HomeMy WebLinkAbout120123 email Brinnon sewer planALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Jay lnslee, Governor, State of Washington
P.O. Box 4002
Olympia, Washington 98504-0012
RE: Dosewallips State Park/Brinnon Commercial Zone Sewer Project FROM: The Brinnon Sewer Committee
Governor lnslee,
In 2004, then Governor Gregoire made an important decision to protect the multi-million dollar shellfish industry on Hood Canal by building a “State of the Art" MBR Wastewater System
in the three State Parks on the Hood Canal. Brinnon's Dosewallips State Park was one of those project properties.
Joe and Joy Baisch attended the first meeting in 2004 at Mason County PUD when the State Park Projects were introduced. They made the argument that in order to protect water quality
in the North Hood Canal, it would only make sense to connect the Brinnon Commercial Zone to the Dosewallips State Park Wastewater Plant.
Washington State Parks agreed, and in 2014 the plant was built to accommodate both the State Park and the Brinnon Commercial Zone. Jefferson County PUD stepped up to help develop a Local
Utility District and engaged USDA Rural Development to help fund the project.
The Brinnon Commercial Zone inclusion was stalled due to the Growth Management Act's exclusion of "utility infrastructure installation" in GMA's Rural Village Center designated communities.
In 1999 to 2022, Brinnon was the only unincorporated community in Jefferson_County to develop a GMA Sub Area Plan, that called for utility infrastructure in its commercial zone. The
State of Washington approved our plan. In Jefferson County's GMA update the county included the Brinnon Commercial Zone's plan to have "infrastructure".
In 2021, the Jefferson County PUD was approached again to help the Community form a Local Utility District and secure financing through USDA Rural Development to get this project started.
During this period, FEMA has updated its Flood Plain building Codes. These new regulations have complicated the building out of this project. They have more than quadrupled the original
$10,000.00 cost per hookup according to the PUD.
This has been so frustrating! The infrastructure is in the ground. The plant's capacity was designed to handle our Commercial Zone. Former PUD Director Jim Parker planned to have Commercial
Zone properties pump effluent only to the system. Property owners would be responsible for their own solids. The system designer approved this option.
Today, with the FEMA Flood Plain (2021) development regulations, Our Jefferson County PUD is unable to commit to helping us hook up to this "in the ground" infrastructure due to projected
excessive FEMA development costs.
The Brinnon Sewer Committee reformed earlier this year intent on improving needed services for the betterment of the Brinnon community. We held a standing room only town hall style meeting
that resulted in the formation of this committee. We are very pleased to say that the community has been very supportive of our efforts.
Governor, We need the State to step-up here and help us finish this very important project. It should have been completed in 2014, long before the new FEMA Flood Plain Regulations were
established. Remember, Governor Gregoire's main reason was to protect the multimillion-dollar shellfish industry on Hood Canal. In addition, the beach at Dosewallips State Park is probably
the most popular shellfish beach in the system as well as one of the most popular state parks with over 300,000 visitors annually.
What you can do to help us:
1. Contact Kevin Streett, Jefferson County PUD Manager and get the details of why the increased cost of completing this project exist. (360 385 8360)
2. Engage FEMA State Representatives on the Financial and Environmental consequences of not taking advantage of the Commercial Zone's effluent being collected and processed at our State
Park's MBR Plant.
3. Help us to move this critical project to and over the finish line.
4. And please keep us informed as to what we might do from our end to finish this project.
Thank you for your time and efforts!
Most Sincerely,
Brinnon Sewer Committee
Joe Baisch
Shellie Yarnell
Andrew Schwartz
Sam Roberts
Bill Barnett
Suzanne Stoll
Hal Beattie
Alicia Simmons
CC: Patty Murray
Maria Cantwell
Derek Kilmer
Steve Tharinger
Mike Chapman
Kevin VanDeWege
Greg Brotherton
Kate Dean
Heidi Eisenhour
Kevin Streett
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