CMZ Information

Hi Bart, Thanks for the invitation to blog and I will be glad to keep everyone updated. I have attended most of the 12 member Citizens Advisory Committee meetings that the county has convened as an observer only, but we do have an Alpine resident on the committee. Jeff Barney purchased the Palmer place and he was appointed to the Citizens Committee along with 4 other Ashford residents so we are strongly represented. I will be attending a meeting tonight and a recommendation may be made on how to define CMZS. This is a very slow process to say the least. My personal belief is that a CMZ will put in place in some form and that will also entail restrictions. The committee will make recommendations to the County in all of these areas. There is also a County web site to see all the past and future Committee meeting notes and agenda. So this is really the best place to get a feel for the whole process and get a feel where this is all going. I will be in touch.

Marla

http://www.piercecountywa.org/pc/services/home/environ/water/cip/cmzcac.htm

water system information

here are some water system sites for you to review. it's a lot of information, so maybe with a number of sets of eyes - we can muddle through it.


http://www.epa.gov/water/funding.html This is a pretty good link for various types of water funding.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/wqic/funding.shtml Quote from my brother from Paradise Estate: We got the best information from our enginnering firm (Gibbs & Olson - Olympia area) They are the guys that know the end-to-end story. Brett

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/pdfs/dwfact.pdf
This is about the State Revolving Fund. We got a low interest loan through this body.
Mentions grants (which we also got) but not much. Will keep looking.

http://www.tpchd.org/files/library/9a48d75790e734b8.pdf
Here's a good thing to know about if you are considered a Group B system.

http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/smallsystems/index.html Good EPA link too.

http://www.highvalleycc.org/issues.htm lastly this one relates what's going on in Packwood. Pay special attention to the December 10th 2008 judges ruling - stating the law only applies to municipalities.

DOH page

Here is the DOH web page for RCW's and WAC's for the water system http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?dispo=true&cite=248 here is also a web site to further see what we are up against. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/30th/factsheets/understand.html

January 31st meeting

Nora said that she would host the meeting at her home at noon on the 31st.

Water system update

With the red tape as long as it is dealing with DOH, and other state and federal agencies, we have come to the conclusion that with the time frame we are under as far as cmz zones, compliance with DOH for water meters, not knowing the procedures and loop holes, it would be best that we get professional guidance. The DOH requires Group A water systems to develop a small water system management program (SWSMP). There is a company that helps small water systems like ours that will complete the SWSMP for us. They will also help us through this process of getting a grant or a loan and will also help with engineering and construction of an updated system. There is a fee for this if we don't use them for construction. It is credited back to us if we do use them I believe. Getting professional help and getting to a point where we have multiple options is a step in the right direction. If this sounds good I will contact them for a proposal. As to what level of improvements we can do would be up to what level our purchasing options would be. We do need to keep enough operating capital in the account and enough in there in case of a disaster if we needed to move the well to a different site. In our long range planning it would be nice to include a second well site. The lots that the HOA owns on the hill behind the development would be a great place to have additional water storage with the added benifit of gravity for water preasure. Do we need to put this to a vote? If so let me know and I will get a informational letter to property owners so they can make an informed decision.

pending litigation on Carl's cabin

Alan Vaughn was recently served with papers regarding Carl's home mortgage. He forwarded them to me and I sent copies to our attorney.

The bank's attorney filed a judicial foreclosure instead of a "non-judicial foreclosure". The difference according to our attorney is that we are named as a defendant in the case and worst case scenario, we could be held liable for the the balance of Carl's mortgage (about $135,000). I don't know how that could be the case - but I am not an attorney. Even our attorney does not understand why they chose this method. But as she stated a judicial foreclosure has the potential to be more of a liability to us.

She (our attorney) has filed the appropriate paperwork requesting that we be removed from this action (December 22nd). She also is requesting payment of the $325 dues owing for 2008. Should we be able to obtain the funds, our attorney fees will eat up most or all of that. (But i assumed we should be protected from owing the loan balance, even if it costs us some money). I also brought up the $500 deed transfer fee, but we may be out of luck on that. As the attorney's fees would almost certainly exceed the $500 we would get by pursuing the action legally.

We can watch for someone moving in or check county records on occasion and then we can bill the new owner for any new dues and for the $500 fee. If the new owner at that refuses to pay the dues or $500 special assessment, we could then file a lien at that time.

cargo containers

I think we need to pass a by-law against cargo containers. We already have a problem with old trailers and campers in the neighborhood. I have reason to believe that one of the members is going to put a cargo container on their property.