Do you want to be connected to a city owned sewer system dependent upon a contract with a private company for water treatment?
The LOT committee public presentation brought up the subject of a city sewer system and stated it would be required in the future because many septic systems were at the end of life and there was not space for new ones.
An inquiry to the Central District Health was made to validate the statement made by the LOT committee. The Central District Health office was unable to provide a list of any septic systems that are failing and stated that they cannot predict which systems would fail or when.
One of the stated goals made by the LOT committee during the presentation was to consider long term sewer solutions.
One of the stated purposes for uses of the Local Option Tax was a city sewer system, this is referenced in the LOT ordnance as “public safety and sanitation”.
In order for a sewer system to be functional, a treatment facility must be constructed. The city does not own any land suitable for a sewer treatment facility.
So why is the idea of a city sewer system such a big part of the local option tax?
When Tim Fritzley, owner of the Edge Resort, made his presentation to the city council during the annexation hearing, he informed the city council that a major component of the project was a state-of-the-art water treatment plant using the latest technology and operations controls. The presentation indicated that not only was the system designed to meet the needs of the Edge Resort, but that it was capable of expanding to 2 ½ times of process capacity.
This would mean that the City of Crouch would have to enter into a contract with a private company, in this case, the Edge Resort to process the sewage water, a very financially vulnerable position for the city.
The KTVB interview with committee members also referenced at the end of the segment that the tax dollars could be used for water and sewer,
A reasonable conclusion would be that the tax would help the city be in a better position for water and sewer grants that would install a sewer line down Middlefork Road to the Edge Resort property for contracted water treatment services.