By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
November 1, 2007

Property owners throughout Hood River County were notified last week about Monday’s hearing on a plan to divert tax dollars into the Windmaster sewer project.

David Meriwether, county administrator, said the proposal only affects agencies that receive funding from properties within the health hazard zone. He said Oregon law requires that hearing notices be sent to all residents within the Hood River County School District, even though they will not be directly affected.

“We hope no one was confused into thinking that they would be paying more property taxes because that is not the case,” said Meriwether.

The hearing on the Windmaster Urban Renewal Plan takes place before the Hood River County Commission at 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 in the first-floor conference room of the administration building, 601 State St. Also slated for a hearing that same evening is the formation of a Windmaster Sewer District.

Meriwether said both hearings involve proposals to extend sewer services into an area with failing septic systems. He said 98 homes between Windmaster Corner and Portland Drive sit over a concrete-like mix of soil and stone. Since the sub-layer cannot be penetrated by water runoff, the flooding of drain fields is commonplace. And that brings raw sewage to the surface that carries bacteria, viruses and possibly parasites.

Meriwether said installation of a sewer system will clear E.coli, giardiases and several strains of hepatitis out of the ditches and yards of Windmaster residents. He said the numbers involved in the $2 million project have been crunched and re-crunched to reduce the cost of sewer services as low as possible.

Toward that end, he said the county will consider setting up an Urban Renewal District. That area would include all of the properties that lie within the health hazard area and not just the 98 lots identified as highest-risk for septic failure.

According to Meriwether, if the URD is approved by the county board, the same amount of taxes will be collected as usual. However, the distribution of these funds will change for about 13 years. While the county is paying off the debt service for a $500,000 state loan, the amount of tax dollars received from other agencies will be frozen. The extra money from valuation increases will then be turned over to the county for repayment of the loan.

Meriwether said the school district would not be affected by the URD since the state pools all of its funding and then divides these dollars between the 36 counties.

“The individual taxpayer doesn’t pay any more than he or she would have,” said Meriwether. “The tax entities are the ones who lose in terms of revenue.”

The proposed Sewer District will affect only the 98 properties that will be eligible for services. Meriwether said, if the district is approved, the county can charge a fee to cover operational costs. He said the total monthly bill for affected Windmaster residents is expected to be no more than $80, including a $40 city service charge, $4-$5 for maintenance of the sewer district about $30-$35 to pay down the public debt.

Meriwether said the $500,000 loan repaid by the URD is likely to be accompanied by a $500,000 state grant. He said the City of Hood River and Port of Hood River are chipping about $400,000 because improving the sewer system benefits their respective growth needs. The county has also been authorized to receive $425,000 in federal funds, leaving about $200,000 to come out of the local government’s coffers.

Meriwether said it is still unknown whether all property owners in the sewer district will be required to sign up for services. He said the state has been asked if citizens can be spared the expense until a septic system fails or is due to be replaced.

“We really won’t have an answer to that question until we apply for the loan and the grant,” he said.

Landowners will bear the cost of bringing sewer pipe from the street to their residence. In addition, the City of Hood River charges a $1,400 connection fee for each new sewer customer.

Meriwether property holders will pay much less if they install a sewer line during the construction process. He said the expense will be much higher at a later date when the ditches have all been closed over.

For more than 25 years, the county has been trying to decide how to address the problem of failing septics at Windmaster.

Because of an identified health risk, the county was able to gain state approval to extend sewer lines beyond the Urban Growth Boundary, which is generally prohibited.

Meriwether expects, if both the URD and Sewer District are approved, a contractor will be chosen by either February or March. He said the installation of main lines should be completed about six months after the work begins in the spring.