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3B. Response to Evergreen Letter dated April 29, 2004,latex & Sewer Distr ct 130 Nicholson Drive • Kalispell, MT 59901 Phone: (406) 257-5861 Fax: (406) 756-1588 April 29, 2004 Pam Kennedy, Mayor Council Members City of Kalispell P.O. Box 1997 Kalispell, MT 59901 Subject: Flathead County Water & Sewer District #1— Evergreen/Additional Sewage Treatment Capacity Dear Mayor Kennedy and Council Members: Enclosed is a copy of a letter, dated January 29, 2004, from Flathead County Water & Sewer District #1 — Evergreen, to Pam Kennedy, Mayor, and the Council Members of the City of Kalispell, wherein Evergreen reiterated its concern of the "continued proliferation of the installation of new on -site sewage treatment and disposal systems in the Evergreen alluvial aquifer threatening the public health through ground and surface water contamination." Further in the letter the District reiterated its position originally communicated to Kalispell by a letter dated January 11, 2002, copy enclosed, of the District financially participating in Kalispell's sewage treatment plant expansion costs in exchange for the District receiving additional treatment capacity. The purpose of this letter is, in light of the immediate reality of additional private septic systems being a ved, that the District respectfully requests the Council immediately address the T ict's re est for additional treatment capacity to avoid the installation of these priv ms. ygte Board of Directors cc: Chris Kukulski, City Manager Joe Russell, Flathead County Health Officer water & Sewer Dist,* 130 Nicholson Drive • Kalispell, MT 59901 Phone: (406) 257.5861 Fax: (406) 756.1588 January 29, 2004 Pam Kennedy, Mayor Council Members City of Kalispell P.O. Box 1997 Kalispell, MT 59901 Subject: Comments on Draft City of Kalispell Wastewater Facilities Plan Dear Mayor Kennedy and Council Members: Please accept this letter as a statement of our concerns and our desire to best serve and protect the quality of the various aquifers used and affected by the wastewater produced in this ever more populated valley. We believe it is the right time for the City of Kalispell to take the lead in a more co-operative and collaborative direction. There are compelling reasons to do so. What follows are comments of Flathead County Water & Sewer District No. 1 (Evergreen) regarding the Wastewater Facility Plan that the City of Kalispell is currently preparing. The Evergreen Water and Sewer District is the largest customer of the Kalispell wastewater treatment plant and is keenly interested in any plans for the expansion of both the plant and its ability to serve, better protect and somewhat restore the pristine quality of the waters of the Flathead Valley and the quality of life for all who live here. One major point to make at the outset is to repeat the position we have often put forward. The Evergreen Water & Sewer District is interested in financially participating with the City of Kalispell in the proposed plant expansion. We are disappointed that the Facility Plan as written ignores this fact. We inquired about the City's interest in joint participation in funding the plant expansion over two years ago. The initial response from both the City Manager and Public Works Director was positive and promises were made to discuss the potential for the District's financial participation. The City Manager and Public Works Director both pointed to the regional wastewater treatment plants in the Seattle vicinity as good examples of Page 2 of 3 Letter to City of Kalispell RE: Wastewater Facilities Plan From Flathead County Water & Sewer District No. 1 (Evergreen) how well such arrangements can work. No meaningful dialogue has since taken place. The City of Kalispell could have chosen to include involvement from the District and other interested agencies in its current planning effort but instead seems to have chosen to exclude that and any other relevant input. The City of Kalispell, the Evergreen Water & Sewer District and Flathead County all share the same interests and responsibilities with respect to wastewater collection, treatment and disposal. These interests, protection of public health, groundwater quality, and surface water quality, are not confined to just the City limits or the boundary of Evergreen's sewer RSID. Instead, they traverse the City and District boundaries and affect all of us. Continued proliferation of the installation of new onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems in the Evergreen alluvial aquifer degrades water quality and threatens public health through ground and surface water contamination. We need to identify the ways to allow connections of areas outside the Evergreen RSID to the Evergreen sewage collection system. Kalispell has the enviable position of being able to take the lead in addressing the needs of areas in the valley that may be a direct threat to the aquifers and health of the Flathead Valley residents. We believe that the best way to achieve this goal is to operate the wastewater treatment plant as a regional utility. When the City of Kalispell and the Evergreen Water & Sewer District first agreed to share the Kalispell wastewater treatment plant almost 15 years ago, the overriding reason was that one larger treatment plant would be more efficient and cost effective than two smaller separate treatment plants. We believe that it still makes sense to work together to identify solutions to the common problems we both face. We believe that there is a need to solve problems that cross the boundaries of the City, the District, and the County. To safeguard public health and the water quality of the Flathead, the wastewater plant should be expanded to benefit the entire area, including the City of Kalispell, the Evergreen Water & Sewer District and other threatened areas of Flathead County that could reasonably access the wastewater collection system. To be successful, the planning effort must be broadened to include input from the District and other interested parties now rather than later. The planning effort must not be based on political gain, but Kalispell's interest Page 3 of 3 Letter to City of Kalispell RE: Wastewater Facilities Plan From Flathead County Water & Sewer District No. 1 (Evergreen) in not only being the financial center of the Flathead Valley, but the most willing and responsible participant in the problems of the valley. We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to you before the Wastewater Facilities Plan is finalized. We look forward to increasing co- operation in the hopes that our joint efforts will indeed produce the increases to efficiency and cost effectiveness that brought us together initially. We stand ready to co-operate, both financially and in carrying our share of the es nsibility of operating a truly regional treatment plant that is designed Aerated to best protect the quality of our life in the valley. 7Sinc f a r President oard of Dire rs Cc: Chris Kukulski water & Sewer Dls�rl°� a 130 Nicholson Drive • Kalispell, MT 59901 a Phone: (406( 257-5861 Fax: (406) 756-1588 e January 11, 2002 Chris Kukulski, City Manager City of Kalispell P.O. Box 1997 Kalispell, MT 59901 Re: Kalispell Wastewater Trcacmeui Fian'i Expansion Dear Mr. Kukulski: At the recent meeting of the Board of Directors of Flathead County Water and Sewer District #1 -- Evergreen, board member Connie Leistiko informed the board that the City of Kalispell is reviewing the possibility of expanding the treatment capacity of the Kalispell Wastewater Treatment Plant. As you know from past correspondence, Evergreen is interested in increasing its treatment capacity presently limited by the Interlocal Agreement with Kalispell. The purpose of this letter, therefore is to inquire as to whether the City of Kalispell is interested in any immediate discussions/negotiations with the Evergreen Board relative to Evergreen's financial participation with Kalispell in the improvements to the treatment plant in exchange for Evergreen receiving additional treatment capacity. I thank y,6u (advancy'�or your continued cooperation with Evergreen and look forward to your /r r