Council approves sewer extension agreement after considerable debate

Published 12:33 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

The Bonney Lake City Council reversed course March 1 and approved a controversial water and sewer extension agreement for Investco's Brookside III housing development.

Brookside III is a 269-lot plat located at 100th Street East and 199th Avenue East.

The resolution went before the council Feb. 2 and was voted down 4-3. Council members Neil Johnson, Phil DeLeo, Cheryle Noble and Deputy Mayor Dan Swatman voted no. Councilmen Dave King, Jim Rackley and Mark Hamilton voted yes.

Sean Martin, representing Investco, protested he was not allowed to speak before the vote was taken.

Mayor Bob Young admitted the error and asked if Martin wanted to speak.

An emotional Martin described the high cost of the project if the developer was forced to put in a gravity sewer line connecting to the city's main line at 192nd Avenue East.

He stated he could lose his job if the city council did not pass a variance to the city code allowing the developer to build a lift station.

Building a gravity line meant the developer would lay the line nearly 35 feet deep.

After Martin spoke, the council decided to reconsider the resolution at a March 2 workshop.

After considerable discussion at the workshop and further testimony from Martin, the council passed the resolution 5-2.

Council members King, Rackley, Hamilton, DeLeo and Noble voted yes.

"What kind of a sewer system do you want in place in Bonney Lake?" Johnson said. "The code says if gravity is feasible, the developer must do it. I don't know why we don't stick to our ordinances. The biggest issue is design standards. If it is feasible, it should be done."

Young noted the expense and time involved in putting in a gravity line was unreasonable to expect from the developer.

"If the city was doing this, we would put in a lift station," Young said. "We need to just be done with it."

Public Works Director Dan Grigsby said he recommended a lift station rather than a gravity line.

"My criteria was what is best for the city," Grigsby said. "We know exactly where the roads will be located, so the lift station was my recommendation. Our desire is to keep lift stations to a minimum in the city, but there are others."

Swatman and other members felt the implied threat of legal action was an underlying issue.

"The city is not in a position to put new infrastructure in the ground," Swatman said. "We depend on developers to set this infrastructure up. Lift stations are costly for the city to maintain. We heard they (Investco) were threatening to sue the city, but I don't understand how we can force another developer to follow our standards."

Noble stated she changed her vote because of the legal risk to the city.

"It would have been nice if we had something from the (city) attorney," Noble said. "We need to look at what is feasible. I agree with Neil and Dan, but I was looking at risk management. It sounded like they were going to sue. I was very uncomfortable. I really struggled with that one."

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.