Water-themed discussions take place during Town Council

During the Monday, March 16 session of Cathlamet Town Council, Clerk-Treasurer Sarah Clark prepared a report to discuss bills for commercial stormwater accounts in Cathlamet. The discussion had begun during the Tuesday, Feb. 17 session, and Clark was asked to come back with more information. During her report, Clark mentioned she had gone over rates, as well as used Google Maps to "look at each individual property to determine the distance from storm drains, direction of water drain, and roof direction" in order to "help reduce commercial rates based on size." The commercial areas with the highest monthly bills were Wahkiakum School District ($232.40), Wahkiakum Courthouse ($159.60), Wahkiakum PUD No. 1 ($137.20), Cathlamet Building Materials ($103.60), and Cathlamet Pharmacy/USPS Compound ($86.60). Clark noted that a question had arisen concerning a flat rate, with research showing the rate needed to be fair and equitable. "There wasn't anything we could do there to make it fair," said Clark. "The only other option is to reach out to a utility rates study person, but that would take a bit of time for them to get them to do that."

Regarding the high school's 49,780 square feet, Councilmember Crystal Baker said, "The school is a massive piece of property. If we charged them for their square footage, the school would go bankrupt. It's a lot of money for them to cover all of it, but only a small sliver of the school actually has anything that runs off into the stormwater. We're not getting anything from the football fields and the baseball fields. None of that is going into the stormwater system, and we do have a lot of houses that are not contributing to it. By looking at it and assessing what portion of commercial properties are actually affecting stormwater is where we're able to reduce it."

Wahkiakum PUD (Public Utilities District)General Manager Dan Kay noted PUD is planning on doing a smoke test to see where storm drainage is taking place. Crystal Baker, who noted citizens of the town who receive a bill "have the ability to come and express how they're impacted," said, "We want to make sure everybody feels fair in this." Clark admitted she's trying "to cut it down as much as possible."

Later in the meeting during public comment, Kay spoke on the current survey regarding PUD's use of fluoride in the water systems for Cathlamet and Puget Island. Following the consolidation, Kay was approached by community members about removing fluoride. Kay noted during his public comment "the timing wasn't right for it" at the time. "There's a very specific process to add or remove fluoride or continue the use of fluoride or discontinue it in the water system," said Kay. "The [PUD] commissioners gave us the direction to research the process...Let's be clear. There is fluoride and it's been around [for] decades. The Department of Health records only go back to 1994, but we know [it has] been in there historically much longer than that."

Kay admitted the matter is "a local decision" and not a federal, state, or public vote, adding the PUD commissioners are "very much wanting to get feedback" for what the locals desire.

"There's a lot of science, there's a lot of emotion," said Kay. "We're not dentists. We're not fluoride experts. We just know it has to be in there currently from our permit. I'm not going to try to sway you one way or the other. Your commissioners just want to know what your thoughts and beliefs are."

Councilmember Joe Baker asked Kay, "So you get all this noise back from the aluminum hat wearing people. You're on a commission, and you already have an opinion for or against, but you get enough noise in to back you up. Whatever belief you have, what difference does it make what anybody says if you already have an opinion of this?"

In response, Kay said the PUD commissioners "want to hear what the community wants," specifically, those who are consuming the water. "The commissioners are taking this extremely seriously," said Kay. "This is not a haphazard, rash decision. They want your feedback, and I'm just trying whatever medium to get the information out." Kay noted more than one person per household can take the survey, and the PUD will take the information through April. After the commissioners "digest that information," they will bring forth a resolution in May "to either maintain the status quo or discontinue fluoriding the Cathlamet water system," projecting that a vote will take place the first meeting in June.