CCMinutes - 06/14/04 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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appointed citizens from the cities of Springfield and Eugene and from Lane County, saw a need to evaluate the whole plan. She related that the commission's consultant, CH2M Hill, and staff had worked diligently to produce the plan, designed to meet new national pollution discharge elimination system requirements. She noted the new elements the facility was required to address, the ammonia, the temperature of effluent in the warmer part of the year, and a status quo on discharged solid waste. Additionally, she said the plan had to improve the ability to handle stream flow increases in wet weather periods and accommodate future population increases and possible businesses that would settle here. Ms. Ballew reported that numerous opportunities for public involvement had been provided. She stated that the commission had spent many hours reviewing the document before the council. She recommended the council adopt the MWMC Facilities Plan and 20-Year Project List. Walt Myer, 3982 Brae Burn Drive, citizen appointee to the MWMC and Eugene resident, stated that the City had a responsibility to plan, build, and operate wastewater treatment facilities so that wastewater discharged into the river was clean and protected the river. He asserted the facilities plan laid out such a plan. He shared that he worked for an environmental engineering firm that worked in many of the counties in Oregon. He assured the council that the plan before it was the right plan and met important goals. He said it would allow the City to protect the river and would plan for growth. He underscored that the plan maximized existing investment. Many of the improvements were retrofits and fixes of facilities. He urged support for the plan. Charles Biggs, 540 Antelope Way, expressed his uncertainty as to whether this was the right plan for the area. He related that the public hearings were held at 7:30 a.m. and were not well attended. He felt this hampered public input. Mr. Biggs thought the gravel facility north of Beltline Road, rumored to be closing, could be utilized as a bio-swale which would reduce the temperature and act as another filter. He recommended the council oppose the plan. Joshua Skov, 2089 Garfield Street, said he was a member of the SDC committee, a citizen of Eugene, and a business owner. He noted his comments would address both items subject to public hearings. He stated that the proposed facility would protect the quality of life in that it addressed continued population growth. He underscored that the MWMC had met its charge as it had done %xcellent work" in engaging a number of constituencies. If some views had not prevailed, it was not due to lack of representation. He called the SDCs low by any current standard and said every comparable community in Oregon had higher SDCs. He attributed the lack of higher SDCs to the past good work of the MWMC. He felt the current SDCs to be abnormally low and, as such, they provided poor context for comparison to the proposed changes to the SDC methodology. He supported ~getting on with the improvements." Judy Volta, 91070 South Willamette Street, Mayor of Coburg, spoke in support of the MWMC 20-Year Project List. She noted that Coburg had a population of 2,000, but employed 3,500. She related that it was one of the last cities of its size in the state that did not have its own wastewater system. Industries ran on septic systems. She said Coburg had recently been declared a regional groundwater management area due to nitrate contamination. She shared that Coburg had participated in the annual United Front lobbying trip to Washington, DC, and its representatives were asked if the area was working as a region to solve the problem. Ms. Volta stated that, out of necessity, Coburg was working on a stand-alone wastewater facility. She conveyed the desire of Coburg to work with the region to resolve wastewater issues. She said assurance had been received from the Governor's Economic Revitalization Team that it would look for funding for a feasibility study to look into the possibilities and whether it would be a good idea for Coburg be a part of the MWMC. She asked the council to allow this discussion to take place. She emphasized that Coburg was