Costs Still Unknown
Wednesday,
November 26, 2014
11:26 AM
Hidden and Conflicting Cost "ESTIMATES" for
the Calrsborg Sewer.
Since the time that
Carlsborg had been designated as an "Urban Growth Area" (UGA) there
has been an ongoing attempt by Clallam County
to construct a sewer system for the entire UGA.
Repeatedly the CITIZENS of Carlsborg have asked the
county what the system will "ACTUALLY COST" to construct and how much
will it "COST" each of us?
Repeatedly the county has said "we don't know what the costs will
be, when we know you will know".
About 20 Carlsborg
residents voice opposition to proposed sewer
By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
Thanks but no
thanks, they said in a public hearing to extend temporary zoning for Carlsborg,
because the cost will be too high.
The ESTIMATED $15 million sewer and wastewater
treatment plant is a joint project of Clallam County and the Clallam County
Public Utility District. (*emphasis mine
in bold )
"We don't know
the cost; we know that you don't know the cost,
Costs unknown
Commissioner Steve
Tharinger said the reason the county hasn't hosted more forums is because the costs are still unclear. *
"Everyone needs to know that cost -- we don't
know it yet," Tharinger said. *
Carlsborg residents
question need for sewer system, infrastructure in such a rural community
Posted 8/9/2012
by Sue Forde
for Citizen Review
Online
Pasted
from <http://citizenreviewonline.org/carlsborg-residents-question-need-for-sewer-system-infrastructure-in-such-a-rural-community/>
a member of the
audience, said he is part of the “opposition group”. The “biggest
sticking point among the residents is money,” he said. Sequim has a high
population density. Carlsborg does not. It’s not feasible for a
sewer system when Steve Tharinger was involved: where are the numbers, how much. “We got the runaround,” he
stated. You need to come up with real
numbers – if you don’t, it’s inappropriate to shove this down the
throats of the people in Carlsborg, *
Dave said the
response is unsatisfactory. “We’ve been going to these meetings for quite
awhile now,” and still there is no idea of
the cost. “I’m assuming if you’ll be piping to Sequim, it will
have an enormous cost. We need some numbers,” he urged.
McEntire responded
that “as soon as we know the numbers, you’ll
know.” *
The best the county
has been able to come up with thus far are "ASSUMPTIONS, ESTIMATES AND
PROJECTIONS.
Unfortunately these
are NOT the numbers we have been asking for, we want the real
"COSTS". We already know this
sewer system is "FINANCIALLY
INFEASIBLE", we just don't have the population or the "need" for
it.
This brings us to
the Carlsborg Sewer Financial Plan, February
2014, (the PLAN).
The first 12 pages
of this document are solely based on "ASSUMPTIONS,
PROJECTIONS AND ESTIMATES" not the real NUMBERS.* The problem with these
"ASSUMPTIONS" begin with errors in the Carlsborg UGA population,
number of Residential Units, number of businesses and growth, which lead to
errors in the "ESTIMATES", "PROJECTIONS" and
"APPROXIMATIONS" of costs associated with construction, number of
connections, connection costs and monthly user fees.
The key concern is
the erroneous "ASSUMPTIONS" in the number of "potential
connections" available which has lead to erroneous "ESTIMATES"
of the $68.00 monthly user fee or $816.00 annually, this fee is based on a
"BEST CASE ESTIMATE" IF they
can get the required number of hookups in the first two years. IF they
don't meet this goal then the monthly cost WILL be higher, as well as the cost of individual
hookups.
