Sewer meeting goes off amicably

In an atypical meeting, where what didn’t happen was more important than what did, Liberty Lake’s City Council and sewer commissioners talked business without arguing.

It was the first time in nearly two years.

Since the city moved to “assume” Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District in 2003 and the district filed a lawsuit to block that takeover, the sides have been hard pressed to communicate.

Last fall, a judge ruled the takeover violated state law and instructed the city to conduct an environmental study and hold a public vote before proceeding with any future plans to take control of the utility.

The ruling put the sides in a state of limbo.

On Tuesday, two dozen community residents came to city hall for a one-hour public meeting that was void of the outbursts and arguments that have plagued previous forums.

The table was full, with the exception of district Commissioner Frank Boyle, who missed the meeting because of health problems.

The meeting “was very positive,” Councilman Brian Sayrs said. “We were able to discuss issues of common importance without entering conflict.”

Those “issues of common importance” have compounded as the area continues its rapid growth.

The community has limited water rights, and thousands of homes are slated for construction in the next few years. With the Department of Ecology declining to issue more water rights until a joint Washington-Idaho aquifer study is complete, the shortage is likely to worsen.

He also explained that it will take “five, six or even 10 years to convert agricultural water rights to support new houses being built at the Rocky Hill development.”

In the meantime, “Where we’re going to find those water rights is through conservation,” Lee Mellish, district manager, told the council.

Discussing water conservation, the commissioners and council were mainly on the same page.

But Mayor Steve Peterson became terse when discussing a multi-tier system of billing that charges additional rates for overages to encourage households and businesses to use less water.

He complained about the added charge, saying customers in the East Side Improvement Club, which is a private water system that is managed by the district, lack meters and pay a flat rate.

“The reason we conserve, at least a lot of the time in my house, is based on the billing,” Peterson said.

District Commissioner Tom Agnew responded that the district has no authority over that system, which serves about 200 households and contracts with the district for management services.

Councilman David Crump, who worked with both sides to build consensus on the agenda, encouraged a second meeting, which is set for April 26.

District Commissioner Harley Halverson said the sides had taken a step in the right direction.

“The strong feelings people have were really held in check,” he said. “We’re not parading around and hammering each other over the head, which is certainly good.”