In Friday’s edition of the Nisqually Valley News [April 16], Yelm Mayor Ron Harding was quoted in a front-page story titled:
“Yelm going digging for additional water”

where he said:
“‘The property the well is being drilled on is currently owned by developers, but within its master plan is an agreement to gift the property to the city.’

Yelm Mayor Ron Harding said if for whatever reason those plans don’t move forward, the city can always condemn the property.”

On April 13th, the Yelm City Council approved a $615,223 expenditure to dig a production well, which is on Tahoma Terra property.

The property’s deed where SW Yelm Well #2 is located shows Thurston Highlands, LLC as the owners and is located within the unfinished phases of Tahoma Terra, having been in foreclosure since the developers defaulted, as reported in The Olympian.

City Administrator Shelly Badger responded on-the-record to Council member Thompson’s question [April 10] about his understanding that SW Yelm Well #2 was located on city-owned land, where she said:
“We also, in addition to that, have approval from the property owner to conduct the drilling activity. But ultimately, yes, it is owned by the city. ”

How can Mrs. Badger tell Council member Thompson the city owns this land?
How can the developers gift the property for the well to the city if they are in default & going to auction, according to Mayor Harding’s assertion?
Is the city looking to buy the parcel at auction?
Is this the “real estate acquisition” issue being discussed in the City Council’s Executive Session & away from the public the last few months.

Mayor Ron Harding & the city have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars condemning another citizen’s water rights last year, which they still do not own!

Additionally, the city has been notified by the Dept. of Ecology they over-pumped their 2009 water allocation, so the city is looking for more water rights and implementing a mandatory 50% irrigation cutback on local commercial property owners.

The City of Yelm has had an expired Water System Plan (WSP) for almost a year and a half, resulting in a Yellow Operating Permit from the Dept. of Health. The city is supposed to update their 6-year WSP every six years. Their draft Water System Plan has yet to be approved by the Depts. of Health & Ecology.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE MAYOR’S COMMENT & CITY’S ACTIONS TO CONDEMN PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR WATER RIGHTS?
ISN’T THIS AN ABUSE OF THE INTENT OF EMINENT DOMAIN LAWS?