A $15 Million Band-Aid on an Inadequately Defined Problem

SEELEY LAKE – I don’t believe that the current proposal by the Seeley Lake Sewer Board makes any sense. However, I realize that there’s been a tremendous amount of effort for many years by members to find a solution.

Now, let’s assume that there is a current or future water quality issue. I don’t feel that there’s been nearly enough nor appropriate test data collected, e.g. well and lake water integrity. There’s certainly enough money that has been collected from residents to do a more diligent investigation.

The facts as I know them:

• No one can tell me what Phase One will cost me.

• No one can tell me what Phase 2, 3, 4 will cost me.

• No one can tell me that operation and maintenance will cost me.

• No one can tell me, when the federal government (EPA) is also involved, what mandated updates will cost and surely there will be some.

It has come to my attention from community sources that after the funding proposal was made and voted down, the Sewer Board voted to reconfigure the funding proposal and would not let the public comment at the same meeting. I also understand that a new vote may be proposed but only NO votes will be counted and any vote not received will be counted as a YES. I believe that while this may not be illegal, it is unethical.

I would also like to point out to the Sewer Board that it is not possible for all people to attend Thursday evening meetings. However, to be fair, I tried repeatedly to contact board members to get their thoughts. Two members, after repeated tries, did not get back to me. A third member refused to talk with me.

With all of that said, a possible solution is to make those studies and to consider this a valley-wide problem, from Summit Lake to Clearwater Junction, including state and federal ground. A $10 million carrot is only a prelude to the many millions the community would have to spend on future build-out and compliance. It is not a gift.

You are trying to put a $15 million band-aid on a problem that has been inadequately defined. We simply cannot afford this.

I’m perfectly willing to listen to anyone’s thoughts.