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Town Council Regular Meeting Sept. 23, 2002Protect
our watershed now
by
Dixie A. Walter
The
Eatonville Town Council meeting of Monday, Sept. 23 was short and to the
point. Protect our watershed now. And something must be done about the
Community Center’s lack of finances. During the half hour meeting the alarm was sounded about the town’s watershed. Council member Bob Shaub asked that discussion about a letter by resident Charles McTee (see Opinion) be added to new business. All members were present but Pat Hamilton. Mayor Harold Parnell explained, “His sister died, so this should be an excused absence.”
Schaub brought up the McTee letter. “On September 16, Chuck
McTee sent a letter to the mayor, the council members, Planning Commission
Chairman, Steve Lind, members of the planning commission and to the citizens
of Eatonville.
“This letter addresses his concerns for our watershed. For many years
Chuck McTee has worked hard to protect the watershed of the Town of
Eatonville. He was instrumental…in helping get gates put up to help stop
people from going back into Boxcar [Canyon] to swim and party.”
Schaub continued, “We had two large cleanup projects in which we
hauled out garbage, car bodies, and other debris that was dropped off back
there. There’s still more stuff accumulated. Chuck addresses this in his
letter, people are illegally dumping. They are now walking in instead of
driving in. But they still can drive through private property and come in the
back way.
Going further Schaub pointed out, “Our drinking water comes
from this source. People are up there swimming and doing whatever they are
doing, and that water’s coming down and then we have to treat it to drink.
“It’s a little bit scary. I think that we need to emphasize that
watershed. Even if we have to work through Weyerhaeuser property and do more
than we have been doing so that we’re closing off to people.
“Not only there, but clear up above Don Murphy’s property, because
it’s all coming back down to the same area. Pack Forest now owns Buffalo Don
Murphy’s area so why can’t we make it an emphasis with our town to work
with Pack Forest and Weyerhaeuser to shut these areas down as a recreational
area for people.”
Schaub draw attention to the fact that the water from the
Mashell River is, “Our drinking water. It has always been our drinking water
and it will be our drinking water in the future, as it is right now.”
He asked the other members of the council if each of them received a
copy of the McTee letter. All of them acknowledged receiving a copy. Schaub asked, “So each of you is aware of it?” And stated, “I’d like this placed on next month’s agenda. I’d like to hear what the town itself, through our administration, could do. I’d like to see them contact Weyehaeuser and Pack Forest to find out what kind of support they can offer our community. We can all work together but we need to take the leadership.”
Discussion about the town’s search for well water and the need to
stop using the Mashell River as a water source.
Again Schaub pointed out, “We’ll always be on that water.
That’s one of our sources, we need to protect it.”
Council member Mike Gallagher said, “Hopefully it won’t be one of
our sources” regarding the town’s search for underground water. Schaub
told him, “It will always be one of our sources for water. I guarantee
you.”
Gallagher asked, “The river?” And Schaub answered, “The river.
You don’t want to give it up.” Gallagher responded, “We won’t give it
up, but hopefully we won’t be using it. Because if we continue to use it
we’re going to have to put in a filter treatment plant. We’re spending
thousands of dollars to drill new wells and now you tell me we will always use
the river. What are we drilling wells for?”
Schaub told Gallagher, “I don’t think we’re going to give up that
water right.” Gallagher agreed and added, “…but we won’t use it.” Once more Schaub stated, “We want to protect it.” Replying, Gallagher explained, “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t protect our watershed, definitely we should. We should take every means possible to eliminate casual and recreational use of our watershed…We’re spending a great deal of effort and money to eliminate the river as our drinking water.”
“I beg to differ with you Mike,” Schaub countered, “in
that over the years we have not protected the watershed and we’ve used
it.” Gallagher agreed but noted, “I’m not saying that we have protected
it, I’m not saying that we haven’t used it. What I am saying is that part
of protecting ourselves would be not to use it. That is a step toward
protecting ourselves.”
Mayor Parnell pointed out, “Ecology is trying
to get us off the river and we are trying to get off.”
Council member Chelan Jarrett wondered, “Do we have an
outline of what other cities have done to protect their watershed? Is there an
action plan that we just haven’t done?” Answering, Mayor Parnell said, “I haven’t looked into other cities. I know the City of Tacoma is particular about who goes up there, it’s restricted.” Schaub replied, “We should restrict ours.”
Gallagher explained that Tacoma and Seattle don’t have treatment
plants and that’s why they are so adamant about “restricted use.”
Adding, “That would be the ideal situation for us.”
Long-time Eatonville resident, Cliff McCarty, addressed the
council. “I’d just like to enlighten you about the watershed in regards to
Weyerhaeuser. I worked in their watershed for nine years as superintendent.
Cedar River, they don’t let anybody in there.
“I even had to have a special permit from Tacoma to go on the Green
River. They are so strict they won’t even let you change oil.” Gallagher
asked, “How did they enforce that?”
McCarty answered, “They had deputies. In fact, I still have my deputy
badge. Every gate is locked with special keys. Believe me, you didn’t want
to get caught in there when you’re not supposed to be in there. Weyerhaeuser
will do the same thing for you here. If you say you want to close it off,
believe me, they’ll close it off. They will back you I’m sure.” He told
the council Weyerhaeuser owns the “majority of land clear up to the Busy
Wild [Creek].”
In other business the council voted unanimously to accept
Amended Resolution 2002-Z authorizing the council to “hire a planner up to
$2,500 for phase 1 of the Master Plan for Alder Street Family Recreation
Facility.” Town Treasurer Melode Akervick updated the council about the critical financial situation at the Eatonville Community Center. Akervick researched the seven-year financial history of the building and reported, “It made a profit in ’96, it lost in ’97, ’98 and ’99. Then did okay in 2000 and 2001, then lost in 2002. So it’s been up and down, up and down.
“Overall we’ve lost $21,000 in seven years. There’s no longer
anything to carry them now as far as investments. That is my concern.” The
treasurer warned, “I would think within a month and a half the Community
Center will be totally in loss. We’re just not taking in any funds.
“It just can’t go on much longer if we don’t start getting
more use of this building. Almost no rental fees have come in for at least two
months. I don’t know if there’s any for this month.”
This news was followed by discussion about new Events and Parks
Coordinator Kim Grossguth and how she needs time. It was noted that Grossguth
is trying very hard to bring groups into the center. Deputy Town Clerk Chrystal McGlone pointed out that Grossguth has one rental coming in the “next couple of weeks.” “Hopefully she will get it going,” Akervick said, and added, “I see cars are now parking in the back lot again since the skateboard park is gone. So, if there is any relationship, people will start using it again.
“We just want to break even. Otherwise the town is going to have to
come up with the funds to run the building.”
The Town of Eatonville Vision Statement, read aloud at every council meeting, states: “Working together, Eatonville honors it’s past; respects diversity; preserves it’s environment; provides a quality of life that is family-oriented, safe, responsive and progressive.”
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"Pity
the poor kids who grow up in a big city. They miss the little things that
made growing up in a small town, ah, so wonderful." |
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