Item 7 - Action MWMC Fac. Plan - Laserfiche WebLink

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· On June 14, 2004, a public hearing was convened. Written documentation submitted at the public hearing was distributed in the Thursday, June 17, 2004, council packets. A brief summary of the public hearing and a listing of related attachments included with this AlS follows. Public Hearing On June 14, 2004, the council held a public hearing on the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List. Fourteen people signed up to provide oral testimony. Seven offered testimony in support of the plan and list, two opposed the plan and list, and five were neutral or addressed the issue of extending wastewater services to the City of Coburg. In general, testimony in favor of approving the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List commented on the justified need for the proposed projects, the appropriateness of the plan, and the effectiveness of the Citizens Advisory Committee and public outreach processes. Testimony opposed to approval of the plan and project list questioned whether the plan is the right one to address need, whether the planning criteria (and related state standards) are overly conservative, whether there has been sufficient public process, and whether coordination of the Facilities Plan and the SDC methodology has been done correctly. Included as attachments to this AlS are the following: 1) a copy of the transcript of oral testimony, including brief responses to some of the questions raised in the testimony; 2) a memo to the council responding to questions submitted from the mayor and councilors on the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List, as time did not permit discussion by the council following the public hearing; 3) technical and legal responses to several of the written letters submitted at the hearing which were distributed in the Thursday, June 17, 2004, packet; 4) a list of documentation submitted by staff for inclusion in the public record; and 5) a memo to the Lane County Board of Commissioners on peak wastewater flows. Policy Issues The primary policy question before the council is: Does the council agree with the MWMC that the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List provide for the wastewater treatment needs of the community in a cost-effective and responsible manner? A related issue is the financial implications of the proposed 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and associated 20-Year Project List. Funding of the improvements identified in the plan will come from user rates and systems development charges (SDCs). Approximately two-thirds of the system's users are located in Eugene. Adoption of the 20- Year Project List is required to establish a basis for the proposed SDC rates needed to fund growth's equitable share of capital improvements. Wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure are critical components in the support of community and environmental health and well-being. Periodic updates to wastewater facilities are necessary to ensure that the infrastructure remains adequate to handle the projected demands for wastewater collection and treatment without an interruption or deficiency in service that can lead to public health risks, damage to the environment, or economic restrictions due to sewer connection moratoriums. Previous plans, established policies, strategies, significant modeling, evaluation, and citizen involvement provide the foundation for the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List. The plan provides the most cost-effective set of capital improvements to meet capacity and performance needs while utilizing existing plant assets and building new plant expansions only where necessary. Existing commission policies and guidance, the wastewater discharge permit requirements, and state/federal regulations have provided the context for the 2004 MWMC Facilities Plan. No new policies were developed in connection with the proposed plan. L:\CMO\2004 Council Agendas\M040628\S0406287.doc