May 22, 1979
Dropped. It is with regret that the Board of Directors of the Deer Lake Property Owners Association announces that the long proposed sewer system for the lake is subject to being dropped from the agenda.
During the last four years your Board has donated untold hours to the proposition that Deer Lake was becoming more contaminated and needed a lake-wide sewage disposal system.
The Petition. In 1977 a petition to the Public Utility District of Stevens County provided the necessary majority votes of property owners to request the formation, under PUD, of a sewer district. The estimated cost of $4.8 million, including a $1.3 million share limitation to be borne by property owners, ran into serious problems of financing, in regards to the initiation and completion of Design Phase 2, not withstanding the government grant commitments and the $1.3 million property owners limitation. The PUD Commission rejected the petition.
A Second Try. Ninety days ago your Board gave a full review in the NEWSLETTER of the issues and problems. The Board requested the property owners to vote once again as to their wishes - Should money be provided through assessments on properties to finance an engineering design study (Step 2) to be determined by registered voters? Should an independent sewer district be set up to be determined by registered voters with property assessments? Of the 720 property owners sent ballots, 155 were returned as favorable and 74 as unfavorable (as of extended deadline of May 7th).
Over 300 positive votes were needed to provide a majority. Upon a Board decision on May 9th, the item as to whether we will have a sewer system will be extended until June 1st, 1979, in order to receive any more favorable opinions and a majority request. After June 1st, the matter will be considered dropped by the Board and so entered in our official records (unless majority interest dictates otherwise).
This rejection, if so indicated, places a new and imperative demand on each and every property owner to help protect the waters of Deer Lake from further pollution. Waters are used extensively for household and recreational purposes.
How? Your Board is in active consultation with County officials to find ways of bringing sub-standard, polluting waste systems now in use, into compliance with approved sanitary systems.
New Construction. The Department of Ecology and Health officials are enforcing regulations as new requests are made for construction of homes, cottages and related sewage disposal systems.
Proximity to lake frontages, natural drainage areas from hills and slopes, grade levels, ground composition, distance from water wells and the lake will definitely affect any new construction.
Water Safety. DLPOA, under committee chairman Howard Worhle and upon the encouragement of Stevens Co. Sheriff's Department helped revise the Stevens Co. ordinance having to do with water safety. On April 10th at a public hearing in Colville, the Stevens Co. Commissioners reviewed the new ordinance favorably and at a later meeting approved the ordinance. The ordinance specifically has to do with matters of public safety in regards to skiing, swimming, speeding, and many more items that each user of the lake should avail themselves of. Violations could be punishable to the full extent of the law. Copies will soon be available, hopefully to distribute at our June GENERAL MEETING.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT:
Governor Signs Shorelines Bill, as reviewed by Dave Nixon, Legislative Chairman, DLPOA.
After several years fight by our legislatures and concerned lake property owners, you now have the right under House Bill 486, to purchase your SECOND CLASS shorelands that abutt your property. Representative Scott Barr, sponsor of the bill, and Senator Bruce Wilson, Senate Floor Manager for the bill deserve a debt of gratitude for their hard work on the passage of this bill.
Who does the bill affect? Anyone who does not own their SECOND CLASS shorelines. Check your tax statement and/or deed to insure that you own them. HB486 gives you the right to buy them from the State of Washington. The price per the bill will be a minimum of five (5) percent of the unimproved value of your upland or abutting property. The bill becomes law 90 days after the Governor signs it of June 7, 1979. If you wish to purchase your shorelands you should contact: Mr. Walt Smith or Mr. Phil Hilderbrand Dept. of Natural Resources P.O. Box 190 Colville, Washington.
What happens if you do not own or buy your SECOND CLASS shoreland? The State of Washington owns them and as owners have the right to charge you rent or sell them to another party. I hope each and every one will check his records, and buy the shorelands if you don't own them. The next legislative battle we will have will make the ownership of those shorelands very important
MEMBERSHIP TO DLPOA:
All property owners benefit greatly from the efforts of the members of the Deer Lake Property Owners Association. One of the purposes of the Association is to protect the beauty and water of Deer Lake from environmental depredation. This task alone demands the concern and support of everyone. Isn't it about time that you renewed or started your membership to the Deer Lake Property Owners Association? Dues of $12.00/year payable in advance on or before May 31st of each year. Send your DUES today to DLPOA, Loon Lake, Washington 99148, or mail to- Kathryn Bean, Treasurer, N. 2803 Stout Rd., Spokane, Wash. 99206.