HomeMy WebLinkAbout93-072RESOLUTION NO. 93-72
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT
TOWNSEND DECLARING THE CITY'S INTENTION: (1) TO REDUCE ITS
OUT OF CITY WATER SERVICE AREA ON AN INTERIM BASIS UNTIL
COMPLETION OF A COORDINATED WATER SYSTEM PLAN UPDATE;
(2) TO BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS WITH JEFFERSON COUNTY PUD #1 TO
PROVIDE WATER SUPPLY TO CERTAIN EXISTING CUSTOMERS OF THE
CITY OUTSIDE THE INTERIM SERVICE AREA BOUNDARIES; AND (3)
TO ESTABLISH A POLICY OF PROVIDING NO NEW WATER TAP OR
WATER MAIN EXTENSIONS OUTSIDE OF THE INTERIM SERVICE AREA
BOUNDARIES.
WHEREAS, the City of Port Townsend provides water service through its water department to
areas outside the boundaries of the City and;
WHEREAS, the statutes allowing cities to provide water outside their jurisdictional boundaries
allow cities to provide only excess water to such areas, and;
WHEREAS, the combined output of City water facilities from both surface and ground water
sources available for areas outside the City in the Tri-Area is presently around 1.3
million gallons of water per day, and;
WHEREAS, it has become apparent that present water demands in the outside of City service
area at some critical times may exceed the currently available 1.3 million gallons per day
and periodic emergency conservation measures have been imposed, and;
WHEREAS, the City presently believes that improvements called for in the Capital
Improvement Program to both the surface and ground water facilities will increase
availability of excess water to a maximum of 1.8 million gallons per day, and;
WHEREAS, present growth rates indicate that the likely population in the outside of City
service area will demand more than 1.8 million gallons per day of water within the next
five to seven years, and;
WHEREAS, requests for water service already exist which would exceed the 1.8 million gallon
per day level if all were granted, and;
WHEREAS, the City has existing contractual obligations with PUD No. 1 and other private
individuals to provide a substantial, and in some cases as yet undetermined, amount of
water to areas outside the City limits, and;
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WHEREAS, the City does not have the capability to acquire additional surface water supply and
is limited by contract with Port Townsend Paper Company with respect to how much
surface water can be routed to the outside of City service area, and;
WHEREAS, ground water resources are limited by water rights and developed capacity, and
additional ground water resources are uncertain and may be prohibitively expensive to
develop, and;
WHEREAS, the 1992 Draft Coordinated Water Supply Plan (CWSP) update will likely not be
adopted for one to two years, until a SEPA environmental determination is made, a step
not likely until after urban Growth Boundary and Service area determinations are made
under the Growth Management Act, and;
WHEREAS, the City is therefore subject to the approved 1987 CWSP which includes an outside
of City service area that is larger than the amount of water that can reasonably be made
available, and;
WHEREAS, the City desires to decrease its service area on an emergency basis in order to
avoid a threat to public health and safety which would be created by allowing more water
hookups than can be provided with reliable water supply, and;
WHEREAS, if the City does not reduce the service area on an interim basis, there is a definite
potential for water brownouts in the summer peak use periods, and;
WHEREAS, certain logical service area reductions can be made based upon the location of
previously approved subdivisions, location of existing water mains and the location of
existing patterns of development, and
WHEREAS, the City does not want to represent that it is capable of providing water service
extensions to an area that it does not have the water supply, the fiscal capability or the
intention to service in the long term, and;
WHEREAS, the City is preparing a Comprehensive Water System Plan update and will continue
to attempt to achieve closure on the Coordinated Water System Plan update over the next
twelve months, and;
WHEREAS, the City has held a public workshop in the Tri-area to seek input from residents
of the outside of City service area regarding future water supply limitations and service
area boundaries, and;
WHEREAS, subsequent to the public workshop, the City's Water Advisory Committee,
composed of citizen representatives, including residents of the outside of City service
area, has recommended that the outside of City service boundaries be reduced in the near
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term to be more consistent with the realities of available water supply and sound capital
facility expansion from a fiscal standpoint, and;
WHEREAS, the Port Townsend City Council has held two public input sessions and has been
publicly discussing this issue during 1993, and;
WHEREAS, a sufficient emergency exists to require a SEPA exemption of this action under
WAC 197-11-880 to avoid an imminent threat to public health and safety;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City is indicating its intent to decrease
its service areas in the outside of City service area on an interim basis as shown on the attached
map, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City hereby announces publicly its intention to
begin to conduct negotiations with the Jefferson County PUD #1 to take over as service provider
to those areas outside the new boundaries that are already receiving water service, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that no new taps will be issued within areas outside the
new service area boundaries except those already committed to, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that no main line extensions will be allowed within areas
outside the new service area boundaries except those extensions already committed to, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the new boundaries are to be considered interim
until such time as the City decides what further changes in service area, if any, are desired.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, and signed by the Mayor this
twenty first day of June, 1993.
ATTEST:
David Gr6ve, City Clerk/Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Dennis McLerran, City Attorney
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