WCCSD Planning Future Water Projects

The Willow Creek Community Service District members address concerns from the audience. / Photo by Kay Heitkamp.

Community Development Issues Tackled

By Kay Heitkamp, Two Rivers Tribune Contributing Writer

Board members of the Willow Creek Community Service District (WCCSD) held their first meeting of the year on January 26 at district headquarters. Present were Tyler Holmes, Tom O’Gorman, Bruce Nelson, Vonnie Gower, Chairperson, Judy Gower, District General Manager, Steve Paine, and Office Manager, Lynn White. District reports headed the agenda.

Lonnie Danel began with a report on the water treatment plant. He said the high volume of water pumped during freezing temperatures in the past month to avoid frozen pipes was now falling. The only water leaks were caused by vandalism.

Danel continued with a power point presentation about the water department’s proposed five and 10 year plans. He began with an overview of projects completed during the past five years that included the Hodgson Water Treatment Facility in 2007, a watershed sanitary survey required every five years in 2008, replacement of an old redwood tank with two new tanks on Panther Ridge, a mainline project for the Willow Creek Apartments, an extension for the Brannon Mountain mainline and pump station, and an upgrade to the Bigfoot pump station. Other community improvements included replacement of the old redwood Hodgson water tank and pump and mainline realignment on Highway 96.

Kent Sawatzky spoke from the audience, saying he was the owner of 48 acres on Brannon Mountain and will be bringing in the water line to the development site. He complemented the board on their good work for the community, adding that the WCCSD accomplished more in one meeting than Humboldt County planners do in three or four meetings.

Plans for the next five years include a storm water interceptor project to divert downtown storm water, replacement of the Bigfoot subdivision water tank built in 1971 that’s beginning to rust out, and installation of a pump station, meters and mainline in the Gypo Lane neighborhood. The department is saving money for the projects to avoid having to finance several loans.

Projects planned for the next 10 years include replacing the 40-year-old redwood Bussell tank, upgrades to the Willow Towers steel tanks, a new tank on Brannon Mountain critical to fire protection and storage, replacing an eight inch mainline pipe along Highway 96 between Gambi Hill and Hodgson Hill now buried under 25 feet of fill, and replacement of an old water main line on Butterfly Creek Road.

After Danel’s report, Susan O’Gorman, a member of the waste water committee, brought everyone up to speed on the status of their activities. She said they are fairly close to compiling the information gathered over the last couple of months into a document or perhaps a presentation to the board. She also said the committee is looking into additional grant funding to help with their work.

District Manager Paine noted WCCSD is targeting sometime in early March for a public information board meeting about the proposed waste water ordinance as well as the status of the proposed project. On display will be boundaries of the septic system, and panel experts will discuss details and be available to answer questions.

Per board direction, Paine will continue to proceed with applications to multiple funders to help WCCSD continue with preliminary planning and engineering development. These include a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for $100,000 through Humboldt County, a loan through the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), and assistance from the state’s Clean Water Revolving Fund.

Board member Holmes gave the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (RREDC) report, saying that Director Gregg Foster will be resigning. He stressed the importance of ongoing WCCSD representation as targets of opportunity continue to be identified by the agency. Holmes agreed to continue in his role as representative for RREDC.

Addressing community issues with the sheriff’s department, board member Nelson, who has a background in law enforcement, volunteered to be a liaison between the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department and the community to help with continuing concerns such as slow response time. He said he believed complaints are not so much response, quality of service, or the number of deputies as they are problems of communication.

Nelson brought up one complaint he hears fairly frequently – citizens seeing a sheriff’s car just parked by the side of the road. He said they’re in a good position to watch the traffic go by and look for individuals who may be causing trouble for the community and should not be a cause for concern.

“This is one of the things they’re supposed to do,” said Nelson.

He also said he gets complaints about empty patrol cars parked at the CHP substation, commenting that often, deputies leave their cars at the station and double up to go to Orleans or down river. As a liaison, Nelson will follow up with the sheriff’s on questions or complaints from the community. The board appointed him to be a liaison for the district.

As the TAMWG representative, Ed Duggan began his report by saying that currently, the organization has no chairperson. A project creating an engineered log jam with an overhang over the river near Junction City has caused some concern.

Studio 299 Board President, Mediha Saliba (left), talks with WCCSD Board Vice-Chair Vonnie Gower while, in the foreground, WCCSD Board member Tyler Holmes (left), chats with a member of the audience. / Photo by Kay Heitkamp.

There will be a meeting on Friday, Feb. 3 to discuss those issues and another project planned for Steiner Flat in Douglas City.

