County offers plan for Paradise sewer project

Sanders County Commissioner Tony Cox is tired of the sewer project dragging on so long, along with the constant strife between board members. "It's time to poop or get off the pot," he said at the Sanders County Sewer District at Paradise Board meeting at the Paradise Center last Tuesday.

Nearly 50 people attended the three-hour long meeting, including Cox and fellow commissioner Claude Burlingame, along with six board members. Pernel Elaine Chapman, who was recently voted on the board, was present but couldn't vote until officially placed by the commissioners, leaving Cody Lampman to continue his place on the board. Because Janie McFadgen was re-elected, she was able to continue in her role as board president.

As in recent sewer board meetings, it wasn't without its customary bickering and accusations - from board members as well as from the audience - and it still had made no headway with negotiations for the needed property, both sides unwilling to make concessions. However, after an hour and a half, Cox made an offer that he felt would settle everything. He noted that the project comes with approximately $5.1 million in grants, which Paradise residents don't have to repay. "That leaves roughly $770,000 of debt to the community. Sanders County Commissioners feel strongly about this, the sanitarian feels strongly about it. If the people here want this system, we will step up to the plate as the county and we will pay the debt in full. You will get the gift horse," said Cox, who added that the system will be installed for free, that the Rural Development loan would be paid for by the county's building reserve fund and that the $185 annual tax bill residents were going to be stuck with would be gone.

The only stipulation was that because the board had not been "overly effective the last few years," either the county takes over the administrative role of the project or the sewer board has to come up with some type of written assurance that the money would not be squandered. In addition, Cox said he believes the county could come up with the $50,000 that the sewer board owes the Paradise Water District.

Cox said that none of the money would come back on anyone in Paradise. "Sanders County has over $2 million in a building reserve fund. We feel this is important enough that we could sacrifice roughly 25% of it to help the people of Paradise. Pay it in full, no interest, no loan, no pay back, done," he said.

Even after he made the offer, some of the board questioned the gift. Cox tried to reassure them that it's nothing more than the county pulling together to help. Former Commissioner Carol Brooker and Burlingame had put in countless hours in support of the project. Burlingame used his experience to help write a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the purchase of the six acres needed for the sewer system and drain field.

The MOU was made null and void at the last meeting and Burlingame's motives were questioned Tuesday by board member Terry Caldwell. Burlingame responded that he volunteered to write the MOU for the board. He said it wasn't a binding contract but a starting point in an effort to get property for the project. McFadgen said there is no other property available and the board has no plan B.

"If we're not negotiating with Bridger, then this thing is dead. There is no other land. Our grants will dry up and will just slowly die," said board member Don Stamm, who although he sold his home and will be moving to Missoula feels strongly that the unincorporated town needs a community wide system versus individual septic systems. "If we don't get land, we have no sewer, there's no place to go," he said.

Sanders County Sanitarian Shawn Sorenson has been following the Paradise project closely and wrote a summary of the situation that Cox read aloud. Sorenson stated that of the approximately 95 structures that generate wastewater in town, 87 of them are presently using substandard on-site wastewater disposal methods, which might contribute to environmental contamination. He added that there are landowners and contractors who continue to connect structures to existing cesspool systems without a proper permit or approval.

Cox presented an idea to McFadgen in an effort to help assure them that the commissioners are not trying to take over the project. He suggested a three-person committee to oversee the administrative aspect of the project, but would not take away the board's job. Part of the committee's role would be to oversee Great West Engineering, the firm hired to do the job, to make sure it's acting proper.

"I would like it in stone that the people of Paradise are not going to have to take this out of their pocket, they're not going to have to pay an additional tax, that it's all done," said McFadgen, who admitted that her home needs a septic and believes the commissioners' offer is "is a damn good deal." 

On Friday, the commissioners sent a page-long document to the board with their official proposal that a three-person committee would oversee the project as part of the assurance that the $550,000 from Sanders County will be used to move forward "for the mutual benefit to both parties for the prompt and successful completion of the sanitary sewer system for Paradise Sewer District." The committee would include Cox, Caldwell and Plains Mayor Dan Rowan, who Cox believes would be an asset because he has experience in dealing with funding agencies with regard to sewer issues and he believes Rowan is a person that both sides can work with. The document states that "if the currently available funds for this project fall short of the bid price, the committee will negotiate in good faith to find a solution."

