler advised Senator Gorton as to potential impacts of the Elwha Dam
removals, to include increased siltation, increasingly turbid water, increased risk of
adverse impact on the Ranney collector, as well as the fact that the dams mitigate
adverse events on the Elwha River. Director Cutler then reviewed the City's long term
requirements which would involve permanent treatment facilities, conventional
treatment, and an emergency water supply. Associated with these requirements would
be support to ensure sufficient funds for a safe and adequate water supply for the City,
reimbursement to the City for current and future expenses, and the designation of Port
Angeles as the lead agency for the design and construction of mitigation measures.
Senator Gorton inquired as to how much of what the City wants to do is necessitated by
removal of the lower dam and how much is something vitally important to the City
which, nonetheless, increases quality. He continued his inquiry by asking what dam
removal had to do with the requirement of what chemicals the City would have to put
in the water. Director Cutler responded that, once dam removal occurs, the City
anticipates additional water treatment will be required. Senator Gorton sought an
explanation, and Scott Tressler, CH2M Hill, responded that dam removal will increase
turbidity in the river, leaving the City in the position that it will not be able to comply
with the Safe Drinking Water Act. Other issues could include iron manganese, which
has been documented in previous reports.
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CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
August 16, 1999
City Water Issues Lengthy discussion followed, with Senator Gorton posing questions as to impacts of
(Cont'd) dam removal and how long it is anticipated before sediments disappear and there will
be a natural, free flowing river. Mr. Tressler indicated there will forever be a reduction
in the quality of drinking water as a result of dam removal, both in terms of frequency
of periods when water quality is significantly less than what it sees today and the
duration of those events is greater. The City will be forever faced with an increased risk
as a result of having dams removed. Senator Gorton indicated that discussion is
centering around removal of only one dam, and he queried as to whether the answer
would remain the same. The answer was affirmative, and Senator Gorton advised the
City Council that this is a case the City would have to prove. He found it difficult to
understand that, after a fairly short period of time when the first sediments go down the
river, the quality of the water would be diminished.
After discussion with regard to Morse Creek being an emergency water supply, Senator
Gorton felt that the City, at a very minimum, should precisely divide up the various
aspects and needs of a water system and indicate the impact of lower dam removal on
each of them in a very detailed fashion. He then directed the discussion to the City's
request to serve as the lead agency, questioning the appropriateness of such a
designation. The Senator suggested the possibility of an outside determination to
provide input as to what the actual consequences of dam removal would be. Attorney
Knutson offered clarification in that the City's request for lead agency status was not
so much to do with money and having a blank check but, rather, to be in control of
building what needs to be built. It seemed to the City that the National Parks Service
wouldn't want to be in the position of having to build a water system. Senator Gorton
appreciated the clarification, and he indicated he would be more comfortable with the
City being in that position once the amount of funding has been determined and once
an identification has been made as to what needs to be done. He was supportive of the
City then being placed in charge of fund management.
Councilman Campbell addressed the matter of a regional water system, discussions
around which were started independent of the Elwha issue. The City opened
discussions with the P.U.D. in a cooperative spirit to determine how a regional water
system could cost effectively be formulated to take into account the Safe Drinking
Water Act, as'well as other State driven matters. One of the external forces that came
into play was dam removal and its impacts, and Councilman Campbell felt it made
sense to meld the issues together, particularly given the fact that the Federal
Government has already recognized that the regional water systems need to be protected
because of dam removal. Discussion ensued about the dollar amounts being quoted for
mitigation of dam removal, the issue of temporary versus permanent water treatment,
and the status of funding discussions. Senator Gorton supported the concept of a
regional water supply, noting it to be of sound judgment. The matter of a temporary
versus permanent water system was given further consideration, and Councilman
Campbell emphasized that it is likely the river will never return to normal by virtue of
the need to continually remove silt and debris. Because there is a difference in opinion,
it is important that the matter be resolved in the design stage. Further, Councilman
Campbell expressed the opinion that if substantial amounts of money are to be spent to
mitigate dam removal impacts and to protect the water supply, it would make more
sense to make an investment in a long-term solution as opposed to a marginal temporary
system.
Forest Service Road Forest Service Road Policies: Councilman Wiggins presented information to Senator
Policies Gorton on the matter of Forest Service road policies. He read into the record a
statement expressing concern with the diminishing maintenance of the roads, a situation
that has occurred because of budget constraints in recent years. Councilman Wiggins
discussed the impact of the decreased maintenance, to include lack of access for
effective lure control, restricted recreational pursuits, and uncontrolled vegetation
growth. Councilman Wiggins offered a comparison of the significant cost differences
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CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
August 16, 1999
Forest Service Road between decommissioning roads as opposed to maintaining the roads, an amount which
Policies (Cont'd) was much less. Councilman Wiggins requested that Congress recognize the problem
and develop a strategy for resolution.
Clallam County CommissiOner Ireland echoed Councilman Wiggins' remarks, and she
specifically addressed the devastation occurring in the upper Dungeness area.
Commissioner Ireland felt the Federal Government is neglecting the forests, and it is
important that good stewardship of the environment be provided. Two gentlemen in the
audience supported the comments made, one of whom indicated that tourists won't be
able to access the forests due to lack of road maintenance.
Senator Gorton indicated he had been presented with a very real challenge. He
summarized a meeting held recently with individuals very interested in outdoor
recreation. At that time, those attending the meeting expressed real concern with the
loss of access to public lands specifically related to lack of road maintenance. The
Senator addressed the current Administration's views on management of the forests as
relates to balancing the budget. He agreed that maintenance of the forests has been
underbudgeted, and he indicated he would do his best to get the situation resolved.
Senator Gorton then addressed the audience by opening a Town Meeting for public
participation. The City Council portion of the meeting was concluded.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:20 p.m.
B~cky ~. UtiCa, C~ Ci-er~ /'-- - Gary ~raun, lXl~yor- ~
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