FARMINGTON -- Valley View Estates Property Owners Association recently held a special meeting at Farmington Senior Center to receive an update on the subdivision's community sewer system.
The system, owned by Washington County Property Owners Improvement District No. 5, was placed in receivership April 21. Washington County Circuit Judge John Threet named Communities Unlimited as the receiver to take possession of the system and bring it into compliance with state laws and regulations.
The receivership is part of an ongoing Circuit Court lawsuit filed against the district and its three commissioners, Joe Stewart, Jennifer Stewart and John Lipsmeyer, who have since resigned their positions.
The suit, filed by Washington County, the cities of Farmington and Prairie Grove, Rausch Coleman Valley View and the Property Owners Association, asked for the improvement district to be placed into receivership because of the danger of harm to the health and safety of residents in the subdivision and the danger to the environment.
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has noted multiple violations against the sewer system for several years. These include sewer overflows, failure to report overflows, equipment not working and failure to submit reports as required. The system's ADEQ wastewater permit expired in January and the improvement district does not have a valid permit at this time.
Jerry Kopke with Communities Unlimited gave POA members an update on what has happened since he took over as receiver.
Kopke was optimistic the system can be repaired and that this can be done in an affordable manner. He anticipates his role as receiver will last up to a year.
"As receiver, my responsibility is to provide the best service possible for you the customer of that system and to do the best work I can as far as moving toward the future," Kopke told a room full of POA members.
He has hired a consulting engineer, Engineering Services Inc.of Springdale, to develop a corrective-action plan, to supervise the plan and to prepare an application for a new wastewater permit from ADEQ. Kopke also has hired a new licensed wastewater operator, William Winn.
Both are working together to make repairs to parts of the system not working and to determine what parts are working, Kopke said.
Communities Unlimited has signed an agreement for Washington Water Authority to provide billing and collection for sewer service. Households in Valley View Estates pay $40 per month for sewer service and several members asked Kopke if he thought the monthly cost would remain the same.
Kopke replied he thought $40 would be the fee for the foreseeable future. He did not think the cost would go up. Kopke said he does not have much history on the cost to run the system and does not know yet what the cost will be to get the system running as it is designed.
He noted, though, the improvement district does not have any debt and if more money is needed for repairs, it would be able to borrow money without a problem. Revenue from monthly sewer fees would pay back any loan, he said.
"My feeling is $40 is sufficient to operate it as designed with the number of customers it has now," he responded.
Kopke said Engineering Services already has submitted some paperwork to start the process to apply for a new wastewater permit. Kopke has asked ADEQ for permission to be able to land-apply effluent to the golf course during the application process but ADEQ has not answered the request yet.
Kopke said he has asked Valley View golf course to consider other means for watering the course during this time.
William Stephenson, president of the POA Board, said the board is looking at the "big" picture, which is a working sewer system and a golf course that remains in operation. As designed, the sewer system is meant to treat wastewater and this water is used to irrigate the golf course.
"The POA's main objective is to maintain property values," Stephenson said. "The golf course and sewer system are designed to work in tandem. If it's working, it works well. We're hoping that's the point we'll get to...We do want to think of the whole picture because the golf course is part of our community, an integral part of our community."
State Rep. David Whitaker also attended the meeting and commended POA members for pursuing improvements to the sewer system.
"I really do think the progress we've seen in the last six months is incredible, compared to where we were in 2014. You are the ones who drove this. I will be with you the whole way through," Whitaker said.
Kopke encouraged POA members to call him if they had any concerns or questions.
General News on 06/22/2016