Cox pointed out in a letter to the members that the sewer board was created to complete a sewer system. He said the levy loan was one of the biggest arguments from sewer opponents, but that dispute has now been rectified. LeeAnn Overman, a vocal opponent of the system, said in letter to the editor in 2020 that the townspeople had been blackmailed into signing off on the project. She pointed out that the commissioners are supposed to help people. "I want the commissioners to stop the sewer project. And if not, find the money for the levy," she wrote. 

Cox said the county has proposed to do what Overman and others have requested. "We want to help you by paying off all of the remaining debt. This project will benefit so many people and will provide for future generations," said Cox. He asked that the board respond by Friday. The commissioners set a deadline of June 1 to either accept or reject the agreement. 

Several people at the meeting felt that the commissioners' offer was a gift and that it would be absurd to refuse. "Why would you argue against over a half a million dollars offered to the community to wipe out the $185 yearly assessment for every homeowner in Paradise? Where's the logic and common sense in that?" asked Stamm, who went door to door and got 51 signatures of property owners in favor of the system, including the owners of Quinn's Hot Springs Resort, which owns two homes in Paradise for employees.  

"I have lived in many places in my life before I chose Sanders County as my home and I have never seen an offer that was offered tonight here. I cannot believe anyone would even hesitate or turn their back on it," said Denise Moreth, Quinn's Hot Springs Resort's general manager.

"This sewer system is needed and will greatly benefit the residents of Paradise for generations. The time has come to either approve this project or stop wasting everyone's time. It will not be cheaper in the future," wrote Cox. Caldwell stated at the meeting that they could revisit the project three or four years from now, but Cox said the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding of $1,437,881 would be gone. He added that it's very unlikely that any of the other grant lenders would provide money if Paradise fails to construct a system with the money they presently have. "If it doesn't happen now, its not going to happen in a generation," he said.

In a negotiation earlier this year, Bischoff asked for $276,375 for the 6.03-acre plot that is located on the northeast corner of Paradise just below the Paradise Center. Bischoff had asked for $50,000 earnest money and 40 transferable free EDU hookups.

"I've been listening to the crutch of the whole thing, but please don't tell me that we're going to leave the infrastructure in the 19th century or the 18th century because we're afraid Bridger's going to get a little extra," said Betty Meyer. 

Cox said that even if the board accepts the offer, Bischoff still has to pay the $185 a year for each of the 40 hookups for 40 years. "Either way he is not getting a free ride. People need to be thankful about getting a free sewer system and stop worrying about Bridger," said Cox. "We're not going to keep playing this game. This is a good offer, but it is going to be available for a short time. It's time to either move on and finish this project or it's time to move on and be done with it. We're tired of messing around."

Several residents in favor of the project spoke up at the meeting asking why it has taken so long to get the system. There were also a handful of residents from Thompson Falls and Trout Creek at the meeting, including Thompson Fall Mayor Mark Sheets, who wanted to pass along information on what his city went through when they decided to go for a central sewer system. He admitted there were protests, but said they died down once the system was installed. He also said that if Paradise rejects the county's offer, he plans to request the ARPA funds that had been intended for Paradise. 

"From everybody I've been talking to in Thompson Falls they're very angry about this, they're very upset about it," said Caldwell, although Thompson Falls resident Rusti Leivestad said she had not heard anyone there talk about being angry over it. She also stated that she's in favor of the county spending money on Paradise. "I believe we are all in this together that's why we're here to tell you that we support you," said Leivestad. Ernie Scherzer of Trout Creek also stated his support of the county providing money to help Paradise get a community system. "You have an offer like no other group has had in this county. You don't know what you've got," he said.

Paradise resident Bob Altmiller told the board that he has a septic system that will last 200 years, but he's for the centralized sewer and would like to see results. 

The 97-year-old Meyer is a resident in favor of the proposed system and wanted to know why it's not done. "The sewer thing has been going on for so many years, and they haven't done anything about the sewer because there's bickering going on all the time," said Meyer.

The board had planned to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 14. "The people here need to decide whether or not they want a sewer system," said Cox. "If they want it, let's do it; if they don't want it then let's stop this damn charade that's been going on for years and kill it."