Moses Lake constructing facility for sweepings

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake will build a facility to drain water from street debris to comply with state stormwater regulations.

The city council approved advertising for bids to replace an existing drain pad at the operations facility at Road 4. The water from the pad presently goes into the stormwater system. The new facility will send water into the city's sanitary sewer. 

The project is estimated to cost $385,000 and is included in the city's 2011 budget.

Municipal Services Director Gary Harer said the change is due to new stormwater regulations from the Department of Ecology. Once the water leaves the debris, it will be taken to the Grant County Landfill.

"We received some comments from neighbors out there. We responded, met with them. We received a determination of non-significance," he said. "I think they still have a week or so to appeal."

Councilmember Karen Liebrecht said one of the complaints the residents had was the odor of the facility. She asked whether it was legitimate.

"We didn't really realize that when that was mentioned," he said. "There is some odor in that ditch along Road 4. That's coming from our existing facility ... so that drained out and there was some grasses and things like that fermented and got out there. This will actually take that out of the ditch and take it to the sewer, so that should help out that situation."

Councilmember Richard Pearce asked what type of action would delay the project.

Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado explained they could appeal the state environmental policy act permit, saying the city's municipal code sets out the categories people can appeal under. 

"As part of that appeal they would have to identify certain issues because we, at the staff level, have rendered a decision that said, 'There's probably no significant adverse impact,'" he said. 

The city's hearing examiner would hear the appeal, and he would be looking at the provisions, Alvarado said. 

"It can't just be, 'Well, I sent you two letters, so therefore I get to appeal,'" he said. "There has to be a little more substance than that."

City Manager Joe Gavinski said it seemed like city staff had solved the issues, since no one was at the council meeting to speak about the project.

"The appeal ... doesn't necessarily stop that project," he said. "All that means is you have to do an environmental impact statement or something."

Mayor Jon Lane asked how much material will be involved. 

During the summer, when the city is cleaning the catch basins, Harer said about eight or nine trucks will be going in and out of the facility during the day.

"So not a lot, but there will be some," he said.