by PartnersCreative
On behalf of the Seeley Lake Sewer District
SEELEY LAKE - Property owners in Seeley Lake don’t have to sift through thousands of pages of water quality studies and engineering reports in order to learn key points about the community’s proposed sewer system. Last week, the Seeley Lake Sewer District published a new web page that provides concise yet thorough answers to frequently asked questions regarding the proposed, multimillion-dollar project.
“This would be the largest-ever infrastructure project in our community — one that would impact local families and our community for decades to come,” said Mike Boltz, chairman of the Seeley Lake Sewer District. “We felt it was important to pull together the key information about the project in one place, to help people understand what’s at stake in order to make a fully informed choice.”
The Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found online at http://www.SeeleySewer.org, highlights results from past environmental, hydrogeological and engineering studies related to the project. It explains how a sewer system would work to address persistent ground and surface water quality problems as well as affordable housing issues in the community. It provides information on a once-in-a-lifetime grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division that will, together with other grant sources, cover a large portion of construction costs for the project. And it outlines — to the extent available to date — the financial impacts on property owners in the district.
“Our neighbors understandably want to know how this project will affect them financially,” Boltz said. “The exact financial details should be available in the next few weeks, once Rural Development updates the amount of its grant. In the meantime we believe it is important to move ahead and provide as much factual information as possible to help build awareness in the community.”
The online FAQ will be updated as new information and details are solidified. The online resource also includes several links to relevant studies and reports for those who do wish to read the background details.
This autumn, the Seeley Lake Sewer District will ask residential and commercial property owners within the district to choose whether to move forward with construction of the sewer system and treatment facility. The decision will be made via a “notice and protest” process common to projects of this type. Property owners will receive detailed instructions in the mail, along with exact details regarding the financial impact of the project.
Before that process officially begins, the district will host public information meetings on Aug. 23 and Sept. 21, both starting at 6 p.m. Representatives of the district’s board, Missoula County and other parties will be on hand to present information and field questions. The meetings are free and open to the public, and will take place at the Seeley Lake Community Hall, located at 3248 Montana Highway 83.
About the Seeley Lake Sewer District:
In 1992, Seeley Lake voters created the Seeley Lake Sewer District to address issues related to the high density of septic tanks and on-site wastewater treatment systems within district boundaries. The district is funded by an annual assessment paid by all property owners in the district. In addition to staff, the district is managed by an all-volunteer board of directors. Once completed, the collection and treatment system will be owned, operated and maintained by the local sewer district.
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