By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com
YACHATS — A city commission that deals with water projects is asking the city council to authorize a separate group to help Yachats get water projects under way and plan better for the future.
The request from the Public Works & Streets Commission comes after two years where the city accomplished few, if any, water projects while every council member declares “water security” as their’s or the city’s top issue.
The commission last week unanimously approved a citizen proposal for a water security committee that would tackle a variety of issues and projects, report to the commission, which would then make any recommendations to the council. The commission had hoped the council would take up the proposal when it met Wednesday — but it did not, drawing a plea from one of its backers for the council to “get going.”
John Purcell, a board member of View the Future, said during a council public comment period Wednesday that four councilors had declared water security as their priority and that 13 volunteers and advisers were ready to help, especially to see if Yachats can grab state and federal money intended for water projects.
“Please move this water security committee up on your list of priorities so we can get to work,” he asked the council Wednesday.
Councilor Ann Stott said the idea had been kicking around for months and should have been on the council’s agenda “a long time ago.” “It needs to be on the next one, for sure.”
Mayor Leslie Vaaler said city manager Heide Lambert got the proposal from Linn West, chair of the Public Works and Streets Commission, last week and was working on a way to develop a standard procedure for getting projects recommended by commissions in front of the council. But she said the council should consider the idea at its next meeting in April.
Proposed before
The idea for a water security committee is not new.
Craig Berdie proposed one to the council three years ago, but it was turned down because the city had just contracted to do two state-required water plans. With those now finished and little progress on water issues, Purcell and John Theilacker, a new member of the Planning Commission, resurfaced the proposal.
They are suggesting a committee of six and have agreements from five other people to help occasionally as needed with technical assistance. The city’s water supervisor, Rick McClung would represent the city when needed, and Public Works & Streets Commission member Kevin Erhdahl, a retired engineer, would be the liaison between the commission and committee.
The difference between a council-appointed commission and a volunteer committee is important. Commissions require public notice, public meetings and city staff time to conduct their work. Committees have much more flexibility, can work as individuals or as a group, have few legal restrictions on them — and then report or make recommendations to the commission. The commission would then review the work and suggestions and vote whether to recommend actions to the city council, which would then also have to discuss and vote.
The water security commission says it wants to pattern its work after how the Yachats Trails Committee functions with the city’s Parks & Commons Commission. The longtime group has lately been helping tackle projects like the recently-approved “pocket parks” along Oceanview Drive and organized all the initial work on the proposed boardwalk project overlooking the Yachats River. The trails committee still funnels its work through the Parks & Commons Commission.
Unlike the trails committee, however, the water group is suggesting that its authorization be up for renewal in December — giving the commission and council a decision point to see if it wants to continue with the idea.
“We’re coming up with potentially another bad water year,” said West. “… we need to get something rolling so hopefully in the future we’re not in such bad shape.”
In a memo to the Public Works & Streets Commission and an interview with YachatsNews, Theilacker and Purcell suggested several issues or projects the committee could help tackle, including:
- Helping the city renew an agreement with the Southwest Lincoln County Water District PUD to supply water during emergencies in Yachats, but also to become an authorized customer that would allow buying water at other times, including the summer.
- Using the city’s monthly newsletter and other sources to regularly educate residents on water issues;
- Having one of its committee members plug into state and federal agencies and programs that are funneling millions of dollars into local water projects across Oregon to see what infrastructure help Yachats could receive;
- Renewing focus how to protect the city’s two main water sources adjacent to the 120-acre Riggs property on the east edge of the city, which was heavily logged from 2011-14 and not re-planted with trees.
- Working with the Siuslaw National Forest, which has reached out to Yachats, Waldport and the Southwest Lincoln water district on how it can help improve the health of its forests, which comprise 80 percent of the land for the area’s watersheds;
- Helping McClung seek, screen and apply for a variety of grants, including more immediate projects to help pay for potential land acquisition for a proposed raw water storage facility adjacent to the city’s water treatment plant, or to revise and computerize the connection between Yachats’ and Southwest Lincoln’s water systems;
- Plugging into water planning groups already working on the central Oregon Coast, and
- Helping the city implement the 20-year water master plan approved by the council last year, the recently-completed drinking water protection plan, and a new water management and conservation plan.
Purcell and Theilacker say the group has not met as a whole yet because it wants to wait to get council approval — if it can.
“We have a great committee and advisers,” said Theilacker, who spent a career in municipal planning and conservation work before moving to Yachats. “But there’s so many different players (in water issues) and you need to know where to get involved. Staying focused will be the key to getting things done.”
Councilor Greg Scott, who is the council’s liaison to the Public Works & Streets Commission, endorsed the committee idea during its meeting last week.
“I’m very much enthused about this group taking this charge,” Scott said. “What I like about this group is they’ll be down in the weeds dealing with details, doing the work. As far as I’m concerned the more people who join the party, the better.”
McClung, who has shouldered much of the chores of both running the daily water treatment plant and trying to plan for the future, welcomes the committee’s help.
“I think it’s a great group. I’m totally pleased this is happening,” he said. “To get movement on water issues it takes more than one person. You have to give these people freedom to pursue their passion.”
West, the public works chair, agrees. “We have a community of highly educated people with wonderful backgrounds,” he said. “Let’s utilize them.”