"New" Board Seeks Information to Find Consensus

SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Sewer District held its regular board meeting June 21 where three newly elected Directors started laying out their vision for the district's direction. They received a manager's report, took care of regular monthly business of approving minutes and paying the bills and learned of a new $500,000 grant the district has received.

The meeting began with a short-lived power struggle. Board President Mike Boltz was absent and the vice president position was left vacant after the May election. Director Beth Hutchinson suggested that the board should select a chairperson of the meeting instead of going with the only person with experience on the board, Director Davy Good.

A motion to have Hutchinson chair the meeting was made and seconded. Directors Troy Spence and Juli Cole joined Hutchinson in voting in favor while Good opposed.

Hutchinson then made the argument that the meeting was on the wrong date in accordance with the district's bylaws and therefore was not a legal meeting. Just two days prior, at a special meeting, it was demanded that the board follow a strict, literal interpretation of the bylaws.

Bylaws state that the regular monthly meetings were to be held on the fourth Tuesday, not the third Thursday. She suggested that the meeting could still be held because the previous special meeting was never legally closed.

Good made a motion stating that the meeting was legal because it was properly noticed and should move forward as scheduled. Spence seconded it. Good argued that everyone agreed at the previous meeting that bylaws needed updated and that there was no need to hold up any meetings for that reason.

Cole joined Good and Spence in voting to move forward with the meeting.

With three newly elected board members who campaigned together, there has been a lot of concern from the public and people involved in the sewer.

Hutchinson opened the discussion on the "Direction for New Board" with a brainstorming session, trying to find consensus among people in attendance including some staunch supporters and opponents of the proposed sewer.

"In order to really make progress on this, we've got to move towards consensus," said Hutchinson. "Consensuses doesn't mean one side out voting, out screaming or out juggling the other side. It means people listening to each other, finding common ground and understanding, in the case of the people who are not currently pro sewer, what information they need whether you think they need it or not."

Statements were identified that the more than 20 people in the room could agree upon with the exception of a former board member who refused to participate.

• We all want a safe and healthy place to live including a healthy lake.

• We would like the most efficient and cost effective method to treat wastewater.

• We should to stop doing harm to our environment.

• Time is of the essence for funding, the environment and complete information.

Another statement discussed but not agreed upon was: There are people in town that can't afford the proposed system or any other system.

Hutchinson asked the people who didn't agree with this statement why they didn't and then identified three pieces of information that would help them come to consensus.

• Cost estimates for future phases.

• Refined cost estimates for Phase 1.

• Information on the incomes of the residents.

• Information on whether low income residents are transient or permanent residents.

Hutchinson was pleased at how much people could find to agree on while some in the audience were "shocked" at finding common ground.

To attempt to fill in some of the information the board members agreed to pursue several things including cost estimates for Phase 3 and 4, breakdown the cost of Phase 1 and possibly 2 and look at getting an income survey done.

The board discussed if it was possible to gather information on the current septic systems in town. Skeptics pointed out that if someone thinks their system is failing, they would never want to tell an official not to mention that a lot of people don't actually know what their septic system looks like.

Not all septic systems have permits on file with the county because they were installed before permitting was required. Hutchinson felt that if it came down to it, the district could require all systems to be inspected. Several people in attendance didn't think the district had that power.

In other business, Manager Greg Robertson gave an update on what has been done since the last board meeting. Robertson said the district continues to work through startup items required by RD's funding offer.

He is working on obtaining right-of-ways required for construction of Phase 1 of the collection system and the forcemain to the treatment plant. He is hoping to have proposals for three of the easements extending east off the end of Cedar Lane toward the treatment plant location near the airport.

Great West Engineering is well over half way through the design and has requested a workshop with the board to go over some additional details.

The district has gotten an additional $500,000 from the Water Resource and Development Act with help from Senator Jon Tester and his staff. Robertson has a meeting with the Army Corps of Engineering to see how the funds can be integrated into the project.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. July 19 at the Missoula County Satellite Office located at 3360 Highway 83.