Park Hill School District, in partnership with Platte County Regional Sewer District, is planning to bring sewers to a home near you...possibly your own...for no good reason.
For this project you, Mr. Homeowner, may be required to a) sacrifice a portion of your property as an easement, b) have that portion of your property stripped bare of all it's trees, and c) pay a sum of money to hook up to the sewer. That sum is as yet unknown but includes $2887.00 to be paid to the sewer district and undisclosed but estimated $2500 paid to the school district, which may or may not be waived for some homeowners. That's approximately $5000, and that's BEFORE you pay for the plumbing and to run lines to meet up with the sewer. For some in the area, because of the distance involved, the cost of that plumbing is estimated at $80,000. One homeowner's bid came in at $140,000! These people are required to hook up even though their septic tanks are working fine.
And why? That's what we want to know too. All of us have working septic tanks, thank you! The School District told us in a meeting on May 28th that it was mandated by the Mo. Department of Natural Resources to replace their 30-year-old sewage treatment plant with something that meets environmental standards. But the DNR has confirmed that they do NOT have to have sewers to meet those standards and that another more modern plant would be acceptable. There is now some question as to whether the DNR ever told PHSD that their current plant is (or will be) unacceptable.
So, why is the school district going to pay an estimated 1.25 million dollars of taxpayers' money to put in sewers when a treatment plant would work at far less of a cost? At the meeting on May 28th 2008, held in Union Chapel Elementary School, called by the school district, Director of Operations Jim Rich said, "We're taking a big gamble here. We don't know if we will get enough development in the future to recoup all of the money we will spend on this project."
So then, why take that risk? Why not put in a new treatment plant and let the area developers put in sewers if/when the time comes? Why would you take money the voters approved for furthering the education of our children, and spend it on a "gamble" like this?
Please examine the other pages for specific issues, also dont' miss the Gallery where we have pictures of the state of the current treatment plan.
This site is still under construction and was last modified on November 11th, 2008.
|
