February 28, 2008

$2.1 million earmarked for sewer plant

Funding is Hailey, Schmick priority

The $287 million supplemental construction budget unveiled in Olympia Wednesday, Feb. 20, includes a $2.1 million appropriation for repairs on the failing Ritzville Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to 9th District Representatives Steve Hailey and Joe Schmick, who teamed up to help move the funding proposal toward approval.

Monday the House of Representatives approved its version of the supplemental capital budget by a vote of 92-3 and the $2.1 million allocation for the Ritzville project continued to be included.

 “There are further steps to be taken in the give-and-take between the House and Senate, but we have every reason to be optimistic that the money will still be there when the vote comes on a final budget,” said Hailey, who sponsored the funding request and worked the issue from his home in Eastern Washington. He received the good news by phone while undergoing a chemotherapy session in the Tri-Cities.

The Ritzville Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed at a cost of $3.2 million. Four lagoon-cells subsequently malfunctioned, including one cell that completely failed and has been off-line for two years.

The seriousness of the funding request became more apparent after the state Department of Ecology’s water quality program re-evaluated the condition of the plant and designated it as a hardship for the city of Ritzville. The $2.1 million appropriation would pay about half the projected cost of lagoon rehabilitation and upgrading.

 “Throughout the process, we had encouragement from both the chairman and the ranking Republican member of the committee that our proposal would receive serious consideration,” said Hailey, R-Mesa. “It was a bipartisan collaborative effort.”

 “A lot of credit also goes to the city of Ritzville, Mayor Kadlec and other local officials who came to Olympia and helped us make the case for the allocation,” added Schmick, R-Colfax.

The capital budget, which is handled separately from the main operating budget and the transportation budget, provides funds for remodeling and construction of state office buildings, public schools, colleges and universities, parks and green space, and the acquisition of threatened lands.

 “This is a lean spending plan, and the competition was pretty intense for a small pot of state construction money,” said Schmick. “Representative Hailey and I made Ritzville’s problem a top legislative priority, and we’re very pleased that this important, hometown project got the green light.” 

On Friday, Schmick said he was pleased with the progress the Ninth District representatives had been able to make on behalf of Ritzville.

“In the process I had talked to Rep. Joyce McDonald and Rep. Bill Fromhold and I reiterated how important this was and that there had been a total failure and that basically you’re at capacity,” Schmick explained. “It was a huge hurdle to get it in the house budget and at the full amount.”

Earlier in the session, as the Ninth District Representatives continued to work on the matter, Schmick said the state’s tight revenue picture put the Ritzville funding request at risk.

“Quite honestly, the last time I had met with Joyce, they had a million dollar figure there,” Schmick said. “I kept working on her.”

Schmick said the city’s representatives brought photographic evidence of the damaged facility and those photographs played a key role.

“That was critical,” he said. A picture paints a thousand words.”

Schmick, a freshman member of the House, said his first legislative session has been exciting and extremely busy.

“I had heard this expression that it’s ‘like taking a drink out of a fire hose,’” Schmick said of the hectic schedule. “My learning curve has been steep and I learn every day. I’m doing the best I can to represent the people of the Ninth District and I have a lot to learn.”