JPB to meet council on Sewer ordinance

The Carbon County, Saratoga Impact Joint Powers Board (water and sewer board) wants to work with the Saratoga Town Council in order to put the sewage ordinance to rest.

At their Nov. 12 meeting, the water and sewer board voted to meet with the Saratoga Town Council to discuss Ordinance 828.

The ordinance, which has been postponed in the third reading since Sept. 16 town council meeting, will raise sewer fees for Saratoga residents in order to pay back a State Land Investment Board (SLIB) loan for the wastewater lagoon outfall project.

Representatives from the board were present at the Nov. 18 town council meeting to discuss the ordinance and plan on establishing a workshop with town council members.

In order to expedite the process, the board also agreed to drop a section of the sewer ordinance which would increase sewer fees in apartments and mobile homes. That rate was proposed after it was discovered residents living in apartment and mobile home dwellings would pay lower sewer fees than single-home residents.

“I think we need to split these two ideas up,” water and sewer board member Ed Glode said. “We are going to get swallowed up in this. (Town engineer Chuck Bartlett) has to get this thing to SLIB …”

Water and sewer board members were in favor of following town attorney Tom Thompson’s suggestions to the town council at the Nov. 4 meeting.

Thompson recommend the council pass an ordinance which states the town can raise rates up to $7.20 to fund the project and pay back the loan. He added the council should pass a resolution which would detail where the money would go and who would pay what share of the costs. As it was written, Thompson said the ordinance was too cluttered and depended on the council changing the rate in July 2015.

Under a resolution, the council could detail where the increased fees would go and it could also be amended in one meeting, whereas a ordinance detailing the fee would have to under three readings before it could be passed.

The $7.20 increase could be lower and is dependent on sewer rate estimates and the cost of the project which will be available in the next fiscal year.

Though there is no official deadline on the ordinance in order to receive the SLIB loan, Bartlett said there are time-sensitive costs with the project. Costs for the project can increase the longer it takes to pass the ordinance. Additionally, an environmental impact report needs to be completed before construction on the project takes place.

Board vacancies after election

Will Faust, Richard Raymer and Glode will remove themselves from the water and sewer board when they take office on the town council in January. Raymer and Faust won council seats in the general election, and the Ed Glode is the mayor-elect of Saratoga.

Board member Sue Howe, who serves on the town council, will remain on the water and sewer board.

The departures will leave only four of seven positions filled on the board — the bare minimum for a quorum. The remaining members will be board chairman Don Price, Glee Johnson, Sue Howe and Tim Lamprecht.

The self-removal of Glode, Faust and Raymer was anticipated by the board at the October water and sewer board meeting. As a precautionary measure, the board paid the annual bills at that meeting.

Glode is the county representative, and Raymer and Faust are town representatives to the board. Town clerk Suzie Cox will advertise the upcoming vacancies this month.

The next regular water and sewer board meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Saratoga Town Hall.