Jan Joki reported for the Willow Creek Fire District, answering a previous question about swift water rescues by their volunteers. According to the chief, volunteers do not have the specific training to form a five person team due to training costs of $850 per person and $20,000 worth of equipment. Therefore, swift water rescue is not one of their responsibilities. However, she said they will enter the water and attempt a rescue. Joki closed by saying the annual crab feed was a success and the brush truck is still in the pipeline.

Barbara Darst spoke for the Fire Safe Council, saying they completed their three-year U.S. Forest Service grant and, together with the FLASH and SWAP programs, cleared over 80 acres. Sheriff Mike Downey has confirmed that SWAP crews will be available once again in the coming months. The blue dot project to mark sources of water for fire emergencies is still underway. Darst commended the district’s plan for a water tank on Brannon Mountain, confirming that it’s a critical site for fire protection.

She is awaiting formal confirmation of her appointment to represent Willow Creek at Humboldt County’s Fire Safe Council meetings. Darst also noted a representative from Hoopa attended the last county meeting and that efforts are underway to form a Hoopa Fire Safe Council. March 16 marks the upcoming St. Patrick’s day big fundraising dinner at Veteran’s Hall.

Paul Abbott reminded the audience that he is accepting applications for the FLASH program in which residents receive partial compensation for clearing their property. Willow Creek’s share of the grant from Humboldt County is $18,000, somewhat less than last year. Payment is calculated per acre, depending on the topography of the land. Participants are expected to complete the work – otherwise, proportionate FLASH funding is lost. Property must consist of at least one-half acre.

From the audience, Kent Sawatzky said he was a primary beneficiary of the council’s activities and pledged $1,000 for every parcel developed at his Brannon Mountain site to assist with fuels reduction.

Next on the agenda, Doug Boileau, general manager of Arcata Mad River Ambulance, addressed concerns about possible loss of ambulance service, saying his presentation as covered in a recent issue of the Two Rivers Tribune accurately described the situation.

Reviewing the problem, he said the Hoopa Valley Tribe is facing severe financial challenges in continuing to provide service to the Willow Creek area. Due to increased budget restraints, they are considering closing the Willow Creek station, centralizing service within the Hoopa area at K’ima:w, and re-assessing where and how to provide advanced (paramedics on board) as well as basic (with emergency medical technicians) life support services. Boileau commended the expertise and professionalism of Hoopa’s ambulance program.

To date, ambulances with paramedics on board have been available both through the Willow Creek station and Hoopa. However, low reimbursement for services has been a growing problem. Boileau painted a discouraging picture of the amounts paid by private insurance, Medicare and MediCal. Often, there is no payment.

He said an average trip from Hoopa to Mad River Hospital is billed at about $1,950. Of that amount, Medicare pays only 80 per cent of $950. MediCal pays $266. Resulting losses to Hoopa are approximately $500,000 annually. These losses are at the heart of the problem. He closed by saying Hoopa really wants to stay in Willow Creek and continue to provide services if a solution can be found.

“I think we’re getting a great deal here in Willow Creek with K’ima:w providing us with ambulance services,” said Boileau. “I think we should do everything we can to help keep these services, including providing a facility to house ambulances here in the community at a cost of only about $20,000 per year.”

Kent Sawatzky spoke from the audience, volunteering to make available a lot from his Brannon Mountain property to house an ambulance station in Willow Creek.

The board nominated and voted for two open positions, having postponed the action at the last meeting due to the absence of O’Gorman and Holmes. Selected were O’Gorman as the new chairman and Vonnie Gower as vice chairperson.

Mediha Saliba, President of Studio 299 Center for the Arts, an organization based in Willow Creek devoted to promoting and developing the arts in nearby communities, spoke from the audience. She requested a letter of support from the board to include with a grant application for community building and beautification of the area to the Headwaters’ Fund to help with the group’s development of property recently acquired at 75 The Terrace, already zoned for commercial use.

Architectural plans are being finalized to build a large multi-purpose structure to house art exhibits and serve as a site for classes, workshops, and poetry readings. The building will serve as an art gallery and will be open to the public. Local

Tolowa woodworker, Ron James, wants to provide his carving skills to the exterior of the building, and Flying Blue Dog Farm would like to add landscaping. Permits are in process.

Board member O’Gorman said the board does not have planning powers, although they do occasionally provide letters of support. Other board members supported his position that there was insufficient information on which to base a letter, including a lack of community input from neighbors who live in the area and could be affected by traffic and parking problems. Saliba was asked to meet with neighbors before a letter of support could be forthcoming.

The meeting was adjourned and then called back to order to hear another request for a letter of support in the public’s interest from Ken … in conjunction with his plans to develop a 40 acre parcel on Brannon Mountain. There was general agreement that further discussion was needed before the board could act on his request. Formal adjournment followed.

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