District Newsletter

District Rebuild Moving Forward, User Fees unchanged, highest level of new connections

Comments from the NOSD Chair

Over the last several years, your sewer district has come a long distance, overcoming challenges and rebuilding a system in need of major repair.

We are mid way through a construction program that will ultimately result in new force main sewer lines, pump stations, an ocean outfall pipe replacement and a new waste water treatment plant.

Two very key elements have made our efforts a success to date. This includes a dedicated and very competent NOSD Staff, led by District Superintendent Dan Mello, and our District Engineer, John Yarnall. These important individuals have kept our system operational and in compliance, reacted to the highest new connection growth ever experienced, while leading these many construction projects.

The other key element that has led to our success is our customer/owners. While none of us like the prospect of higher utility costs, you have continued to support us. When we placed two ballots regarding financing for these new facilities, both communities; Netarts and Oceanside strongly supported and approved these measures. Attendance at monthly Board meetings has also been high and, at times, heated and adversarial. While that may make us uncomfortable, continued public scrutiny is essential to ensuring the best use and highest value for our investments and ensuring continued public confidence and support.

Your current Board has many years of construction oversight experience and, as such, will use it to continue this extensive rebuild program.

Thank you for your comments, recommendations, and support. We will keep you informed of our progress.

On behalf of the NOSD Board,
Bruce Lovelin

New Budget Keeps User Fees Unchanged

The 2007-08 Budget for the Sanitary District is $8,583,000.  This includes maintaining the present operations and facilities, expansion to new developments and service connections, an emergency preparedness reserve fund, a new ocean outfall and continued work on the new Waste Water Treatment Plant project. The User Fees will remain at their current level of $46.00 per month for each residential customer.  Other funding sources are long term loans for capital construction projects paid by property taxes, system development charges and construction reimbursements by area developers.

NOSD Budget Committee
Jim Carlson, Committee Chair
Dave Kratovil, Budget Officer
Craig Wakefield    Phyllis Holmes
Richard Phillips    Elizabet Wilkerson
Merritt Tuttle        John Maxwell
Bruce Lovelin
We appreciate the work of our Budget Committee!

New Home Construction help fund sewer projects

The period from July 2006 through June 2007 had the highest growth experienced by the NOSD for new sewer connections.  During this period, the district collected System Development Charges of over $635,000 for 76 new connections.  The current System Development Charge is $8,406.00 for a new residential sewer connection.

History of New Sewer Connections
2006-07    76
2005-06    33.5
2004-05    27
2003-04    18.5
2002-03    14.5

New Ocean Outfall Project to Begin Construction

With design activities for the new outfall essentially complete, construction shall began in early 2008. Construction engineers and project managers from Westech Engineering estimate the Horizonal Directional Drilling for the new outfall pipe to take between 2 and 4 months and be completed in June or July of 2008.  At which time the approximate 4,000 foot length HDPE pipe will be taken off shore and pulled through the newly drilled hole to a location near the existing treatment plant at Highway 131.

The new outfall is required due to sand movement restricting flow of treated effluent at the diffuser outlets.  A 2006 investigation of the current pipe showed a pipe failure 230 feet from the outlet.  During the lifetime of this outfall, periodic constrictions have caused treated effuent to be released across the beach near the plant.  Oregon DEQ is also requiring the new ocean outfall to be extended significantly beyond the current outfall location.

The estimated cost of the new ocean outfall is $5,000,000.

NOSD purchases land option for new treatment plant

Given the extreme terrian and limited available land, purchase of 10 acres for a new treatment plant has been very difficult. Two earlier sites, northeast of Oceanside proved unsuitable due to size and soil stability.  A third site, located on Green Crow Forest property southeast of Oceanside has met our engineers basic suitability  requirements.

Over the last several months, District representatives have been negotiating with Green Crow representatives for a land purchase option for the new treatment plant site. The agreement was approved at a recent special Board meeting which would procure approximately 10 acres for the District’s new Waste Water Treatment Plant and headquarters.  The conditions of purchase include agreement of a purchase price as established by a formal appraisal, agreement on plant access roads and easements, successful land use changes and other reviews.

Welcome new Board member Bob Olsen

With Shannon Brosseu’s unexpected departure, three quality candidates came forward to volunteer their expertise to the Board. A carefully managed  process resulted in the selection of Bob Olsen to fill Shannon’s Board position.

Bob has strong roots in our community, is a Registered Oregon Land Surveyor and has been an regular attendee at Board meetings. He has worked for Crown Zellerbach Corporation and owned and operated Bayside Market from 1981 to 1991.

Thank you Bob for volunteering and we look forward to your participation.

2006-07 Budget Recap

As Board Treasurer Dave Kratovil explained at the last Board meeting, revenue projections for last year came within 98.8 percent of actual revenues. Staff expenses which are called Personnal Services were 5% less than was budgeted. General expenses, including Materials and Services, were 58.7 percent of  the approved budget.
Congratulations staff on great fiscal management!

In the words of Clarence and Arielle Olson
(Excerpts from a letter delivered personally at our July meeting by Mr. and Mrs. Olson)

“We gather some of your critics want you to look back in the hope of reversing the voters’ earlier decision on financing the costs of building a new sewer plant. Our impression has been that the old NOSD board was voted out because of fear that a new plant would be financed largely through sewer usage fees. Those who wish to change the rules and switch from revenue bonds to user fee financing would be asking the same citizens who voted for the recall, the full time residents who are able to vote here, to reverse their decision, which is not likely. Trying to change the financing without another vote, by power of the board alone, would, in our opinion, be a devious way to void the earlier vote….We hope the critics of the board will continue to be watchful as they have in the past – in a way that is helpful, realistic and constructive.”

We need your involvement – Please come to our monthly meetings to learn more about NOSD Activities

*A copy of the August 2007 NOSD Newsletter was mailed to all district customers by US mail. You may download a pdf copy of the newsletter by clicking here.

If you’d like to see the June 2007 newslettere, it can be reached by clicking here.