Well, apparently the city’s worst fears have been realized and some local resident have actually become aware that someone was trying to sneak a sewer line down their street. Did it really not occur to any council members that after 30 or 40 years a homeowner might be interested in connecting to a public sewer system?

Originally I was told by a city official that hook-ups could not be allowed because of jurisdiction issues, this area being outside city limits. Perhaps a prerequisite to holding a position with a local government should be a familiarity with its municipal code, such as Title 13.04.290: Property Outside City Limits-Contract For Service, for instance, which reads: “The owners of property outside the boundaries of the city or of property within the city which has not been assessed for sewers by the district may, if the City Council consents, connect to the public sewer of the City and obtain sewage disposal service by entering into a standard participation contract, provided for by SMC13.04.320 through 13.04.360.”

So there you have it. Obviously this issue is entirely up to the council, which raises the issue of why currently the only forthcoming source of information is one of the people answering the phones at City Hall. Is what she’s saying the city’s official position? If so, it’s the complete opposite of what I was told in August. It is time for the council to take a stance on this and let the public know who’s more important to them – local residents or the Arizona-based investment firm behind the casino project.

By the way, accepting bids on a project that has an issue of this magnitude still pending isn’t very good business practice. Or, perhaps it has been decided, and the mysterious receptionist is under instructions to deliberately mislead us. Hmm…

C. R. Woolley

Snoqualmie