Clark Fork council approves wastewater study

CLARK FORK — After waiting more than three years for the stars to align on funding for a waste water management feasibility study in the city, two Clark Fork City Council members voted against accepting the money. Mayor Jeff Jeffers broke the tie by voting in favor of signing the letters of intent to accept funds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality each awarded the city $30,000 to hire Taylor Engineering to perform the research.

“All we need is this document signed that lines out what will be done, who will do it and their responsibilities,” Howard Lunderstadt, USDA loan specialist explained.

“This is a letter of intent to proceed. Once signed the funds will be released.”

Clark Fork had a feasibility study done, some think as far back as the late ‘60s. New technology and environmental controls render that study obsolete. Back then the city’s voters were against following through with a waste water plan.

Council member Harold Hilton questioned what would happen if there were overruns in costs associated with the study and whether the city would then be liable and was assured that Taylor Engineering bid the project at $60,000 and they would be responsible for any additional expenses.

He was also concerned about implementing the study. “We’re a funding agency,” Lunderstadt said, “not a regulatory one.”

“They’re just going to give us ideas for what a town this size can do,” said council member Russ Schenck.

Council member Roger Anderson agreed, “Obviously this feasibility study won’t be valid ten years from now, but at the very least we can look into the future.”

Jeffers added, “If we don’t do it now we’ll have to go through the grant process all over again, and we may not get the funding. This isn’t something we could afford to do.”

Lunderstadt agreed saying that if Clark Fork doesn’t take the funding it will be awarded to another community, probably outside of Idaho.

Under statute, the council went into executive session to discuss the issue. At the conclusion, Jeffers broke the tie (council members Hilton and Don Smith dissented) and signed the letters of intent to both DEQ and USDA. The contract between the city and Taylor Engineering needs to be signed before funds are released and the city has asked for some amendments to the proposed contract.

The deadline to sign the document and send it to the government is July 11. It will be up to the council to approve at the next regular meeting on July 9.